So after 13 games it is 3 wins each and 6 draws and only one game,
(game 11) can we call dull. The other 12 games were full of spirit
and good play. The type of games the world title matches have been
missing since Kasparov - Short 1993. ( a magnificent match that one.)
So hopefully to avoid the dreaded tie breaks one player, sadly, has to lose this game.
Will this be, as I suspect, a game 11 draw as neither player wants to get involved and
risk a total nervous collapse or will both players put on a show worthy of the occasion.
Recap: ( I write the game notes as the moves appear you get my first thoughts.)
After what was looking like a quiet opening Ding lit up the board with Ng5 and
for a while all kinds of tricks and traps appeared. But Nepo failed to fall into any
of the traps and we entered an ending where for a few moves I totally lost the thread.
Ding was playing some odd looking moves (to me anyway and here I admit
we were in a part of the game, late middle game to early ending where I lost
a lot of my OTB games.) Ding managed to create target White pawns on both
sides of the board (a skill I thought only I possessed.). Nepo tried a few shots
of his own but Ding pulled off a nice pawn sac combo to ease the pressure.
We got down to a pure Rook ending and it was eventually drawn.
So we are going to the tie breaks. I will not be able to do those live.
I did not expect to see them. I’ll decide on the format tomorrow.
Tie Break Rules:
A four-game mini-match with 25 minutes + 10 second increment from move 1.
If that is drawn then two 5 minutes + 3 seconds increment games. If those two
games are drawn then two games with a 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment. If
those two are drawn then it sudden death with 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment.
Ding Liren - Game - Ian Nepomniachtchi Game 12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {A Nimzo Indian we saw one of these in Game 8.} 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd2 d5 6. a3 {Asking the Bishop what it is up to. Bxc3 or Be7.} 6... Be7 7. Nf3 {Standard opening stuff. c5 must be coming.} 7... c5 {There it is. A Queens Gambit with the c1 Bishop still at home.} 8. dxc5 {The idea possibly being after....} 8... Bxc5 {...to get in b4, That move will set out Whites stall. (I'm hoping for b4)} 9. Qc2 {Is Ding going to castle queenside, that would be fun.} 9... dxc4 {Played quickly by Nepo. Soon we will see what Ding's frame of mind is (win or a draw.)} 10. Bxc4 Nbd7 {Not liking this game for a positive result. Hopefully it will explode.} 11. Rd1 {After 6 minutes thought. So no 0-0-0.} 11... Be7 {I did not expect that. Now how about Ba2 Bb1 and a big K-Side attack.} 12. Ng5 {I did not expect that either...(I'm having a bad day) if Nepo plays h6 then h4.} 12... h6 {Nepo played it! Surely h4 now.} 13. h4 {Yes!! after 10 minutes thought. possibly considering sacs on e6 and f7 as well.} 13... Qc7 {Black cannot take on g5. Nepo playing it calmly.} 14. Be2 {I did not see that either! It took Ding 22 minutes to play.} 14... Rd8 {Nepo getting ready to go on the counter attack.} 15. Rc1 {Very quickly played by Ding.. I'm going cross-eyed looking at all tactics.} 15... Nf8 {Very safe play by Nepo. The g5 Knight has to retreat. Ne4 or Nff3.} 16. Nge4 Nxe4 {How will Ding take back with a Knight (draw) or try to keep the pot boiling with Qxe4.} 17. Nxe4 {The game is now looking like a draw.} 17... Qxc2 18. Rxc2 Bd7 19. Bb4 {A bit of a surprise but not too critical. (Again I never saw this.)} 19... Bxb4+ 20. axb4 Bc6 21. Nc5 {Played quickly by Ding. offering a pawn and leaving that h4 pawn looking lonely.} 21... Bxg2 {Why not take the pawn. 'See a pawn and pick it up the rest of the game you have good luck.'} 22. Rg1 Bd5 {I bet that is a good move pulling the e-pawn forward.} 23. e4 Bc6 24. b5 {And so White will win back his pawn. But Black has targets.} 24... Be8 {After 12 minutes thought by Nepo. It look obvious to me. (so it could be a bad move !)} 25. Nxb7 Rd4 {That is why the pawn was lured to e4, a temp gain hitting it.} 26. Rc4 Rd7 {Nepo not ready yet to trade Rooks.} 27. Nc5 Rc7 28. Rc3 {The last few moves played quickly. Ding has 34 minutes left for move 40. Nepo 32.} 28... Rac8 {Going to be hard for either side to create winning chances.} 29. b4 {White has loose pawns so has to stay active, he does not want to be tied down defending them.} 29... Nd7 {White can unpin with a hit on g7.} 30. Rcg3 Nxc5 {I was expecting g6 but I see what Nepo is up to here.} 31. bxc5 Rxc5 32. Rxg7+ Kf8 {It's the b-5 pawn and Black has an outside passed pawn. Is it enough?} 33. Bd3 Rd8 {That's a tricky move.} 34. Ke2 Rc3 {Played right away by Nepo. I saw it!} 35. Rg8+ Ke7 {Ding with 13 minutes left before move 40 has to defend carefully here.} 36. R1g3 e5 {Played quickly by Nepo. What is he up to here.} 37. Rh8 {Nepo saw this coming and wants to hold the h6 pawn with Rd6.} 37... Rd6 {37...Rdxd3 Rxd3 38.Bxb5 does not work White slips in 38..Rxe8 CHECK!} 38. b6 {I was looking at a trick with Rxe8+ and Rxc3 this seems to be it.} 38... Rxb6 39. Rxe8+ Kxe8 40. Bb5+ Rxb5 {Clever stuff by Ding and he has now made time control.} 41. Rxc3 {A pure Rook ending. Is the extra pawn enough for a win.} 41... Kd7 {To stop Rc7 or Rc8} 42. Rf3 Ke7 43. Rc3 {Ding offering a draw?} 43... a5 {Nepo saying let's play on for a few more moves.} 44. Rc7+ Kf6 45. Rc6+ Kg7 46. Ra6 {Plan A. Is it give up the a-pawn to get the h-pawn. Probably not.} 46... Rb2+ 47. Kf3 Ra2 48. Kg3 h5 {Stopping White from playing 49 f4 due to 49...Ra3+} 49. Ra8 {Keeping the Black King from getting to involved in the game.} 49... Ra1 {I'd now run the a-pawn to a2 and see what is what.} 50. Kg2 a4 51. Ra5 f6 52. Kf3 a3 53. Ra6 Kf7 54. Ke3 Ke8 {Ding cannot play 55. Rxf6 a2 wins. 56.Ra7 Re1+ 1-0} 55. Ke2 {Ding is not going to fall for that one.} 55... Ke7 56. Kf3 Ra2 57. Ke3 Ra1 58. Ke2 Kf7 59. Kf3 Ra2 60. Ke3 Ke7 61. Kf3 {They have reached time control, 15 minutes added, 30 second increment.} 61... Kd7 {Just when I was thinking this going to be agreed a draw Nepo tries another way.} 62. Rxf6 Rb2 63. Ra6 Rb3+ {The clocks read Ding has 14 Minutes. Nepo has 41 minutes. It is now an allegro finish.} 64. Kg2 Kc7 65. f4 {Not what I was thinking. I'm sure Ding will have this worked out.} 65... exf4 66. e5 Kb7 67. Ra4 Kc6 68. Ra6+ {I was thinking 68 Rxf4 the idea behind f4 but Ding played this after 9 minutes thought.} 68... Kb5 69. Ra7 Kb6 {I never had nothing like this in mind when I saw 65 f4.} 70. Ra8 Kc5 71. Ra6 {The idea of f4 was to create enough counterplay for the draw.} 71... Kb5 72. Ra7 Kb6 73. Ra8 Kc6 74. Ra6+ Kd7 75. Kf2 Ke7 76. Kg2 {Nepo tries another way, is he trying to get Ding down to just playing on 30 second increments.} 76... Re3 77. Kf2 Rg3 78. Kf1 Rc3 79. Kf2 Re3 80. Kg2 Kd7 81. Kf2 Kc7 {The increment ploy won't work, Ding moving fast has gained 2 minutes with his last few moves.} 82. e6 Kd8 83. Ra7 Ke8 84. Kg2 Rxe6 {Ding offered an accepted draw before playing 91.Rxa6}
The thread accompanying this blog is
Thread 196879
