Behind the Scenes

Kirill Alexeyevich Alekseenko – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Candidates Tournament 2020–21; Yekaterinburg, April 26, 2021
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 d6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. h3 h6 8. Re1 a5 9. b3!? Bb6 10. Nbd2 Be6 (10. ... Re8 11. Bb5 Bd7 12. Bb2 Ne7= Sethuraman – Cheparinov, 15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2017) 11. Nf1 d5 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Qc2 Qf6 14. Ng3 Qg6 15. Kh2 Rad8 16. Ba3 Rfe8 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. Rxe5 c6 19. Bxd5 Rxd5 20. Rxd5 Bxd5 21. c4 Be6 22. Re1 Rd8 23. Ne4 Bc7+ 24. Kh1 Qh5 25. Re3 Qe5 26. Ng3 Qa1+ 27. Kh2 Qf6!? 27. ... Be5 was a good, if not a better move, but they both do have a deeply personal reason not to snub a performance show in which there may be nothing at stake but the honour. 28. Bb2 Qg6 29. Kh1 Bb6 30. Rf3 Bc7 31. Bc3 b5 32. Qe2 bxc4 33. bxc4 a4 34. Qe3 Qg5 35. Qe1 Qg6 36. Qe3 Qg5 37. Qe1 Qg6 38. Qe2 a3 39. Bb4 Rb8 40. Qe1 Rd8 41. Qc3 h5 42. Bxa3 h4 43. Ne2 Bf5 44. Nd4

44. ... Be4? This is apparently a miscalculation. The same idea could be carried out with 44. ... Rb8! Δ 45. Rxf5 (not 45. Nxf5? on account of 45. ... Rb1+ 46. Bc1 Qg5 winning back the piece with interest) 45. ... c5! 46. Rxc5 Rb1+ 47. Bc1 Qxd3! 48. Qe1 Qe4! forcing a likely drawn Rook ending. 45. dxe4 Qxe4 46. Rd3 Be5

47. Bc5?? Completely overlooking Black’s reply and the attached threat of back-rank mate. Very strong was 47. Bb2! without fearing 47. ... c5 because of 48. Nf3! winning material. 47. ... Rb8!−+ 48. Bb4 (48. Rd1 Rb1 49. Qd2 Bf4−+) 48. ... Rxb4! 49. Qxb4 Qxd3 50. Nf3 Qf1+ 51. Ng1 Bd4! Just so. Instead, 51. ... Qxf2? 52. Qe7! was not clear at all. 52. Qb8+ Kh7 53. Qf4 Bxf2! The curtain falls as Black’s king escapes from checks on the Queenside. 54. Qf5+ Kh6 55. Qf4+ Kg6 56. Qg4+ Kf6 57. Qf4+ Ke6 58. Qe4+ Kd6 59. Qf4+ Kc5 60. Qe5+ Kxc4 61. Qe4+ Kb5 0 : 1.

One could well guess that, given the circumstances, the most interesting game of the day would be played backstage. Photo: Eteri Kublashvili/Russian Chess Federation.