Inscriptions on a Belt

Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Candidates Tournament 2020; Yekaterinburg, March 23, 2020
Spanish Game C77

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 0-0 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. b4 Bxa2 12. Rxa2 Nc6 13. Bg5 Qd7 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Nd5 a5 16. Rb2! A strong novelty. After 16. c4 Ne7 Black does not have much reasons to worry, Vachier-Lagrave – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), 11th London Chess Classic (5th Grand Chess Tour Final), London 2019, match game 1. 16. ... axb4 17. axb4 Bd8 18. c4 Nd4 19. Nxd4 exd4 20. Qc2 Re8 21. g3 bxc4 22. Qxc4 c6 23. Nf4 Bg5 24. Ne2 d5 25. exd5 cxd5 26. Qb3 h5 27. b5 h4 28. b6 h3

29. Kh1 Reb8 30. Rfb1 Bd8 31. Qb5 Qg4. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) blitzed out this and the next move in the vain hope of catching Nepomniachtchi in a mating net. Engines give preference to 31. ... Qf5 in order to answer 32. Nxd4 by 32. ... Qg4 with tempo (33. Qxd5 Bf6). 32. Qxd5 (32. Qe8+ Kh7 33. Qxf7+−) 32. ... Ra5 33. Qc6? White would certainly have been content with 33. f3, had he know what kind of spell he was putting himself in...

33. ... Rc5? Here 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) misses an astonishingly hidden saving variation: 33. ... Rxb6!! 34. Rxb6 Qxe2! 35.Rb8 Re5!! (this is perhaps the move overlooked by Black) 36. Rxd8+ Kh7 37. Rh8+! Kxh8 38. Qc8+ Kh7 39. Qxh3+ Kg6= with equality. To a common mortal, indeed, the whole line appears to be a grandly conceived work of analysis. 34. Qe8+ Kh7 35. Ng1 (35. Qxf7?? Rf5−+) 35. ... Rxb6 36. Qxd8 Rxb2 37. Rxb2 Rc1 38. Qh4+ Qxh4 39. gxh4 Rd1 40. f3 1 : 0. Black chivalrously surrendered.

No doubt it was a golden opportunity for Nepomniachtchi to make it two wins in a row against the two Chinese Candidates. Photo © Lennart Ootes.