Behind the Bid

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – 白金石 (Bái Jīnshí)

2022 “Welcome to the Asian Games” Chess Grandmaster Invitational Tournament; 杭州 (Hángzhōu), March 30, 2022

Tarrasch Defence D32

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. dxc5 d4 7. Na4 Bxc5 8. Nxc5 Qa5+ 9. Bd2 Qxc5 10. b4!? 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) hopes that the gambit line will yield him something more than 10. e3 Bg4 11. exd4 Qe7+ 12. Be2 Bxf3 13. gxf3 Nf6∞ 14. Bc3 0-0 15. Qd2 Rfe8 16. Kf1 Rad8 17. Rg1 g6 18. Rd1 Qe6 19. Rg5 Nd5 20. Re1 Qf6 21. Rg4 Qf5 22. Kg2 Qf6 23. Rd1 a6 24. Bf1 Nce7 25. Bd3 h5 26. Re4 Nf5 27. Rxe8+ Rxe8 28. Bxf5 Qxf5 29. Re1 Nf4+ 30. Qxf4 Qxf4 31. Rxe8+ Kg7 32. d5+ f6 33. Re6 Qg5+ 34. Kf1 Qxd5 35. Rxf6 Kh7 36. a3 g5 37. h3 ½ : ½ Knaak – Lalić, 24th “Zlatni Pyasåtsi” International Tournament, Varna 1985. 10. ... Qf5. 白金石 (Bái Jīnshí) is not interested in knowing what his opponent had prepared with regard to 10. ... Nxb4 11. Rc1 Qd6 12. e3 Ne7 (12. ... dxe3 13. Bc3 exf2+ 14. Kxf2 Qb6+ 15. Bd4 Qh6 16. Qe1+ Ne7 17. Qxb4 0-0 18. Bc4 Nc6 19. Qc3 Bg4 20. Be3 Qh5 21. Be2 Rae8 22. Bc5 1 : 0 Kobo – Korning, 15th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2017) 13. Nxd4 0-0 14. Bc4 Nbc6 15. Nxc6 Nxc6 16. Bc3 Qg6 17. 0-0 Rd8 18. Qb3 Rb8 19. Rfd1 Be6 20. Bxe6 Qxe6 21. Qxe6 fxe6 22. f4 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Rd8 24. Rxd8+ Nxd8 25. Kf2 Nc6 26. e4 Kf7 27. Ke3 b5 28. g4 g6 29. g5 a6 30. h4 Ke7 ½ : ½ Kántor – Kosić, First Saturday GM October 2017, Budapest 2017. 11. Rc1 Nf6 12. Rc5 Qd7TN (12. ... Qe6 13. b5 Ne4 14. Rc1 Ne5 15. Bf4 Ng4 16. Qxd4 0-0 17. h3 Ngxf2 18. Rh2 Qxa2 19. g4 Bxg4 20. Rxf2 Nxf2 21. Kxf2 Bxf3 22. Kxf3 Qe6 23. Rd1 Rac8 24. Qd6 Qxd6 25. Bxd6 Rfd8 26. e4 f6 27. Kf4 a6 28. Rd4 ½ : ½ Gusev – Giesemann, Champions League 2017 B4 Board 4, by e-mail, 2017) 13. b5 Nd8 14. Bb4 Ne6 15. Rc4 Nd5. If 15. ... a6!? there might follow 16. bxa6 b5 17. Rxd4! Nxd4 18. Nxd4 Bxa6 19. e3 with good play for the Exchange. 16. Nxd4 Nxb4 17. Rxb4 0-0 18. e3 Qe7 19. Qd2 Rd8 20. Be2 Nxd4 21. Rxd4 Be6 22. 0-0 Rxd4 23. Qxd4 b6

24. Rd1. White decides to return the Pawn for some initiative rather than betting on a 4 Pawns vs. 3 on the same side ending being won. 24. ... Bxa2 25. Bf3 Rc8 26. Bb7 Rc5. The Bishop is obviously taboo because of back rank mate. 27. Qd8+ Qf8 28. h3 Bb3 29. Rd4 (29. Rd7 Be6=) 29. ... g6 30. Qf6 Rf5 31. Qh4

31. ... Qc5? This loses at once. After the forced move 31. ... Rh5 White had probably nothing better than repeating by 32. Qf6 Rf5= because, instead, 32. Qe4 Qxb5 33. Qd3 Qc5 34. Rd8+ Kg7 35. Rc8 Qb4 36. Qd8 Be6∞ can still be tricky but likely not winnable. 32. Be4! Re5. Apparently hoping for 33. Qf6 Re8 34. Bc6 Qe5 with good chances of saving the game.

33. Bxg6! fxg6 34. Rd7! Bf7 35. Qf6 Qc1+ 36. Kh2 1 : 0. Black has no other defence against the threat of mate but to lose heavy material.