Behind and Ahead

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Hikaru Nakamura
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, July 4, 2022
Tarrasch Defence D40

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. e3 Nc6 6. a3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 a6 8. Bd3 b5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. b4 Be7 11. 0-0 Bb7 12. Bb2 0-0 13. Ne4 Nxe4 14. Bxe4 f5. A vintage reference is 14. ... Rc8 15. Rc1 Qxd1 16. Rfxd1 Rfd8 17. Kf1 f5 18. Bb1 Bf6 19. Bxf6 gxf6 20. Ba2 Kf7 21. Ke2 Ke7= 22. g3? (⌓ 22. Rxd8 Rxd8 23. Ne1) 22. ... Rxd1 23. Kxd1 Nxb4! 24. Rxc8 Bxf3+ 25. Kc1 Nxa2+ 26. Kb2 Bd5 27. Rh8? (⌓ 27. Rc7+ Kf8 28. f3) 27. ... b4! 28. Rxh7+ Kf8 29. Ra7? (⌓ 29. axb4 Nxb4 30. Kc3) 29. ... bxa3+ 30. Kxa3 Nc3 31. Rxa6 Nd1 32. f4 Nxe3 33. h3 Kf7 34. Kb4 Bg2 35. h4 Bd5 36. Kc5 Nf1 37. Ra3 Kg6 38. Kd6 Nd2 39. Rd3 Ne4+ 40. Ke7 Kh5 41. Re3 Kg4 42. Rd3 Bc4 43. Re3 Bd5 44. Rd3 Ba2 45. Ra3 Bc4 46. Kf7 e5+ 47. Kg6 Nxg3 48. Rxg3+ Kxg3 49. fxe5 fxe5?? (49. ... f4−+) 50. Kxf5 ½ : ½ A. K. Rubinstein – Salwe, Łódź 1908, match game 7. 15. Bb1!? (15. Bc2 Bf6 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. Bb3 Rfd8 18. Qc2 Kh8 19. Rfd1 e5 20. Qb2 Qe7 21. Rac1 e4 22. Nd4 Ne5 23. Qa1 Qf6 24. Rc5 f4 25. Rc7 Bd5 26. Bxd5 Rxd5 27. exf4 Ng4 28. g3 e3 29. fxe3 Nxe3 30. Rd3 Nf5 31. Rc6 Qf7 32. Qa2 Qg8 33. Nxf5 Rxd3 34. Qxg8+ Rxg8 35. Rxa6 Rd2 36. Nd6 h6 37. Rc6 Kh7 38. Nc4 Rc2 39. Ne5 Ra2 40. Rc3 Ra8 41. Rf3 ½ : ½ Nozdrachev – Sidorov, 6th Polugaevsky Memorial, Samara 2016) 15. ... Qxd1 16. Rxd1 Rfd8 17. Ba2 Kf7 18. h4 h6 19. Rdc1 Bd6 20. Rc2 Ne7 21. Nd4 Bd5 22. Bxd5 Nxd5 23. Rac1 Rd7 24. Nb3 Be7 25. h5 Bf6 26. Bd4 e5 27. Bc5 Bd8 28. Rd2 Nf6 29. Rxd7+ Nxd7 30. Rd1 Nf6 31. Bd6 Ng4 32. Bc5 Bh4 33. Rd7+ Kg8 34. g3 Bg5. In his YouTube commentary, Nakamura noted that Black could play at once 34. ... Rd8 as after 35. Rd6 Rxd6 36. Bxd6 Bd8 37. Nc5 a5 38. Nb7 axb4 39. Bxb4 Bc7 40. Bd6 Bb6 a draw is very likely. 35. Kf1

35. ... Bd8? This is a strange and serious mistake. Black was still in time for 35. ... Rd8! 36. Rd6 Rxd6 37. Bxd6 Kf7 38. Nc5 Be7! 39. Bxe7 Kxe7 40. Nxa6 Kd6 41. Nc5 Nf6 with a draw in prospect. 36. Rb7! f4! 37. gxf4 exf4 38. e4?! (38. exf4!? Nf6 39. Ke2 Nxh5 40. Kf3±)

38. ... Bf6? (38. ... f3! 39. Nd4 Ne5⇄) 39. Nd4 Re8 40. Kg2 Ne5 41. Nf5

41. ... f3+. Nakamura gives 41. ... Nc4 42. Be7 Bxe7 43. Ne7+ Kf7 44. Ng6+ Kg8 45. Kf3 Nd2+ 46. Kxf4 Rxe4+ 47. Kf5 Re8 48. Ra7 as quasi-winning for White, but still not so easy to win as it may appear. 42. Kg3 Nc4 43. Be7 Bb2. After 43. ... Bxe7 44. Nxe7+ Kf8 45. Ng6+ Kg8 46. Kxf3 Nd2+ 47. Ke3 Nxe4 48. Ne7+ Kf7 49. Kxe4 Rxe7+ 50. Rxe7+ Kxe7 51. Kf5 Kf7 52. f3+− (52. f4+−) the King and Pawn ending is an elementary win for White (Nakamura’s analysis). 44. Kxf3 Bxa3 45. Kg3 Ne5. A little better was perhaps 45. ... a5, although 46. Bc5! Rxe4 47. Rxg7+ Kh8 48. Rb7! should win for White. 46. Bc5 Nf7 47. f3 Bc1 48. Ra7 Bd2 49. Rxa6 Be1+ 50. Kg2 Bc3 51. Ra7 Ng5 52. Ne7+ Kh8 53. Ng6+ Kg8 54. Ne7+ Kh8 55. Nd5 Bb2 56. Ra2 Bc1 57. Rc2 Ba3 58. Be3 1 : 0.

It’s a pity that the tournament is over, because 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) was getting better and better with every day. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.