[Event "Grand Chess Tour: Superbet Chess Classic"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2023.05.15"] [Round "9"] [White "Deac, Bogdan-Daniel"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E15"] [WhiteElo "2700"] [BlackElo "2789"] [Annotator "rafael"] [PlyCount "96"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] {[%evp 0,96,27,27,32,-16,-17,-4,25,1,20,23,10,10,-22,-26,-18,-22,-13,-27,22,-32,-11,-8,-5,8,-18,-18,-6,-20,-3,-3,3,-11,-5,11,11,25,22,25,25,17,29,-2,-3,-18,-32,-39,-26,-48,-59,-72,-31,-55,-70,-62,-78,-68,-94,-114,-137,-136,-164,-167,-142,-163,-156,-164,-164,-172,-227,-227,-194,-227,-216,-283,-243,-217,-249,-249,-249,-247,-241,-246,-252,-228,-251,-273,-254,-271,-279,-253,-267,-279,-279,-315,-307,-309,-373]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 {The Queen's Indian Defense, for some reason, lost popularity among the elite. Some people say Alphazero is guilty of this, but I honestly don't know why. Anyway, this game proves that the rumors about the Queen's Indian's death have been greatly exaggerated.} 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 {One of the critical modern lines, and the one where we see some of the famous QID defeats.} c5 {This is the principled move, otherwise 4...Ba6 makes no sense to me.} 6. d5 exd5 7. cxd5 Bb7 {The d5-pawn is lost, but White gets dangerous compensation.} 8. Bg2 (8. e4 Qe7 $1 {[%c_effect e7;square;e7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] wins a pawn anyway.}) 8... Nxd5 9. O-O Be7 10. Rd1 Nc6 11. Qf5 Nf6 12. e4 {A critical position for the theory of this line.} g6 $1 {[%c_effect g6;square;g6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} (12... d6 {was played by Carlsen, but it leads to a dangerous position for Black.} 13. e5 Qd7 14. Qxd7+ Nxd7 15. exd6 Bf6 16. Re1+ Kf8 17. Nc3 {Black must be very careful in this endgame, and White won a brilliant game in Giri-Carlsen, Tata Steel 2023.}) 13. Qf4 O-O 14. e5 Nh5 15. Qc4 (15. Qg4 {is also a popular move, but it's known that Black gets a good game after} Qb8 $1 {[%c_effect b8;square;b8;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]}) 15... Qc7 {Black has other options, but this is the main move. Ding spent a long time on it.} 16. Bh6 Na5 17. Qe2 Rfe8 18. Nc3 Rad8 {Both players follow the most critical path. The position is still well-known to opening theory and has been debated in many correspondence games.} 19. Nd5 (19. Rac1 {is probably more dangerous for Black.}) 19... Bxd5 20. Rxd5 Ng7 21. Rad1 Ne6 22. h4 $6 {[%c_effect h4;square;h4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Finally, a new move. The somewhat mysterious} (22. a3 $5 {[%c_effect a3;square;a3;type;Interesting;persistent;true] is favored in correspondence games.} Nc6 23. Qc4 {The main idea of 22.a3 is, I guess, to avoid Nb4. If Black now plays the natural} d6 {then} 24. Bh3 $1 {[%c_effect h3;square;h3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] is interesting, although the position is still balanced.} Ncd4 25. Nxd4 cxd4 (25... Nxd4 $4 {[%c_effect d4;square;d4;type;Blunder;persistent;true] loses a piece to} 26. R1xd4)) 22... Nc6 23. h5 $6 {[%c_effect h5;square;h5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true]} (23. Qc4 {White should probably play in a similar way to what we analyzed in the previous move.} d6 (23... Nb4 $5 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;Interesting;persistent;true]} 24. R5d2 d5 25. exd6 Rxd6 26. Rxd6 Bxd6 27. Ng5 {with enough compensation for equality.}) 24. Bh3) 23... d6 $1 {[%c_effect d6;square;d6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Now Black frees his pieces, and the knight lands on d4. Something went wrong with Deac's preparation for this game since he goes on the defensive as soon as the theory is over.} (23... Ncd4 $2 {[%c_effect d4;square;d4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] is premature:} 24. Nxd4 Nxd4 25. Qg4 {with a strong attack.}) 24. exd6 (24. Bh3 {This is no longer dangerous:} Ned4 25. Nxd4 Nxd4 26. R5xd4 $5 {[%c_effect d4;square;d4;type;Interesting;persistent;true]} cxd4 27. e6 Bf6 $1 {[%c_effect f6;square;f6;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 28. Qf3 Qe7 {The compensation is not enough.}) 24... Bxd6 25. Qc4 Ne7 26. R5d3 Nf5 27. Bc1 Ned4 28. Nxd4 Nxd4 {As a famous chess philosopher once said, the problem with sacrificing a pawn is that you end up a pawn down. Black has good winning chances.} 29. a4 Qd7 $1 {[%c_effect d7;square;d7;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The queen heads to f5.} 30. Be3 (30. Bg5 $2 {[%c_effect g5;square;g5;type;Mistake;persistent;true]} Qg4 $1 {[%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 31. Bxd8 Ne2+ {and the queen on c4 is lost.}) 30... Be5 31. hxg6 $6 {[%c_effect g6;square;g6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Opening the h-file makes things even worse, as it's going to be demonstrated by Black.} hxg6 32. Kf1 (32. Bxd4 {White can consider going for an opposite-colored bishops position, but it should be an easy win for Black.} Bxd4) 32... Kg7 33. a5 Qf5 34. Bc1 {A sad move to play.} Rh8 (34... b5 $1 {[%c_effect b5;square;b5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] wins on the spot:} 35. Qxc5 Rc8 $1 {[%c_effect c8;square;c8;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 36. Qa3 (36. Qxa7 Qxd3+ $1 {[%c_effect d3;square;d3;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 37. Rxd3 Rxc1+ 38. Rd1 Rxd1#) 36... b4 $1 {[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] removing the protection of d3.} 37. Qxb4 Rxc1 38. Rxc1 Qxd3+) 35. axb6 axb6 36. f4 Rh2 $1 {[%c_effect h2;square;h2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 37. R3d2 (37. Kg1 Rxg2+ {The simplest.} 38. Kxg2 Qe4+ 39. Kg1 Rh8 {with a decisive attack.}) 37... Rdh8 38. Qd5 Bf6 39. Qxf5 Nxf5 40. Rd3 c4 41. Ra3 b5 42. g4 Rh1+ $1 {[%c_effect h1;square;h1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true]} 43. Bxh1 Rxh1+ 44. Ke2 Nd4+ 45. Rxd4 (45. Kd2 Rh2+ 46. Ke1 (46. Ke3 Re2#) (46. Kc3 Nc2+ 47. Rd4 Bxd4#) 46... Bh4+ 47. Kf1 Rh1+ 48. Kg2 Rxd1) 45... Bxd4 46. Ra1 b4 47. Kf3 Re1 $1 {[%c_effect e1;square;e1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Preparing 48...Be3. White is paralyzed.} 48. f5 g5 {An easy win that comes as a relief to the World Champion at the end of a difficult tournament. 0-} 0-1