Through the Desert

Richárd Rapport – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 29, 2022
Spanish Game C77

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 d6 9. c3 Ba7 10. 0-0 Na5 11. Bc2 c5. A reference worth mentioning here is 11. ... g5 12. Bg3 Nh5 13. a4 Nxg3 14. hxg3 Nc6 15. axb5 axb5 16. Na3 Ba6? (16. ... Bb6! 17. Nxb5 Rxa1 18. Qxa1 0-0) 17. Bb3 Ne7 18. d4! exd4 19. Nxd4 (19. Nc2!) 19. ... b4 (19. ... Bxd4!) 20. Nc4 Bxc4 21. Bxc4 0-0 22. cxb4 d5 23. exd5 Qd6 24. Nb5 Qxb4 25. b3 Qc5 26. Qf3 Kg7 27. Ra6 f6 (27. ... Bb6 28. Rxa8 Rxa8 29. d6!+−) 28. Rfa1 Nc8 29. Kh2 1 : 0 Caruana – Burke, 65th U.S. Chess Championship, Saint Louis 2021. 12. Nbd2 g5 13. Bg3 Nh5 14. a3 Rb8 15. Kh1 Rb7 16. b4 Nc6 17. Bb3 Rc7. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) then explained the meaning of his Rook’s route (... Ra8-b8-b7-c7): it was just a matter of delaying castling.

18. Bd5 g4 19. Bh4 Ne7 20. Ng1 cxb4 21. axb4 Rxc3 22. Ne2 Rc7 23. f4 f6 24. fxe5 dxe5 25. Ng3 Nxg3+ 26. hxg3 Rf8 27. Rxf6 Rxf6 28. Bxf6 Qd6 29. Qf1 Bd4 30. Bf7+ Kd7 (30. ... Kxf7?? 31. Bxe5++−) 31. Rd1 Rc2 32. Bb3 Rc7

Faithful to himself, Rapport throws fuel on the fire: 33. Nc4!? bxc4 34. dxc4 (Δ c4-c5) 34. ... Rc6 35. Ba4 Kc7 36. Bxc6 Nxc6 37. b5 Nb4 38. c5 Qe6 39. Bh4 Bxc5 40. Rc1 Qd6 41. Qc4 Nd3!

42. Rc3? White’s best chance for a draw was 42. Be7! — now 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) may perch himself on the driver’s seat. 42. ... axb5 43. Qxd3 Qxd3 44. Rxd3 Bd4 45. Bf6 Kb6 46. Rxd4. Betting on the Bishops of opposite colour, but in vain. 46. ... exd4 47. Bxd4+ Ka5 48. Kg1 b4 49. Kf2 Ka4 50. Ke3 Kb3 51. Kf4 Kc2 52. Ke5 b3 53. Kd6 Kd3 54. Ba1 Kxe4 55. Kc5 Kd3 0 : 1.

With each passing day, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) comes closer to the top. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.