The Ordinary Superstar!
The 26 year old chinese superstar needs little introduction. He is rightfully considered to be one of the 3 or 4 players most likely to un-crown Magnus Carlsen sometime in the near future. Ding is currently participating in the Shenzhen tournament.
In yesterday’s game against , Ding was able to demonstrate his high class when, at the critical position, his opponent mis-evaluated his chances in a 2-Rooks vs Queen middle game position. Ding Liren never gave his opponent a chance to save his game after that.
The game is instructive and I give it below with a few short, but relevant, comments. Enjoy!
gm Ding Liren – gm Dmitry Jakovenko
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5 3.g3 e6 4.Nf3 b6 5.e4$5{[#]} Bb7 6.Qe2 Nc6!{<strong style="color:black;">The most precise way to contain White’s plans </strong> } 7.Bg2 d6
8.O-O Nd7$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Varying from an earlier game, possibly trying to avoid some home preparation on the part of the Chinese star</strong>}
( 8...Be7 9.Rd1 a6 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Nxd4 12.Rxd4
Qc7 13.b3 O-O 14.Ba3 Rfd8 15.Rad1 b5$13 {<strong style="color:black;"> Aronian L – Jakovenko D, Jermuk 20/ 8/2009 It “FIDE Grand Prix</strong>}
)
9.d3 ({<strong style="color:black;">The point of Black’s last move is that if now </strong> } 9.Rd1 {<strong style="color:black;">then Black continues </strong> } Nde5! 10.Nxe5 dxe5! ) g6$5
({<strong style="color:black;">In my opinion the direct </strong> } 9...Be7!{<strong style="color:black;">gives a more interesting fight </strong> } 10.b3 O-O 11.Bb2
a6 12.Rad1 Bf6 13.h4 Rb8 14.Nh2 Ba8 15.Ng4 Bd4 16.Kh2 Nf6 17.Ne3
b5 18.Qd2 Bxe3 19.fxe3 Ne5 20.Kg1 bxc4 21.dxc4 Qc7 22.Na4 Rfd8
23.Bc3 Nxe4 24.Bxe4 Bxe4 25.Ba5 Qc6 26.Bxd8 Rxd8 27.Qa5 Rb8 28.Nc3
Bd3 29.Rf4 f5 30.Qa4 Qb7 31.Qa3 h6 32.h5 Kh8 33.Qc1 Qf7 34.g4
Qe7 35.Qd2 fxg4 36.Kg2 ( 36.Qh2 Qg5 37.Kh1 Rd8 38.Ne4 Qe7 )
( 36.Qf2 Rd8 37.Kh1 Qe8 38.Qh4 Bf5 39.Ne4 Bxe4+ 40.Rxe4 Qc6 41.Qxd8+
Kh7 ) Qg5 37.Kh1 Rd8 38.Qf2 Bf5 39.Ne4 Qe7 40.Qh4 Bxe4+ 41.Rxe4
Qb7 42.Qxd8+ Kh7 43.Rf1 Qxe4+ 44.Kh2 Qxe3 45.Rf8 Qh3+ 46.Kg1
Nf3+ 47.Kf2 Qh2+ 48.Kf1 Qg1+ 49.Ke2 Qe1+ 50.Kd3 Qd2+ {<strong style="color:black;">0-1, Alburt Lev O (USA) – Spraggett Kevin (CAN), Washington 1979 Atlantic Open</strong>}
) 10.Bg5$5{[#]} Be7 {<strong style="color:black;">This move is more or less forced. </strong> } 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.d4! cxd4 13.Nb5 O-O 14.Nfxd4 Nxd4
( 14...a6 15.Nxc6 Bxc6 16.Nd4 Bb7{<strong style="color:black;"> is the same thing</strong> } ) 15.Nxd4 a6 16.Rfd1 Rac8{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A balanced, but tense position has arisen. Those who know the ‘Hedge_Hog will recognize the similarities. White has more space but Black’s position is compact and resourceful. If Ding Liren’s opening plans were to surprise his opponent, then he has not made a big impression.</strong>}
17.Rd2$5
Rfd8 18.Rad1 Ne5{[#]}
( 18...e5!{<strong style="color:black;">is what I would have played </strong> } 19.Nc2 Nf6 20.Qd3 Qc7 21.Ne3 Kg7 {<strong style="color:black;">and White can hardly make any progress </strong> } )
( 18...Nf6$6 19.e5!$14 )
( 18...Nc5$5 )
19.b3 Qc7 20.Nc2 Qc5$5 21.Qe3$5 Nc6
( 21...Qc7$5 ) 22.a4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The critical position. Not much is happening, both sides are playing cat and mouse. Black can not exchange Queen’s yet as his d-pawn would become undefendable, while White does not want to exchange Queens as Black will take back with the d-pawn.Black should just maintain the status quo. Instead, he misjudges his chances in the game continuation</strong>} Kf8$6 {<strong style="color:black;">Black now wants to exchange Queens and then defend his d-pawn with his King </strong> } 23.Qh6+ Kg8 24.Rd5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Of course, Jakovenko had seen this move, but he did not see deep enough into the middlegame to realize that the Queen will be much stronger than the Rooks.</strong>} exd5 25.Rxd5 Ne5 26.Rxc5 dxc5{[#]} 27.Ne3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">In general, the two Rooks are better than the Queen, but there are exceptions. The most frequent exception is when the Queen has the initiative or can create threats and forces the opponent to defend. In this game, the Queen, aided by the Bishop and Knight, and the advance of the h-pawn manage to create serious (decisive) threats.</strong>}
Rd3 28.h4! Rxb3 29.h5! Rf8
({<strong style="color:black;">No better is </strong> } 29...b5 30.cxb5 axb5 31.axb5 Rxb5
32.f4 Nd7 33.f5!$18 )
({<strong style="color:black;">Maybe Black’s best chance is to give up some material: </strong> } 29...Re8 30.Qf4 Rb1+ 31.Kh2 Rb3 32.h6 Rxe3!
33.fxe3 f6 {<strong style="color:black;">when White will not have such a direct way to win as in the game continuation </strong> } )
30.Qf4!{[#]} f6! 31.Ng4! Nxg4 32.Qxg4 Rb1+ 33.Kh2 Bc8{[#]}
( 33...Kg7$2 34.Qd7+ Rf7 35.h6+ Kg8 36.Qd8+ Rf8 37.Qc7 Rf7 38.Qb8+ )
34.Qf4 Be6 35.Qd6 Bxc4 36.h6{[#]} ( {<strong style="color:black;">Even stronger than </strong> }36.e5! fxe5 37.hxg6 Rxf2 38.Qb8+
Kg7 39.Qxe5+ Kxg6 40.Qe4+ Kg7 41.Qxb1 Bd5 42.Qd3 Rxg2+ 43.Kh3{<strong style="color:black;">which, admittedly, is also strong! </strong> } )
Rb4
({<strong style="color:black;">Remarkably, Black can not stop White’s winning plan. </strong> } 36...a5 37.f4!{<strong style="color:black;">This appears to be the winning plan in this position </strong> } Rb2 38.e5! fxe5 ({<strong style="color:black;"> Once more, not good enough is</strong> } 38...Bf1 39.e6 Bxg2
( 39...Rxg2+ 40.Kh1 Re2 41.Qd7 ) 40.Qc7$18 ) 39.Qxe5 Rf7 40.Qxb2 )
37.f4! ( 37.e5 ) Ba2 ( 37...Rb2 38.e5 ) 38.e5{[#]} fxe5 ( 38...Rd4
39.Qc7 Rf7 40.Qxb6 fxe5 41.fxe5 Rd2 42.e6 Rf8 43.Qb7 ) 39.Qxe5
( 39.Bd5+ ) Rf7{[#]} 40.Bc6! Rd4 41.Be8 Rb7 42.Bd7$3{[#]} 1-0
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Convincing play in the middlegame by Ding Liren. What escaped Jakovenko? Nothing. He had seen Rd5. But the key factor here is that Ding Liren had correctly evaluated the position that would later result, Jakovenko had probably just shrugged off the entire idea in his head.
It does not take a lot to lose a game at the elite level! One can never afford to lose one’s concentration, even for just one move.
