Last night my Tiger Cubs, a team made up of Edinburgh Club juniors
(I’m the non-playing captain) were presented with the Division III trophy.
This is an adult league they play in and they are the only junior team in
the league. We also got medals and of all the dozens of medals and trophies
I’ve picked up over a career spanning 50 this is one of the most cherished.
I know I look old in that picture but you would age too (I’m only 21)
if you saw some of the moves they played during last season. š
With that important matter out of the way let us move onto...
(I know a naff game 13 screen but I never thought there would be a game 13
and just as I was about to post I realised I never had one so knocked this together.)
Will Nepo recover from throwing away a won game (if he’s like me it won’t
bother him too much, we do it that often.) or will Ding sneak in another win.
Recap:
Nepo played a rare Be3 in the Lopez. Ding started showing why it was rare
and carried on playing standard Black Lopez lines. Nepo tried to make Be3 look
OK and was soon reduced to playing f3 (I suggested it but it looked forced.)
Then Ding got in d5 and if Black can get in d5 in the Lopez without dropping a pawn
then they have equalised and if Black has equalised in the Lopez then Black is better.
( a famous rule of thumb that one. I do not know who said but it has a grain of truth.)
An aggressive looking 21...Re5 by Ding seemed to stunt Black attacking options and it
turned it to be the wrong idea. Unless the idea was going the exchange down for a pawn.
But it was not a dull ending. Chances for both sides, in the end a predicted three fold rep.
Ian Nepomniachtchi - Ding Liren - Game 13
1. e4 {1.e4 expected by everyone.} 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {Again the Ruy Lopez.} 3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 {Preventing Bg4 from pinning the f3 Knight.} 9... Bb7 10. Be3 {A rare move in this position.} 10... Na5 {Standard procedure play for c5.} 11. Bc2 {In a previous game we saw a3 being played earlier and the Bishop went to a2.} 11... c5 12. Nbd2 Re8 13. a4 {Trying to create a Q-side weakness. White has d4 ideas. that is why the Bishop is on e3.} 13... h6 {Ding Inviting Nepo to exchange on b5.} 14. d4 {After a 14 minute think by Nepo. Ding has to analyse 3 different pawn captures.} 14... exd4 {Ding takes 5 mines and goes this way. Opens up hits on the e-pawn.} 15. cxd4 {Nepo played this very quickly, We will have to judge the position after the smokes clears} 15... cxd4 {After 8 minutes, I thought this was an automatic choice after 15...exd4.} 16. Nxd4 {Backward pawn on d6 and Nf5 ideas. Black can put heat on the e-pawn.} 16... Nc4 {Looking at the e3 Bishop. or Nxd2 and hitting the e-pawn. Nxc4 looks a good bet.} 17. Nxc4 bxc4 {How about f3 now holding the e-pawn.} 18. f3 {Nepo played it. Fairly obvious, easy to guess.} 18... Bf8 {before Nf5 and covering Qd2 and Bxh6 ideas, And preparing d5.} 19. Bf2 {Did not expect that it was loose on e3 afar d5.} 19... d5 {As predicted. Now will this heat up or lead to a load of exchanges and a cold draw.} 20. exd5 Nxd5 21. Be4 {Black has the better set up for a Kingside attack - which I want to see,} 21... Re5 {After 25 minutes. Not a move I saw. I was looking at Qg5.} 22. Rc1 {A quick reply from Nepo. Hitting a loose pawn with tempo.} 22... Rc8 {Protecting the c-pawn.} 23. Ne2 {Stopping Nf4. Will Black now play f5 exchange sac on e2 and play Qg5.} 23... Qe7 {No. So the Idea of Re5 was to set up the Queen Rook battery on the e-file.} 24. Qd4 {Nepo trying to bring matters to a head. The hit on the c-pawn is a diversion.} 24... f5 {After a 9 minute think White will win the exchange. Game On!} 25. Bg3 {Nepo picks up the exchange. Black has to show what he has.} 25... Rxe4 26. fxe4 Qxe4 27. Qxe4 fxe4 {... A pawn and the two Bishops. At one time Black looked to have a lot more than that.} 28. Rfd1 {After 7 minutes. I thought it was going to be longer to adjust to the new situation on the board.} 28... Nb4 {Aiming to sink a Knight on d3. Black enough play for the exchange.} 29. Rd7 {I saw this but thought it was a blunder and was half hoping it would be played. Now 29 Bc5+} 29... Bc5+ 30. Kh2 {I got as far as here thinking Bc6 won the Rook missing Rc7.} 30... Bc6 31. Rc7 {They played out my blunder and the game is level when the Knight gets to d3.} 31... Rxc7 32. Bxc7 {Bd5 to hold the c-pawn.} 32... Bd5 33. Nc3 Nd3 {All quickly played. Rc2 hold b2 seems best here.} 34. Rc2 Bc6 {There is a plausible Ne2 Bd5 Nc3 Bc6 three fold rep on the board.} 35. a5 {Nepo pushes onto a5. Need to go for a three fold rep just yet.} 35... Kf7 {Time for the Kings to enter the game.} 36. Re2 Nc1 37. Re1 Nd3 38. Re2 {Played quickly by both sides. Ding had a wee think here before playing.} 38... Nc1 39. Re1 Nd3 {Game Drawn.}
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 196868
