A Tuesday Like Today

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Candidates Tournament 2020–21; Yekaterinburg, April 20, 2021
King’s Indian Defence E60

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. h4!? Basically, and above all, it is an anti-Grünfeld move. 3. ... Bg7 4. Nc3 c5 5. d5 d6 6. e4 e6 7. Be2 exd5. 7. ... 0-0 8. h5 forms the subject of another theoretical storyline with most references, the first in chronological order being Flohr – Liublinsky, 30th Moscow City Chess Championship, Moscow 1952. 8. exd5 Nbd7!? It’s a bit strange to call such a natural move a “theoretical novelty” (TN), and yet, probably, it is so. A quote for reference only: 8. ... 0-0 9. h5 Re8 10. hxg6 hxg6 11. Bg5 Qb6 12. Qd2 Ne4 13. Nxe4 Rxe4 14. f3 Qxb2 15. Qxb2 Bxb2 16. fxe4 Bxa1 17. Be7 Nd7 18. Nf3 Bc3+ 19. Kd1 Nf6 20. e5 Ng4 21. Kc2 Ba5 22. Ng5 Bf5+ 23. Kb3 Bd8 24. Bxd8 Rxd8 25. Bxg4 Bxg4 26. Rh8+ Kxh8 27. Nxf7+ Kg7 28. Nxd8 dxe5 29. Nxb7 e4 30. Nxc5 e3 31. Kc3 Kf6 32. d6 Bf5 33. Na6 Ke5 34. c5 Kf4 35. Nb4 Kg3 36. Nc2 e2 37. Ne1 Kf2 38. Kd2 Bd7 39. g4 g5 40. Nd3+ Kf1 41. Ne1 Kf2 42. Nd3+ Kf1 43. a3 a5 44. Ne1 Kf2 45. Nd3+ Kf1 46. Ne1 Kf2 47. Nc2 Ba4 48. Ne1 Bd7 ½ : ½ Rapport – Grandelius, 21st Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament, Malmö 2013. 9. Nf3 Ng4 10. h5 Qe7 11. Bg5 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 f6 13. Bd2 g5 14. 0-0 Nge5?! 14. ... Nde5 is probably safer, in order to reply to 15. Nd4 with castling.

15. Nd4! A powerful positional Knight sacrifice which gives White the initiative. 15. ... cxd4. Of course now Black cannot castle due to Nd4-f5. 16. cxd4 0-0? Most commentators disagree with Vachier-Lagrave on his decision to give back the Knight, and probably they are right. Of course after 16. ... Nf7 17. Re1 0-0 18. Bd3 Qd8 the situation is rather unclear, but Black can hope to break White’s bind on the light squares with the counter-sacrifice of the f-Pawn followed by ... Qd8-f6. 17. dxe5 fxe5 18. Be3 b6 19. a4! 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) is now in his element and methodically proceeds to consolidate his advantage in position. 19. ... Nc5 20. a5 Rb8 21. Ra3 h6 22. Qd2 Bf5 23. axb6 axb6 24. Rfa1 Rb7 25. Qd1 Kg7 26. R1a2! Material is even, but White has many assets on his side such as the Bishop pair and the domination of the a-file. 26. ... Ne4 27. Bd3 Qf7 28. Rb2 Nc5 29. Bxf5 Qxf5 30. Bxc5 dxc5

31. Qe2. There may be nothing wrong here with playing the cat and mouse game, but simpler and better is 31. Rf3 Qd7 32. Rxf8 Kxf8 33. Qb1 Qd6 34. Ra2+− leaving Black helpless on both wings. 31. ... e4 32. Re3 Re8 33. Rb5 Qe5 34. g3 Qd4 35. Rb1 Rf7. 35. ... b5! is the recommendation by most engines, for if White doesn’t take on b5, Black will succeed in creating his own passed Pawn by ... b5-b4. 36. Rd1 Qf6

37. d6? Too hasty! Apparently this one move is enough for 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) to dissipate most of his advantage. Instead, a patient approach with 37. Qc2 followed, if necessary, by Rd1-d2 should allow White to win, as they say, on autopilot. 37. ... Re6 38. d7 Rd6 39. Rxd6 Qxd6 40. Rxe4 Rxd7 41. Kg2 (41. Re6 Qd1+ 42. Qxd1 Rxd1+ 43. Kg2 Rd4=) 41. ... Qc6 42. Kh2 Qf6 43. Kh3 (43. Re6 Rd2!=) 43. ... Qf5+ 44. g4 Qf6 45. Re5 Qd6. Grandmaster Nigel Short suggests the following line: 45. ... Rd2 46. Qe4 Rxf2! 47. Qb7+ Qf7 48. Re7 Rf3+ with a draw. 46. Kg2 Qc6+ 47. f3 Qd6 48. Qe4. Threat: Re5-e6.

48. ... Ra7. The only move, but sufficient. 49. Qe2 Rd7 50. Qe4 Ra7 51. Kh3 Rf7 52. Re8 (52. Re6 Rxf3+!=) 52. ... Qf6 53. Kg2 Qb2+ 54. Kh3 Qf6 55. Kg2 Qb2+ 56. Kg3 Qf6 57. Qd3 Qf4+ 58. Kg2 Qf6 59. Kg3 Qf4+ 60. Kg2 Qf6 61. Qe2 Rd7 62. Qe4 Rd2+ 63. Kh3 Qd6 64. Re5 Kf6 65. Rf5+ Kg7 66. Re5 Kf6 67. Rf5+ Kg7 68. Qb7+ Kh8 69. Qa8+ Kg7 70. Qa7+ Kh8 71. Qa1+ Kg8 72. Qa8+ Kg7 73. Qa1+ Kg8 74. Re5 Qf8 75. Qa3 Rf2 76. Kg3 Qf4+ 77. Kxf2 Qxe5 78. Qa8+ Kf7 79. Qb7+ Kf8 80. Qc8+ Ke7 81. Qb7+ Kf8 82. Qxb6 Qh2+ 83. Kf1 Qh1+ 84. Ke2 Qg2+ 85. Ke3 Qg1+ 86. Ke2 Qg2+ 87. Ke3 Qg1+ 88. Ke2 ½ : ½.

Vachier-Lagrave escaped with a draw from his second consecutive nightmare, which also means the end of any dreams of glory for 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén). Photo © Lennart Ootes.