Comeback child Ding Liren is China’s first world chess champ

It was a becoming finale for the unlikely coronation of the seventeenth world chess champion: The solely time Chinese GM Ding Liren led in his epic monthlong title match with Russian rival Ian Nepomniachtchi was when the clocks had been stopped on the fourth and closing recreation of the speedy playoff that determined the competition.

The 30-year-old Ding performed catch-up all through the compelling match within the Kazakh capital of Astana, getting back from one-game deficits repeatedly to tie the classical portion of the match at 7-7. He compelled the playoff with a Game 12 win that he practically misplaced, and took a significant gamble within the decisive speedy recreation by pushing for a win with valuable little time on his clock.

It’s one other heartbreak for Nepomniachtchi, who earned a second shot on the title after his loss to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen two years in the past. The Russian had the initiative for a lot of the match, however his baffling tendency to play quick and free in crucial positions price him towards Ding because it did towards Carlsen. With simply a few correct strikes, Nepo would doubtless be sporting the crown right now.

The victory by the soft-spoken, self-effacing Ding will doubtless show widespread each at residence and world wide. It took place by way of an unlikely collection of occasions: COVID-19 stored him off the worldwide circuit for a lot of the previous two years, he barely certified for the championship cycle, completed second to Nepomniachtchi on the Candidates event, and solely acquired a slot within the title match as a result of Carlsen declined to defend his title after a decade of dominance.

Ding appeared very shaky on the opening of the title match, however steadied himself after that. It was a pleasingly combative world title match, with six decisive recreation within the classical portion of the match, capped by the memorable Game 12 tilt that examined each gamers talent and nerves.

Ding has some adventurous opening decisions ready, and trailing by some extent with simply three video games to go, trots out the uncommon Colle System. White will get the open place he craves, however his overambitious kingside assault with 17. g4?! leads nowhere, and by 21. Rg1 f4! the board has tilted Black’s manner. Nepo was on the verge of a knockout after 23. Rae1 Qg5 24. c4?! dxc4 25. Qc3 b5!, securing the additional pawn and forcing Ding to take much more probabilities.

The strain of a title match present on each gamers within the ensuing play: 26. a4 b4!? (not unhealthy, however merely 26…a6! preserves all of Black’s positional trumps whereas preserving the strain on White to defend) 27. Qxc4 Rag8?! (each gamers appeared to outsmart themselves repeatedly within the match; right here simply enjoying the plain fork results in 27… Nf3! 28. Qc6 Nxe1! 29. Qxa8+ Rg8 30. Qe4 Nxc2 31. Qxc2 Qh4 32. Qd3 f5 places White in a world of hassle; Ding admitted to feeling vastly relieved Black didn’t play this) 28. Qc6 Bb8?! (and right here the harder-to-find 28…Nf5! was sturdy: 29. Bxf5 exf5 30. Re8 fxg4 31. Rxg8+ Kxg8 32. Qe8+ Bf8 33. Qe5 Qh4 34. Nxf4 Bd6 and wins) 29. Qb7? (once more, 29. Bxg6! Qxg6 30. Rd1 was apparent and higher) Rh6? (Nf5 30. Rd1 Qh4 31. Qf3 Ne7 32. Rg2 f5 nonetheless offers Black an edge), throwing away Black’s benefit for good.

But simply when a draw would have introduced Nepo an important half-point nearer to glory, he uncorked the incomprehensible 34. Re2 f5?? (Qg5 35. Qc5 Qh4 36. f3 Qd8 remains to be a recreation) 35. Rxe6 (it’s not clear when Black missed, however now his recreation collapses) Rxh5 36. gxh5 Qxh5 37. d5+ Kg8 38. d6!, blocking the bishop and establishing nasty mating threats. Black resigned going through such unappealing choices as 38…f3 39. Bf1 (and never 39. Bxf3?? Qxh3 mate!) Qh6 40. Re8! Rxe8 41. Bc4+ Kf8 42. Qf6 mate.

After three tense however balanced drawn speedy playoff video games, Nepo on the White aspect of an Anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez in Game 4 will get a slight pull out of the opening earlier than Ding strikes again with the well timed central strike 18. Nc4 d5!?. Black straightens out his forces and the sport seems heading for yet one more draw and the dreaded blitz finale, particularly with each gamers working quick on time.

But after White misses a great likelihood to reorganize (35. Rd2! Rxf5 36. Qc6!), Black courageously goes for the kill: 39. Be3 Be5 (Qxc3 40. Qe4+ Kg8 41. Qa8+ Rf8 42. Qd5+ attracts) 40. Qe8 Bxc3! 41. Rc1 Rf6 42. Qd7 (threatening 43. Qd1! and the pinned Black bishop is misplaced) Qe2!, a pointy thought White didn’t see. After 43. Qd5 Bb4 44. Qe4+ (Bxc5 Be1 45. Qg2 Bd2, and instantly the Black outdoors passer looms giant) Kg8 45. Qd5+ Kh7 46. Qe4+ Rg6! — an awfully gutsy transfer pinning the rook with simply the king to defend it.

White merely can’t match Black’s daring and vitality within the match-deciding closing part: 47. Qf5?! (h4! h5 48. Rc2 Qg4 49. Qd3 retains the place manageable) c4! (now the engines give Black a giant edge; the weak and motionless pawns are instantly on the transfer) 48. h4 Qd3! — killing the pin by claiming the crucial diagonal on the board; White should give floor as a queen commerce simply loses) 49. Qf3 Rf6!? (Bd2! was much more potent) 50. Qg4 c3 51. Rd1 Qg6 52. Qc8 Rc6 53. Qa8, when Ding misses one other putaway volley with 53…c2! 54. Rd8 c1=Q+! 51. Bxc1 Rxc1+ 56. Kh2 Qc6! 57. Rh8+ Kg6 and wins.

White’s final likelihood comes on 57. Kh2 a4?! (Qf5 was stronger) 58. Bd4! (see diagram) a3?, when Nepo had the superb saving useful resource 59. h5!! Bf8 (a2?? 60. Qf7 and the mate menace wins because the Black queen can now not get again to g6) 60. Qf7 Qe4 61. Bxc3 Qe7 62. Qd5 Qc5 63. Qf7 Qxc3 64. Qxf8 Qd3 65. Qa8 and Black can’t make progress.

Instead, it’s over on 59. Qc7? Qg6 60. Qc4 c2! 61. Be3 Bd6 and each Black passers are protected and Ding want solely put together the bottom for his or her advance. A determined White solely hastens his demise with 63. Kf1 Be5 (threatening 64. c1=Q+ 65. Bxc1 Qb1 66. Kg2 a2 67. Qe2 g6 68. Qxe5 a1=Q 69. Qe7+ Qg7 and wins) 64. g4 hxg4 65. h5 Qf5 66. Qd5 g3 67. f4 a2! 68. Qxa2 Bxf4, and White can’t take the bishop and might’t depart it alone; e.g. 69. Bxf4 c1=Q+ 70. Kg2 Qe4+ 71. Kxg3 Qcxf4+ 72. Kh3 Qxf3 mate. Nepomniachtchi resigned and Ding was the champ.

(Click on the picture above for a bigger view of the chessboard.)

Ding-Nepomniachtchi, FIDE World Championship Match, Game 12, Astana, Kazakhstan, April 2023

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 c5 4. Nbd2 cxd4 5. exd4 Qc7 6. c3 Bd7 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. O-O Bg4 9. Re1 e6 10. Nf1 Bd6 11. Bg5 O-O 12. Bxf6 gxf6 13. Ng3 f5 14. h3 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 Ne7 16. Nh5 Kh8 17. g4 Rg8 18. Kh1 Ng6 19. Bc2 Nh4 20. Qe3 Rg6 21. Rg1 f4 22. Qd3 Qe7 23. Rae1 Qg5 24. c4 dxc4 25. Qc3 b5 26. a4 b4 27. Qxc4 Rag8 28. Qc6 Bb8 29. Qb7 Rh6 30. Be4 Rf8 31. Qxb4 Qd8 32. Qc3 Ng6 33. Bg2 Qh4 34. Re2 f5 35. Rxe6 Rxh5 36. gxh5 Qxh5 37. d5+ Kg8 38. d6 Black resigns.

Nepomniachtchi-Ding, FIDE World Championship Rapid Playoff, Game 4, Astana, Kazakhstan, May 2023

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a4 Bd7 9. h3 O-O 10. Be3 Na5 11. Ba2 bxa4 12. Nc3 Rb8 13. Bb1 Qe8 14. b3 c5 15. Nxa4 Nc6 16. Nc3 a5 17. Nd2 Be6 18. Nc4 d5 19. exd5 Nxd5 20. Bd2 Nxc3 21. Bxc3 Bxc4 22. bxc4 Bd8 23. Bd2 Bc7 24. c3 f5 25. Re1 Rd8 26. Ra2 Qg6 27. Qe2 Qd6 28. g3 Rde8 29. Qf3 e4 30. dxe4 Ne5 31. Qg2 Nd3 32. Bxd3 Qxd3 33. exf5 Rxe1+ 34. Bxe1 Qxc4 35. Ra1 Rxf5 36. Bd2 h6 37. Qc6 Rf7 38. Re1 Kh7 39. Be3 Be5 40. Qe8 Bxc3 41. Rc1 Rf6 42. Qd7 Qe2 43. Qd5 Bb4 44. Qe4+ Kg8 45. Qd5+ Kh7 46. Qe4+ Rg6 47. Qf5 c4 48. h4 Qd3 49. Qf3 Rf6 50. Qg4 c3 51. Rd1 Qg6 52. Qc8 Rc6 53. Qa8 Rd6 54. Rxd6 Qxd6 55. Qe4+ Qg6 56. Qc4 Qb1+ 57. Kh2 a4 58. Bd4 a3 59. Qc7 Qg6 60. Qc4 c2 61. Be3 Bd6 62. Kg2 h5 63. Kf1 Be5 64. g4 hxg4 65. h5 Qf5 66. Qd5 g3 67. f4 a2 68. Qxa2 Bxf4 White resigns.