[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Wang, Hao"] [Site ""] [Round "1.2"] [Annotator "Malcolm"] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2020.03.17"] [WhiteElo "2805"] [BlackElo "2762"] [PlyCount "90"] 1. c4 { Notes by IM Malcolm Pein} e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 Bc5 4. d3 0-0 5. Nc3 c6 6. Nf3 d6 7. 0-0 Re8 8. Na4 {A novelty and a good move} Bb4 9. a3 Ba5 10. b4 Bc7 11. e4 {White is slightly better} a5 12. Bb2 Na6 13. b5 cxb5 14. cxb5 Nc5 15. Nxc5 dxc5 16. a4 Bg4 17. Ra3 $5 (17. h3 Bh5 18. Qb3 b6 19. Rae1 Qd7 20. Nh4 )Nd7 18. h3 Bh5 19. Qb1 b6 20. Nd2 Nf8 21. Bf3 Qg5 22. h4 Qg6 23. Qd1 Bxf3 24. Qxf3 h5 25. Qf5 (25. Nc4 Rad8 26. Ne3 Ne6 27. Nd5 )Rad8 26. Qxg6 Nxg6 27. Kg2 f6 28. Nc4 Kf7 29. Bc1 Rd7 {White had been better all game from a quiet English opening where to gained space on the queenside. Wang Hao decided to dig in and retain a solid position with only one weakness on b6. He has also prepared countermeasures against White's main active plan of f2-f4. Ding rushed it and was immediately worse. Kf3-e2-e3 and Bd2-e1 first was possibe but Black seems quite robust} 30. f4 $2 {Losing patience, Candidates debut nerves ?} (30. Ne3 Ne7 31. Kf3 Ke6 32. Ke2 {Awaiting events was also possible but it will be hard to make progress for example.} Red8 33. f3 Kf7 34. Bb2 Ke6 35. Rg1 Kf7 36. Nc4 Ng6 )exf4 31. Bxf4 (31. gxf4 Nxh4+ )Nxf4+ 32. gxf4 f5 $1 {Black is better, f4 and h4 are targets} 33. e5 ({After} 33. exf5 Rd4 {White's pawns are a mess} )Re6 $1 34. Kf3 Rg6 35. Ne3 Ke6 36. Rd1 Bd8 $1 {Black wins a pawn} 37. Ra2 ({A better chance was} 37. Rh1 Be7 38. Ke2 Rd4 39. Kf3 Rg4 $1 40. Nxg4 fxg4+ 41. Ke3 g6 42. Ra2 Bf8 43. Rf1 Bh6 44. Raa1 Kf5 {There is still plenty of work to do} )Rd4 $6 {Repeating moves in time pressure} (37... Bxh4 $1 )38. Nc2 Rd5 (38... Rd7 $1 )39. Ne3 Rd7 $2 (39... Rd4 )40. Rdd2 ({In extreme time pressure Ding missed} 40. d4 $1 Rxd4 41. Rxd4 cxd4 42. Nc2 Kd5 43. Nxd4 $1 $11 )Bxh4 {Everything is back on track} 41. Rg2 Rg4 $3 42. Rh2 (42. Nxg4 hxg4+ 43. Ke3 Rd4 44. Rac2 g5 $1 45. fxg5 f4+ 46. Kd2 f3 )g6 43. Nxg4 fxg4+ 44. Ke3 Be7 45. Rac2 h4 ({Black wins after} 45... h4 46. Rc4 (46. Rc3 g3 47. Rg2 Kf5 48. Kf3 Rd4 )g3 47. Rg2 Kf5 48. Kf3 (48. e6 Kxe6 49. Ke4 g5 )Rxd3+ )0-1