Ian Nepomniachtchi vs Ding Liren (2020)

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Ian Nepomniachtchi vs Ding Liren
World Championship Candidates (2020/21), Yekaterinburg RUS, rd 6, Mar-23
Spanish Game: Closed. Martinez Variation (C78) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 5 OF 5 · Later Kibitzing>
Mar-23-20		An Englishman: Good Morning: 40.f3 created a state of Zugzwang, didn't it? 40...Rxd3; 41.Nxh3 frees the King and Knight (41...Rxf3??; 42.Ng5+), whilst anything else allows 41.Rb4 and 42.Rxd4, followed by Rd4-g4-g3xh3 if needed.

Mar-23-20		weisyschwarz: Switch to Gris-Caru!

Mar-23-20		PawnSac: yes Englishman.. but if black keeps his rook on the first rank white plays Rb4 almost forcing Rxd3 and again.. Nxh3. To get away from the fork black can try first 40..Kg6 to activate the K and then again Rb4 Rxd3 and Nxh3. White will have a convenient Nf4+ for tempo gain, so lastly.. If black plays 40..Kh6 41.Rb5 (to keep the K back and also to play future Rd5) ..Rxd3 42.Nxh3 Rxf3 43.Kg2 and white will stop the D pawn .. either way seems like a pretty clean win in the ending

Mar-23-20		Triebe: What if 40...f6?

Mar-23-20		W Westerlund: Frankly, this is unbelievable. To me, Ding was one of the favourites. As many said: 33. ... Rxb6 and Black holds. What is wrong with Ding? Nepo is now the big favourite, very deservedly so. I think that Carlsen is very happy that Ding is not winning the candidates.

Mar-23-20		fisayo123: Well don Ian! Finally living up to that massive potential of his. As for Ding Liren. He's becoming way too predictable in the opening. Gone are the days when he mixed it up in the Caro-kann and French or in the King's Indian and Semi-Slav. Now he's happy to be as conservative as possible in the opening and play some Ruy Lopez and Catalan. He just severly limits himself. He used to be a player capable of winning a lot of games, now he does the bare minimum with a "+1" there and "+2" here. In order to win the Candidates, you have to be a player that generates a lot of wins. Ding will do well to revisit his old repertoire for the remaining rounds.

Mar-23-20		Eyal: It was obviously not a good game by Ding overall, but people who are "amazed" that he didn't find the 33...Rxb6! save probably don't realize how outlandish/computerish the basic idea is - 34.Rxb6 Qxe2! 35.Rb8 (35.R6b2 Qxb2) 35...Re5!! - giving up a piece with check: click for larger view And now, because of the mating threats, White is kind of lucky that he even has a draw with 36.Rxd8+ Kh7 37.Rh8+ Kxh8 38.Qc8+ Kh7 39.Qxh3+ (36.Rg1 doesn't help because of Qxf2 and Re1/e2 is coming).

Mar-23-20		vonKrolock: Really a technical win: After a black King move or f7-f6, then Rb4 threatening Rxd4 forces Rxd3 then Nxh3 Rxf3 Kg2 with idea of Nf2 etc

Mar-23-20		weisyschwarz: <fisayo123> maybe, but he has been doing well with the Open Ruy, and not so well with the Closed. So I'm surprised he took the path he did.

Mar-23-20		fisayo123: <weisyschwarz> Really? He's much more of a closed Ruy player than open Ruy.

Mar-23-20		offramp: <weisyschwarz: Switch to Gris-Caru!> I walk on gilded splinters...

Mar-23-20		Ulhumbrus: It may be that 35...Rxb6 is based upon a miscalculation and that Ding Liren has not seen in time some point that allows White to escape with the piece.

Mar-23-20		ndg2: I wonder whether black couldn't have played f5 at some point (around move 20) to become more active.

Mar-23-20		OrangeTulip: Nepo picking up steam! A nice WCM lies ahead...

Mar-23-20		weisyschwarz: <offramp> (Here goes) Gris Caru Gris Caru MaVaLa Nepo After tomorrow too! Hao can Wang win when win was in hand Ding and Kerri sinko Go back to your land! (What do you think?)

Mar-23-20		Eyal: A couple of moves before the 33...Rxb6 save, another amazing tactical save for Black was missed with <31...Qf5!> (instead of Qg4). Black is threatening both mate on f3 and a capture on b6, so 32.Nxd4 Qg4 33.Qxd5 Bf6 34.Rb4 Bxd4 35.Rxd4 Rxb6!! click for larger view <All> of Black's three heavy pieces are en prise, but he's still ok due to the mating threats. After 36.Qxa8+ Kh7 White would have to give back the rook on d4; or else, 36.Rf1 Qc8 - and in both cases, having eliminated the passer on the b-file and with the strong pawn on h3, Black should have enough compensation for the pawn to hold. Another variation with a similar idea is 33.b7 (instead of Qxd5) 33...Ra7 34.Qe8+ Kh7 35.Qxf7 Bf6 (35...Qxd4? 36.Qh5+ Kg8 37.Re2 and the attack on e8 is decisive) 36.Rb4 Bxd4 37.Qxd5 Ra5 38.Rxd4 Rxb7!! click for larger view Once again, all of Black's pieces are en prise and he's still ok - 39.Qxb7 Qxd4 40.Qe4+ Qxe4+ 41.dxe4 Ra2! 42.Kg1 Re2 43.Kf1 Rxe4, and Black should be able to hold the 3 vs 2 rook endgame.

Mar-23-20		Fanques Fair: This game is a born-classsic, to figure out in the hitory of the dispute for the World Championship.It reminds me one win by Carlsen with Black against Anand, in 2013. It's kind of a "simple" position with very beautiful geometrical effects. Nepomiachtchi is earning a match against the World Champion.

Mar-23-20		MordimerChess: Interesting things in the interview, Nepo said he can play 28. Nxd4 Bf6 29. Qb4 but black would equalize.. but he missed something, because: 29...Qg4 30. Nc2 Qf3 31. h3 hxg3 32. Ne1 gxf2+ 33. Rbxf2 Qg3+ 34. Rg2 Qe3+ 35. Rgf2 Bd4 36. Nf3 Bc5 37. Qd2 Qxd2 38. Nxd2 Rab8 39. Kg2 Bxf2 40. Rxf2 Rxb5∓ Lol... Then he "revealed" brilliant plan for black in 29...Rxe2 30. Rxe2 Qg4 31.f3?? Qxf3+ 32. Rxf3 Ra1+ 33. Qb1 Rxb1+ 34. Re1 Rxe1+ 35. Rf1 Rxf1# But white can save the day by: 31. Qxd5! Qxe2 32. Qxa8+ Kh7 33. Qe4+ Qxe4+ 34. dxe4± But back to serious lines: 31...Qf5 is great line for black 32. Nxd4 Qg4 33. Qxd5 Bf6 34. Rb4 Bxd4 35. Rxd4 Rxb6 36. Re1 Qc8⩲ and can try to draw with one pawn down. In the move Nepo said he can win many ways! 32. Ng1 Bxb6 33. Qc6 Ra6 34. Qxd5 g6 35. Rxb6 Raxb6 36. Rxb6 Rxb6 37. Qd8+ Kg7 38. Qxb6± 32. Qe8+ Kh7 33. Qxf7 Rb7 34. Qxd5 Rab8 35. f3 Qg5 36. Qxg5 Bxg5 37. Ng1 Bd8 38. Nxh3 Rxb6 39. Rxb6 Rxb6 40. Rxb6 Bxb6± But went for the 3rd line and as we know he was quite lucky that Ding Liren didn't find the drawing line. Actually he said that if someone find Rxb6, Qxe2, Re5! then should be DISQUALIFIED :D So maybe Ding Liren didn't want to risk? ;) Anyway, instead of 33. Qc6 he showed other line to play: 33. f3 Rxd5 34. fxg4 Rb7 35. Nf4 Rd6 36. Nxh3 Rbxb6 37. Rxb6 Bxb6 38. Kg2± But he didn't play it. My full video analysis on youtube: https://youtu.be/QxP9Q8ePEro Check it out and enjoy ;)

Mar-24-20		HeMateMe: after 26. Q-b3 material is even but black has the weak double iso pawns in the center. At that point does a computer program already declare a win for white?

Mar-24-20		JustAnotherMaster: Ran over by MCs second like a dead rabbit by a Semi

Mar-24-20		JustAnotherMaster: Now you haters can switch to Ian can beat MC Lmao

Mar-24-20		offramp: <weisyschwarz: <offramp> (Here goes) Gris Caru Gris Caru MaVaLa Nepo After tomorrow too!> That's brilliant! I have the tune in my head and those words fit perfectly. It would make a good background for a video for the whole tournament, after the last competitor has been eaten.

Mar-24-20		PawnSac: click for larger view Stockfish_10_x64: 74/99 16:30:59 19,276,719k 324k -3.70 40. ...Kh6 41.Rb4 Rxd3 42.Nxh3 Rxf3 43.Kg2 Rc3 44.Rxd4 Rc2+ 45.Nf2 f6 46.Rd3 Rb2 47.Kg3 Ra2 48.Ng4+ Kg6 49.Ne3 Ra5 50.Ng2 Ra2 51.Nf4+ Kh6 52.Rd7 Ra8 53.h5 Kh7 54.h4 Kh6 55.Kg4 Rb8 56.Kf3 Rb3+ 57.Ke4 Rb8 58.Rd4 Ra8 59.Rd5 Ra4+ 60.Kf3 Ra3+ 61.Kg4 Ra8 62.Rd6 Rb8 63.Rd7 Rg8 64.Rb7 Ra8 65.Rb4 Rc8 66.Ne2 Kh7 67.Ng3 Ra8 68.Nf5 Ra7 69.Rd4 Kh8 70.Ne3 Kh7 71.Nd5 Ra5 72.Nf4 Ra8 73.Rd6 Kh6 74.Rd5 Re8 75.Kf3 Kh7 76.Rd1 Kh6 77.Rd4 Ra8 78.Rd3 Rb8

Mar-12-21		Messiah: A very highly interesting, supercomplicated game. Sadly, today I do not have sufficient time to analyze it deeply. Still, it is very valuable, indeed!

Mar-13-21		Z truth 000000001: <Messiah> thanks for reinviting a look at this game. It shows how far GM's see, in this case, e.g. see how deep an engine has to look before picking 29.Kh1 and 30.Rfb1 for White. (Or even that 28...h3 might not be best for Black). And 40.f3 is a beautiful interference move as <An Englishman> pointed out (though he called it zugzwang).

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