Old Made New

Nodirbek Abdusattorov – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)

Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge; Quarterfinal match game 1; time control: 90 minutes per 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds per move starting on move 41; Wangels, February 11, 2024

brnbqknr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/BRNBQKNR w HBhb - 0 1

Position #513

1. e4 b5 2. b4 Nf6. 2. ... e5 might transpose into Firouzja – Carlsen on the adjacent table, where there followed 3. Nh3 Nce7 4. f4 exf4 5. 0-0 Ng6 6. d3 Bf6 7. Bxf6 Nxf6 8. Nxf4 Qe5 9. Qg3 Re8 10. Nxg6+ hxg6 11. Qxe5 Rxe5 12. Rb3 a6 13. Ra3 Bb7 14. Rc3 Ne8 15. Nb3 with advantage to White.
3. d3 e5 4. Nh3

4. ... d5!? 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) boldly sacrifices a Pawn for an uncertain compensation. 4. ... d6 5. f4⩲ was a quieter affair, although White seems to have slightly the better of it.
5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Qxe5 Qxe5 7. Bxe5 0-0 8. Bf3 Re8 9. Bd4 Be7 10. Bxd5 Bxd5 11. Nf4 Bc6 12. Bc5 Bg5 13. Nce2 Nb6 14. h4 Bxf4 15. Nxf4 Ra8 16. Rh3 Nd5 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 18. a3 a5 19. bxa5 Rxa5 20. Re3 Rc8?! Thinking classically, the presence of opposite-coloured Bishops should have suggested Black to exchange a pair of Rooks.
21. h5 h6 22. f3 c6 23. Kf2 Ra4 24. g4 f5 25. c4

25. ... Bf7? A faux pas probably due to overcalculation. Black had to play 25. ... bxc4! at once; for example: 26. Re7 (26. Rb7 Kh8 27. Ree7 Rg8 28. Be3 cxd3 29. Bxh6 d2! 30. Bxd2 Rxa3 31. g5 Rxf3+ 32. Ke2 Rh3 33. h6 c5 should hold for Black) 26. ... Ra5 27. Bb4 Rb5 28. g5! hxg5 29. Rg1⩲ with a slight initiative.
26. gxf5 bxc4? 26. ... Bxh5 seems more tenacious, although after 27. Rg1 Re8 28. f6 g5 29. f4 Rxe3 30. Kxe3 Kf7 31. fxg5 hxg5 32. Rxg5 Bg6 33. cxb5 cxb5 34. Be7 Rh4 35. Rg3 White comes out with two Pawns ahead.

27. f6! Now this is devastating. The rest is quite easy.
27. ... cxd3. Neither 27. ... gxf6 28. Re7 nor 27. ... c3 28. Rg1 c2 29. Re7 would have been of any use.
28. Rg1 d2 29. Rxg7+ Kh8 30. Rd3 Bd5 31. Bd4 Bxf3 32. Rxd2 Bxh5 33. Be5 Rg4 34. Re7 Kg8 35. Rdd7 Rf8 36. Rg7+ Kh8 37. Rxg4 Bxg4 38. Rg7 Be6 39. f7 Bxf7 40. Rxf7+ Kg8 41. Rxf8+ Kxf8 42. a4 Ke7 43. a5 Kd7 44. a6 Kc8 45. Ke3 1 : 0.

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) has shown signs of recovery and is to play all-out for a win tomorrow. Photo: Amruta Mokal/ChessBase India.