Alone in the Crowd

Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
World Chess Championship 2023; match game 3; Astana, April 12, 2023
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. Bd3 0-0 9. Qc2 Re8 10. Nge2 Nbd7 11. 0-0 a5 12. a3 Nh5 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Rae1 Nf8 15. Nc1 Nf6 16. f3 Ne6

17. N1e2!? So far, Nepomniachtchi had followed an online game by Anish Giri v. his very opponent, which now continued 17. Qf2 c5! 18. Bb5 Rd8 19. dxc5 Qxc5 20. Nb3 Qb6 21. Rd1 Bd7 22. Bxd7 Rxd7 23. Nd4 Re8 24. Ncb5 Rde7 25. Rfe1 g6 26. Nxe6 Rxe6 27. Nd4 R6e7 28. Qd2 Nd7 29. Re2 Ne5 30. b3 Nc6 31. Qc3 h5 32. Kf2 Re5 33. Nxc6 bxc6 34. b4 axb4 35. axb4 R5e6 36. Qd4 Rb8 37. Qxb6 Rxb6 38. Rd4 Re8 39. e4 Reb8 40. exd5 cxd5 ½ : ½ Giri – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), Champions Chess Tour 2021, 4th stage, Chessable Masters, Prelims Tournament, chess24.com, May 20, 2022 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). What sounds quite astonishing is that he deliberately followed it, as he himself said afterwards: “I thought that there is such a game, and I checked it today. The Queen’s Gambit Declined is a very solid opening, so you’re not going to achieve much. The most common case is when both sides play reasonably. It is hard to disrupt the equality”.
17. ... c5 18. Bb5 Rd8 19. dxc5 Qxc5 20. Qd2 Bd7. 20. ... d4 21. exd4 Nxd4 22. Nxd4 Qxd4+ 23. Qxd4 Rxd4 24. Rd1 Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Be6 26. Rd6 Rc8 is probably also sufficient to draw, but not quite so easily as in the game.

21. Bxd7. 21. Nd4 Rac8= seems a steadier continuation.
21. ... Nxd7! Heading for c4 via b6.
22. Nd4. Of course not 22. Nxd5?? in view of 22. ... Nb6 gaining a piece, while 22. Qxd5?! Qxe3+ 23. Kh1 Ndc5 24. Ng3 Qf4 25. Qf5 Rd2 would give Black the upper hand.
22. ... Nb6 23. Rd1. After about 12 minutes or so, Nepomniachtchi realises that he should and must play for a draw.
23. ... Nc4 24. Qf2

24. ... Rac8. Also playable is 24. ... Nxa3 25. e4! Nc4 26. Nxd5 Nc7! 27. Nf5 Qxf2+ 28. Rxf2 a4! 29. Rc2 b5 with a comfortable equality.
25. Na4 Qe7 26. Rfe1 Qf6 27. Nb5 Nc7. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) is content with a draw, which feels like a panacea for his psychological well-being. On the other hand, 27. ... d4!? 28. exd4 Nf4 would perhaps give Black some compensation for the Pawn, but hardly any possibility of success.
28. Nd4 Ne6 29. Nb5 Nc7 30. Nd4 Ne6 ½ : ½.

“I am getting better”, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) eventually told reporters. “As you can see, I spent more time on the stage than hiding in the resting room”. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.