Match Report. Ding won with a lovely way to wrap it up. But Nepo had a great chance
to draw which I only picked after the game. The score is now 2 wins and 2 draws each.
D. Liren - I. Nepomniachtchi (game 6)
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 {The London System. I can hear groans all over the world.} 3... c5 {Now 4.c3 or 4 e3.} 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 cxd4 6. exd4 Bf5 7. c3 e6 {Nepo will be happy with this. Ding will be testing his patience.} 8. Bb5 {We are in for a long shuffle things about probing game.} 8... Bd6 9. Bxd6 Qxd6 {Off come a pair of Bishops} 10. O-O {After 0-0 by Black we should get an idea of what the plans are.} 10... O-O 11. Re1 {Both players have taken 10 minutes to get here.} 11... h6 {Giving the f4 Bishop a bolt hole. Maybe g7-g5 ideas. (I'm hoping here.)} 12. Ne5 {Now what does Black do...} 12... Ne7 {After ten minutes thought. Plan - kick the Bishop off b5 then Knight back to c6} 13. a4 a6 14. Bf1 {The only sensible retreat but good enough.} 14... Nd7 {Black is challenging the e5 Knight this way. Maybe f6 and e5 coming later.} 15. Nxd7 {The plan now is a5 to fix b6 and get a Knight to c5. Ding moving quickly.} 15... Qxd7 16. a5 {Fairly obvious even I saw this idea.} 16... Qc7 {Tickling the a5 pawn Nc6 coming and e5 coming.} 17. Qf3 {After a long thought. White is more flexible. Black has not equalized.} 17... Rfc8 {To stop, for now, b2- b4 which must come after the Knight goes to c5,} 18. Ra3 {What's this? I see Nb3-c5 and then b2-b4 .or Rb3-b6 idea.} 18... Bg6 {If Black has to blast in e6-e5 after Nc6 this Bishop would be hanging.} 19. Nb3 {Going for Nc5. White is looking good but Black is not losing.} 19... Nc6 {Looks like an obvious move. opens e6-e5 ideas.} 20. Qg3 {Queens off = no counter play for Black.} 20... Qe7 {Queens have to stay on. 21. Nc5 Nxa5 22.Rxa5 b6. That might be OK. (or not)} 21. h4 {Knocking the ball over the net to what Nepo will do now. h4-h5 ideas?} 21... Re8 {Going for e5.} 22. Nc5 {At last. Game getting critical. Does e6-e5 work.} 22... e5 {We will soon find out.} 23. Rb3 {A nice luxury move to play. This position is Ding's dream.} 23... Nxa5 {I saw this but rejected it due to...} 24. Rxe5 {Now waiting on where the Black Queen will go.} 24... Qf6 {Now White has to move the b3 Rook. No tricks yet with h4-h5} 25. Ra3 Nc4 {Nepo is well ahead on the clock. He will need the extra time later on.} 26. Bxc4 dxc4 27. h5 {I was wanting this to be played with Bh7 sets up back rank tricks.} 27... Bc2 {I was not expecting this. It looks false. (Edit see game 2)} 28. Nxb7 {Nicking a safe looking pawn. Just a few tricks to avoid.} 28... Qb6 {29.Nd6 Qxd6 30.Rx8+ 1-0. or 29.Nc5 Rxe5 and Qxb2 and Black is winning.} 29. Nd6 {Best move.} 29... Rxe5 {Looks forced The Rook has no good square.} 30. Qxe5 {The best way to take back and now....} 30... Qxb2 {...does Ne8 work?} 31. Ra5 {Apparently not.} 31... Kh7 {If 32.Ne8 Rxe8 and Qc1+ Qf4+ is a perpetual.} 32. Rc5 {That Rook is going to c7. Ding has 20 mines for 8 moves. Nepo 40 minutes.} 32... Qc1+ {I was thinking Qxc3} 33. Kh2 f6 {If the White Queen does not go to g3 then Black has a perpetual.} 34. Qg3 a5 {Trying to give White a passed pawn problem.} 35. Nxc4 {The passed pawn will be ignored Ne3 and Rc7 are coming.} 35... a4 36. Ne3 Bb1 {Stop any Queen checks on g6.} 37. Rc7 {Obvious attack. Ding should wrap this up soon.} 37... Rg8 38. Nd5 {With the threat of Nxf6+} 38... Kh8 39. Ra7 a3 40. Ne7 {Ding makes time control} 40... Rf8 {Nepo hanging on and praying for a miracle.} 41. d5 {After a long think by Ding. Is there a trick on. } 41... a2 {And now I saw Ding's idea.} 42. Qc7 {Yes! Hopefully Nepo will not resign.} 42... Kh7 43. Ng6 Rg8 44. Qf7 {Nepo resigned. The end is} 44... Qg5 {What else?} 45. Qxg8+ Kxg8 46. Ra8+ Kf7 47. Rf8 (Mate}
The bit where Nepo had draw chances. I never saw it during the game I only became
aware of it because of a comment on chessgames.com when I was checking out the times.
FEN
r3r1k1/1p3pp1/p4qbp/2N1R3/2pP3P/R1P3Q1/1P3PP1/6K1 w - - 0 27
