Waking Up in Heaven

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi
World Chess Championship 2023; match game 4; Astana, April 13, 2023
English Opening A28

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 Bb4 5. Qc2 Bxc3 6. bxc3 d6 7. e4 0-0 8. Be2 Nh5 9. d4 Nf4 10. Bxf4 exf4 11. 0-0. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s valiant squire, Richárd Rapport, must be credited for today’s theoretical approach. Chinese Grandmaster now deviates from 11. h4!? Re8 12. Bd3 Bg4 13. Ng1 f5 14. Kf1 fxe4 15. Bxe4 h6 16. Nf3 Bxf3?! (⌓ 16. ... Qf6) 17. gxf3! Kh8 18. Qd2 which gave White the initiative in Rapport – Zaragatski, 33rd German Schach Bundesliga, Bremen 2013.
11. ... Qf6 12. Rfe1 Re8 13. Bd3 Bg4 14. Nd2 Na5!? A somewhat ambitious move. Less committal was 14. ... Rad8 15. h3 Bc8= with equality.

15. c5!? A fine positional Pawn sacrifice, which enables White to form a powerful Pawn centre.
15. ... dxc5 16. e5 Qh6 17. d5 Rad8 18. c4 b6 19. h3 Bh5

20. Be4! “20. Be4! looks like one of those classy moves that strong players like and play long before they can explain why it’s good. I think 丁 (Dīng) plans Be4-f3. White has control here, and more than enough compensation, but Black is solid. In old money I’d say it’s ‘plus equals’”, Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson tweeted.
20. ... Re7 21. Qc3 Rde8 22. Bf3 Nb7 23. Re2 f6. “To get squares, you gotta give squares”, as Bobby Fischer put it. After the White Pawn advances to e6, the Black Knight jumps to the blockade square d6.
24. e6 Nd6 25. Rae1 Nf5. 25. ... Bg6= might be the best way towards equality.
26. Bxh5 Qxh5 27. Re4 Qh6 28. Qf3

“It was a very intense game. I think I misjudged the position and thought it was quite nice for Black. Still, it was more or less playable, until I just lost my focus”, Nepomniachtchi then said.
28. ... Nd4?? A melodramatic blunder, which loses at once. Best was 28. ... g5! 29. g4! Nd6! with a hard nut to crack.
29. Rxd4! To quote Reuben Fine, “In such positions, combinations are as natural as a baby’s smile”.
29. ... cxd4

30. Nb3! Speaking frankly, the White Knight is worth two Rooks. What follows does not require much engine time.
30. ... g5 31. Nxd4 Qg6 32. g4! fxg3 33. fxg3 h5 34. Nf5 Rh7 35. Qe4 Kh8 36. e7 Qf7 37. d6 cxd6 38. Nxd6 Qg8 39. Nxe8 Qxe8 40. Qe6 Kg7 41. Rf1 Rh6 42. Rd1 f5 43. Qe5+ Kf7 44. Qxf5+ Rf6 45. Qh7+ Ke6 46. Qg7 Rg6 47. Qf8 1 : 0.

“Suddenly, I felt like winning... And it was a little bit hard to believe it”, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) said afterwards, speaking of his opponent’s fatal 28th move. Photo: Anna Shtourman/FIDE.