The Clock and the Arrow

Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
World Chess Championship 2023; match game 7; Astana, April 18, 2023
French Defence C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. N2f3 Be7 8. Bc4 Nc6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. 0-0 0-0 11. Qe2 Bb7 12. Bd3. Here is the innovation. 12. Ne5 Qc7 13. Bd2 Bd6 14. f4 c5 is fine for Black, Kruppa – Dokhoian, 21st USSR Young Masters Championship, Uzhgorod 1987.
12. ... Qc7 13. Qe4 Nf6 14. Qh4 c5 15. Bf4 Qb6 16. Ne5 Rad8 17. Rae1 g6

“This game is turning very interesting, looks very double edged as Black could remain under a lot of pressure or if White’s initiative evaporates could take over long term”, Fabiano Caruana noted.
18. Bg5 Rd4 19. Qh3 Qc7 20. b3. “20. c3 Rd5 21. f4 and it looks like 21. ... c4 is important there but this looks really difficult to sort through. Quite remarkably complex positions”, says Caruana.
20. ... Nh5 21. f4 Bd6 22. c3 Nxf4 23. Bxf4 Rxf4 24. Rxf4 Bxe5 25. Rh4 Rd8 26. Be4 Bxe4 27. Rhxe4 Rd5 28. Rh4 Qd6 29. Qe3 h5 30. g3 Bf6 31. Rc4 h4 32. gxh4 Rd2. All comments are superfluous as the doomsday clock is ticking for 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) who has 45 seconds left to play the next 8 moves.
33. Re2

33. ... Rd3?? Time, drama, and theatre: 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) blunders away alone. 33. ... Rd5 would have held on.
34. Qxc5 Rd1+ 35. Kg2 Qd3 36. Rf2 Kg7 37. Rcf4 Qxc3 1 : 0. “I think I played not so bad, but just at the end I messed things up”, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) said afterwards.

Looking both ahead and behind. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.