[Event "Saint Louis Blitz"]
[Site "Saint Louis"]
[Date "2019.08.13"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Ding, Liren"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2805"]
[BlackElo "2882"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[EventDate "2019.??.??"]
[EventType "blitz"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 {This is the Queen's Gambit. Solid opening and
used by many grandmasters.} 4. Nc3 {Normal development for white.} Be7 5. Bf4 {
GM Ding Liren specializes in the 5. Bf4 line and has many wins against top 10
grandmasters.} ({Other white move:} 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4) 5... O-O {
As always, Queen's Gambit strategy is to castle early, unlike the Slav or
Semi-Slav which develops first the pieces.} 6. e3 {Of course, white must bring
out the bishop to castle.} b6 {World Champion GM Magnus Carlsen wants to
develop his bishop at b7 or a6. Many times in Queen's Gambit set-up the bishop
at c8 is stuck at c8 if black develops the knight at b8 to d7.} 7. cxd5 Nxd5 {
Well, obviously black wants to take the important bishop at f4.} ({Other move
is:} 7... exd5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. O-O c5 10. Ne5 {Notice: The bishop at b7 is going
to be inactive due to d5 pawn. Now, white's strategy here is to create a
pressure at h7 and must control the center.}) 8. Nxd5 {True, white must take
the knight but must be careful because white king is still unacastled.} exd5 {
This line chosen by GM Carlsen is much quieter but there is a pressure in the
c7 pawn. Let's see how GM Liren penetrates black's queenside.} ({If} 8... Qxd5
9. Be2 Bb4+ 10. Nd2 Bxd2+ ({If} 10... Qxg2 11. Bf3 Bxd2+ 12. Kxd2 Qxf2+ 13. Kc3
{This is tactical game}) 11. Qxd2 Qxg2 12. O-O-O) 9. Bd3 c5 ({If} 9... Bb4+ 10.
Kf1 Bd6 11. Qc2 Ba6 12. g3 Bxd3+ 13. Qxd3 Bxf4 14. exf4 {Interesting position})
10. b3 {White prevents black's c4 move, now the disadvantage of black's pawn
structure at the center will be pressured slowly by white's piece activity.}
Nc6 11. O-O Be6 ({If} 11... cxd4 12. Rc1 Bb7 13. exd4) 12. Rc1 {Slowly
pressuring the c5 pawn} a5 13. h3 {Prophylactic move.} g6 14. Bb5 {GM Carlsen
is feeling the pressure now as white is using both the two bishops in
exploiting queenside weakness.} Qc8 {A bit awkward maneuver but the queen must
go to b7 square to defend the knight at c6 and place the rook at c8.} 15. dxc5
bxc5 ({If} 15... Bxc5 16. Bh6 {White is having a good time here...}) 16. Nd4
Nxd4 ({if} 16... cxd4 17. Bxc6 dxe3 18. Qd4 exf2+ 19. Rxf2) 17. exd4 Qb7 18. a4
{LET'S STOP HERE: PLEASE ANALYZE THE POSITION. DO YOU SEE WHITE ADVANTAGE IN
THIS POSITION? EVALUATE...} Rfc8 19. Re1 {The weakness at g7 square, the d5
pawn soon will become isolated plus the isolated pawn at a5 works well with
white advantage.} cxd4 20. Qxd4 {Check the diagonal a1 to h8...sweet...} Rxc1
21. Rxc1 Rc8 22. Rxc8+ Qxc8 23. Bd2 {Truly, GM Ding Liren understands the
subtleties and complexities of the 5. Bf4 line... Fantastic!!! I am learning a
lot...} Qc7 24. Bc3 {Oops... that is trouble...} f6 {Forced...} 25. b4 {
Here, white wants to take advantage of the dangerous a4 pawn to advance soon.}
axb4 26. Bxb4 Bxb4 27. Qxb4 Kg7 28. a5 {Always push passed pawns...} d4 29. a6
Qb6 30. Qe7+ Kh6 31. a7 {This pawn is going for a HOMERUN...} Bd5 32. Bc4 {
Clever...} Bb7 33. a8=Q {Now black is piece down...} Bxa8 34. Qf8+ Kg5 35. Qxa8
f5 36. Qd5 {This is over... time will tell..} Kh6 37. g3 Qf6 38. Kg2 {Making
sure there is no perpetual check} Qb6 39. h4 Qf6 40. Qe6 Qd8 41. Qe5 Qb6 42.
Qd5 Qf6 43. Bd3 Qb6 44. Qf3 Kg7 45. Qf4 {Now, this position is much clearer
for white to penetrate the black king: CONTROL THEN EXPLOIT STRATEGY.} Qc6+ 46.
Kh2 Qc5 47. h5 {You can not ever argue the value of a pawn!!!} Kf6 48. h6 {
Creating a Qg7 ch. soonest...} g5 49. Qb8 Kg6 50. g4 {GAME OVER... Fantastic
move.. black should resign now...} Kxh6 51. gxf5 g4 52. Kg3 Qd5 53. Qf8+ Kh5
54. Qe8+ Kg5 55. Qe7+ {Black Resigned: Due to if 55... Kh6 then 56. Qh4 ch.
56...Kg7 then simply 57. Queen takes the g4 pawn. The way GM Ding Liren
plays the 5. Bf4 line is like a violinist... It is so charismatic...and
mysterious, always based on structured play. THANK YOU FOR THIS GAME....I hope
everyone enjoyed...it... Cheers...} 1-0