Captive Hearts

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov
8th Chess World Cup; match game 4; Khanty-Mansiysk, October 3, 2019
English Opening A29

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Bc5 7. Nxe5!? 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) shows no ambition in his classical “finale” and declares himself content and satisfied to go to tie-breaks. However, also after 7. 0-0 0-0 8. d3 Bb6 9. Nxd5 Qxd5 10. Bd2 Qd6 11. Bc3 Re8 12. Nd2 Qh6 13. b4 Bh3 14. b5 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Bd4! Black somehow managed to hold his own, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Navara, 43rd Chess Olympiad, Batumi 2018. 7. ... Nxc3 8. Bxc6+!? Of course, from Black’s viewpoint, the Bishop pair may well compensate for a Pawn down! 8. Nxc6?? Qf6!−+ would be an immediate catastrophe, while after 8. bxc3 Nxe5 9. d4 Bd6 the game can be assessed as quite comfortable for Black. 8. ... bxc6 9. bxc3. If 9. dxc3 there may follow 9. ... Qxd1+ (9. ... Qe7!?) 10. Kxd1 Bxf2 11. Rf1 Bc5 12. Rxf7 Bd6 13. Rf3 Bxe5 14. Re3 0-0 15. Rxe5 Rf1+ 16. Kd2 Bg4 with a dynamic balance. 9. ... Qd5 10. Nf3 Bh3 11. Qb3 Bg2 12. Qxd5 cxd5 13. Rg1 Bxf3 14. exf3 d4! Even so Black has more than enough compensation for the Pawn. 15. Rb1 0-0-0 16. Rb5 Rhe8+ 17. Kd1 Bb6 18. cxd4 Bxd4 19. Rf1

19. ... Re6! 20. Bb2 Ra6 21. Bxd4 Rxd4 22. Rb2 Rda4. The regaining of the Pawn makes a draw inevitable. 23. Re1 Kd7 24. Rb8 Rxa2 25. Ree8 Ra1+ 26. Ke2 Re6+ 27. Rxe6 Kxe6 28. Re8+ Kf6 29. Rc8 Rc1 30. Ra8 Ra1 31. Rc8 ½ : ½.

That’s the climax of a gambling casino: the taking-all winner will be determined by tie-breaks. Photo: FIDE World Cup 2019.