Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Backend

Magnus Carlsen – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
7th GRENKE Chess Classic; time control: 45 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Karlsruhe, March 27, 2024
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 c6 6. Bf4 Bf5 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Nh4 Be4 9. f3 Bg6 10. g4 Be7 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. Qc2. This is what theoreticians call a novelty, even if it does not differ much from a recently played game stored in online databases: 12. Qb3 Qb6 13. Qc2 Nf8 14. 0-0-0 Ne6 15. Bg3 0-0-0 16. h4 Bd6 17. Bf2 Qc7 18. Bh3⩲ Sivuk – Raja, 51st Rilton Cup, Stockholm 2024.
12. ... Nf8 13. 0-0-0 Ne6 14. Bg3 Bd6 15. Be1 Qc7 16. Kb1 0-0-0 17. h4 Kb8 18. Rg1 a6 19. Rg2 g5 20. h5


20. ... c5. After a long convalescence, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) finally begins to recover his health and self-confidence, at least enough here to put up a creative defence, privileging dynamism and mobility over material balance.
21. dxc5 Bxc5 22. Na4 Bxe3 23. Qb3


23. ... d4 24. Rc2. 24. Bxa6 Qc6∞ would be rather nebulous but good enough for Black.
24. ... Qd6 25. Ba5 Qd5. Of course Black is bound to give up the Exchange as the Rook can’t abandon the d-file without hanging the e3-Bishop.
26. Bxd8 Qxb3 27. axb3 Rxd8


28. Nc5. 28. Bc4 appears to be a little less complacent, to which Black would have probably replied with 28. ... Nf4 29. Bxf7 Nd7 followed by ... Nd7-e5 and ... Ne5xf3 (alternatively 29. ... d3 30. Rc3 Bd4 would win back the Exchange and remain a Pawn down).
28. ... Nd5 29. Bd3 Nb4 30. Nxe6 fxe6 31. Rc5 Rd5 32. Rc4. 32. Rxd5 exd5 33. Bf5 Kc7 would not promise anything more.
32. ... a5 33. Be4 Rd6 34. Rc5 b6 35. Rc4 e5 36. Rxb4. Carlsen eventually returns the Exchange, trying out a few last tricks before agreeing to a draw.
36. ... axb4 37. Kc2 d3+ 38. Rxd3 Rxd3 39. Kxd3 Bc1 40. Kc4 Kc7. Black cannot play 40. ... Bxb2?? as this would permit 41. Kd5 Kc7 42. Ke6 followed by the subsequent capture of the g7-Pawn.
41. Kd5 Kd7 42. Kxe5 Ke7 43. Kf5 Bd2 44. Kg6 Kf8 45. Bd5 Bc1 46. Bc4 Bd2. Just a line to remind that one is always in time to throw it all away (46. ... Bxb2?? 47. Kxg5+−).
47. Bd5 Bc1 48. Bc4 Bd2 ½–½.

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