The world chess championship could also be determined by a freeze and a fake-out.

The unexpectedly compelling 14-game title match in Astana, Kazakhstan, between Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi and Chinese GM Ding Liren is getting into the house stretch, after the Russian claimed a cushty draw with White in Monday’s Game 11.

Nepo thus clings to a 6-5 lead with three video games left, though Ding may have the benefit of the White items in two of the video games nonetheless to be performed as he tried to even the rating and drive a playoff.

Should he come up brief, nevertheless, he will certainly rue a few physique blows he suffered midmatch, an indication of the nerves and psychological stress gamers should take care of at each stage in such top-level matches.

In Game 7, as his many followers agonized on-line, Ding failed to carry a drawable recreation when he appeared to freeze in reasonable time hassle, utilizing up almost all of his remaining time on a comparatively simple transfer after which collapsing as he rushed to keep away from a forfeit.

Ding may have bounced again after build up a profitable place within the very subsequent recreation, however a shrewd bluff by Nepo and one other seeming case of nerves price White the victory.

Both gamers have proven glorious combating spirit within the match, and Ding in Game 8 got here out swinging in a stylish Nimzo-Indian line — 9. Ra2!? is the new new strategy to play the place — which put Black again on his heels positionally.

White builds on his initiative with the aggressive 11. Bg5 h6 12. h4!? hxg5 13. hxg5 g6 (Ne8?? 14. Qh5 f5 15. g6 wins on the spot) 14. gxf6 Qxf6 15. e5! dxe5 d5!, with a robust central push that forces his opponent to react.

Black is as much as the defensive activity till 21. Rh3 Nh4 22. g5 Bxe4? 23. Qxe4 Nf5 24. Rd2!, a transfer that Black admitted he missed and one which leaves the White d-pawn a positional bone within the throat of the Black defensive place. After 24…Rh8 (Nxd6? 25. Qxe5+ f6 26. Qh2 fxg5 27. Rxd6; or 24…Qxg5 25. Qxe5+ f6 26. Qe4 Rad8 27. f4! Qg4 28. Rdh2, with a killer assault down the file) 25. Rxh8 Qxh8 26. d7!? (even higher was 26. Rd3! Rd8 27. Rh3 Qf8 28. Qxe5+, and if 28…f6, White has 29. gxf6+ Qxf6 30. Rh7+!, profitable) Rd8 27. Qxe5+ Kh7.

But bluffing isn’t only for poker — with White dominating after 30. Qh2+ Kg7 31. Qc7 (see diagram), Black uncorks the surprising 31…Qh4!!?. This feint, abandoning the rook for some dangerous-looking checks, ought to lose, however White will get a transparent, stress-free edge on 31…Qf8 32. Qxa7 Qe7 33. Qxb6; now Ding should take dangers with time stress dropping if he needs the win he has earned.

Black is rewarded as White backs down with 32. Kd1? (taking the rook wins after 32. Qxd8! Qe4+ 33. Re2 Qb1+ 34. Kd2 Qb2+ 35. Kd3 Qb1+ 36. Rc2! Qd1+ (Qxf1+ 37. Kd2 Qxf2+ 38. Kc1 Qe1+ 39. Kb2) 37. Ke4! Qxc2+ 38. Bd3 Nd6+ 39. Ke5 Qxd3 40. Qf6+ Kh7 41. d8=Q Nxc4+ 4.2 Kf4 e5+ 43. Kg4, and the checks will quickly run out.

White misses yet another likelihood earlier than time management: 36. Qxa7 Ng4, when 37. Bc6!, preserving the d-pawn, holds actual profitable probabilities after 37…e4 38. Qc7 f5 39. Kb3 Ne5 40. Qxb6. Black alertly sacrifices a bit to create a formidable kingside pawn phalanx and remove White’s invaluable d-pawn with 37. Bf3? Nxf2! 38. Rxf2 f5 40. Qxb6 Rxd7. Ding should give again the piece to cease the pawns and the ensuing rook ending is a lifeless draw.

Call it a swindle, but when the Russian claims the crown, this recreation may very well be the explanation why.

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There’s really one other world chess championship being held this month, getting far much less consideration though the “players” are incomparably stronger than both Ding or Nepomniachtchi.

Longtime silicon bully Stockfish and challenger Leela Chess Zero are battling it out within the Top Chess Engine Championship. Through 80(!) video games thus far, Stockfish, a 13-time winner of the occasion, clings to a slender 42-38 (15-11-54) lead. Stockfish’s mad-genius sacrificial win over LcO’s Pirc Defense belies the outdated stereotype that the engines are too materialistic to play Romantic, swashbuckling chess.

White is already sacrificing items after a dozen strikes — 12. e5!? hxg5 13. e6!, when Black should keep away from traces like 13…Nxd5 14. exf7+ Kxf7 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16. Bxg6+! Kxg6 17. Qd3+ Kf7 18. Qxd5+ e6 19. Qxa8 — and once more seven strikes later with 19. hxg6! Bg4 20. Qf1 Bxd1 21. Kxd1 Nxd3 22. Qxd3, when regardless of being down an trade and a pawn, White has actual attacking probabilities on the open discipline of the kingside.

As to be anticipated, the assault and protection between two 3500+-rated gamers are at instances otherworldly: 26. Rf1 Qxa4! 27. Qh5 Re6 (the risk was 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Rxf6+! Bxf6 30. Bh6+ Bg7 31. Qh8 mate) 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Bh6 Qd4+ (amazingly, Black finds a strategy to parry the a number of mating threats) 30. Kc1 Bxh6+ 31. Qxh6+ Kg8 32. Rh1 f5!, however Stockfish offers the (theoretically) frazzled defender extra to deal with with 33. g4!!, exhibiting the kingside assault is certainly not completed.

The White queen and knight show stronger than Black’s queen and rook in crunch time: 33…fxg4 34. Qg5! (with the specter of 35. Qd8+ Kg7 36. Qh8+ Kxg6 37. Qg8+ Qg7 38. Qxe6+ and wins) Rd7 35. Qf5 Qe5 36. Rh8+! Qxh8 37. Qxe6+ Kf8 38. Qf5+ Kg8 36. Nf6+ Kg7 40. Nh5+! (a vital finesse; Black attracts on 40. Nxd7? Qh1+ 41. Kd2 Qg2+ 42. Kd3 Qg3+ 43. Ke4 Qg2+, as 44. Kf4?? loses to 44…Qf3+ 45. Kg5 Qxf5+! 45. Kxf5 g3) Kh6 (Kg8 41. Qd5+ Kf8 42. Qa8+ picks off the Black queen) 41. Qxd7 Kxg6 (Black has three pawns for the piece, however Stockfish shouldn't be completed) 42. Qxd6+! Kh7 (Kxh5 43. Qh2+) 43. Qf4 Kg6 44. Qxg4+ and the damaging black pawns have been effectively harvested.

As computer systems will do, Lc0 Zero performs it out to the bitter finish — its cornered king lastly mated after 53. Qf2+ Kh1 54. Ng3 mate.

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

Ding-Nepomniachtchi, FIDE World Championship, Game 8, Astana, Kazakhstan, April 2023

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 d6 7. Ne2 c5 8. Ng3 Nc6 9. Ra2 b6 10. e4 Ba6 11. Bg5 h6 12. h4 hxg5 13. hxg5 g6 14. gxf6 Qxf6 15. e5 dxe5 16. d5 Ne7 17. d6 Nf5 18. Ne4 Qd8 19. Qd3 Kg7 20. g4 Bb7 21. Rh3 Nh4 22. g5 Bxe4 23. Qxe4 Nf5 24. Rd2 Rh8 25. Rxh8 Qxh8 26. d7 Rd8 27. Qxe5+ Kh7 28. Qh2+ Kg7 29. Qe5+ Kh7 30. Qh2+ Kg7 31. Qc7 Qh4 32. Kd1 Qxg5 33. Kc2 Qe7 34. Bg2 e5 35. Be4 Nh6 36. Qxa7 Ng4 37. Bf3 Nxf2 38. Rxf2 e4 39. Re2 f5 40. Qxb6 Rxd7 41. Qb8 Qd6 42. Qxd6 Rxd6 43. Bxe4 fxe4 44. Rxe4 Kf6 45. Re8 Draw agreed.

Stockfish-Leela Chess Zero, Top Chess Engine Championship, April 2023

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd2 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. Qe2 c5 9. d5 a6 10. a4 Re8 11. Ng5 h6 12. e5 hxg5 13. e6 Bc8 14. fxg5 Nbd7 15. gxf6 exf6 16. h4 Ne5 17. h5 fxe6 18. O-O-O exd5 19. hxg6 Bg4 20. Qf1 Bxd1 21. Kxd1 Nxd3 22. Qxd3 Qd7 23. Qf3 Ra7 24. Nxd5 Qe6 25. Re1 Qd7 26. Rf1 Qxa4 27. Qh5 Re6 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Bh6 Qd4+ 30. Kc1 Bxh6+ 31. Qxh6+ Kg8 32. Rh1 f5 33. g4 fxg4 34. Qg5 Rd7 35. Qf5 Qe5 36. Rh8+ Qxh8 37. Qxe6+ Kf8 38. Qf5+ Kg8 39. Nf6+ Kg7 40. Nh5+ Kh6 41. Qxd7 Kxg6 42. Qxd6+ Kh7 43. Qf4 Kg6 44. Qxg4+ Kh6 45. Nf4 Qe8 46. Qe6+ Kg5 47. Nh3+ Kh4 48. Qxe8 Kg4 49. Qg6+ Kf3 50. Qf5+ Kg3 51. Ng5 c4 52. Ne4+ Kg2 53. Qf2+ Kh1 54. Ng3 mate.

• David R. Sands might be reached at 202/636-3178 or by electronic mail at dsands@washingtontimes.com.

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