Presence and Absence

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, July 1, 2022
Nimzo-Indian Defence E48

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. a3 Bd6 8. Qc2 Na6 9. Nge2 c5! Good old moves: Black will be compensated for the isolated Queen’s Pawn by a dynamic piece-play.

10. Bxa6!? This sounds like just another case of contemporary, computer-inspired theory, which is not exactly what it pretends to be — an improvement over human judgment. That is, 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. b4 Nxd3+ 12. Qxd3 Be6 13. Bb2 a5 14. b5? (⌓ 14. Nb5) 14. ... Ng4 15. Nd4 Ne5 16. Qe2 Rc8 17. h3 Nc4 18. 0-0 Qf6 19. Nd1 Qg6 20. Kh1 Bd7 21. a4 Rfe8 22. Bc3 Re4 23. Nf3 Rce8 24. Ra2 Bb8 25. Ba1 Qd6 26. Nc3 Rh4! with irresistible attack, P. F. Johner – Bogoljubov, International Chess Tournament, Bern 1932. 10. ... bxa6 11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. b4 Bd6 13. Bb2 a5 14. b5 a6 15. h3 Bd7

16. bxa6?! It was better to keep the b-file closed with 16. a4. 16. ... Rxa6 17. Rd1 Rb6 18. Rd2?! Taking the Pawn would be inadvisable: 18. Nxd5? Nxd5 19. Rxd5 Qb8! with an overwhelming advantage for Black. Perhaps it was better for White to give up a Pawn by 18. Ba1 (18. ... Bxa3), but it’s not easy for one who aims high to accept such a relative failure. 18. ... Qc8 19. f3?! Indeed, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) has good reason not to castle (19. 0-0 Bxh3!), but his convoluted, artificial arrangement proves to be pernicious. Giving up a Pawn by 19. Ba1 Bxa3 was probably still his best bet for survival. 19. ... Re8 20. Kf2?! (20. Nd1 Rc6) 20. ... Qb8. Breakthrough threats, also involving a Rook sacrifice, are hanging over White’s encampment. But 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) is apparently oblivious to the danger: 21. Qc1?! 21. Bc1 Rc8 is also very bad for Black, but at least it avoids the next devastating blow.

21. ... Rxe3! 22. Nd1 (22. Kxe3 Bc5+ 23. Nd4 Qe5+−+) 22. ... Re8 23. Ne3 Rb3 24. Ng4 Bxg4 25. hxg4 Rc8 26. Qa1 Bf4 0 : 1.

At last Radjabov took his satisfactions. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.