It’s been a dream start for Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in his scheduled 14-game FIDE world championship match against China’s Ding Liren. The two began play Sunday in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the vacated world chess title long held by Norwegian world No. 1 GM Magnus Carlsen.
With Ding himself admitting he felt unsure and distracted in his first trip to the game’s largest stage, “Nepo” had much the better play in the match’s first game Sunday before conceding a draw, then grabbed the lead with a smashing TKO with the Black pieces in Game 2 on Monday.
The Chinese star has looked rusty and overwhelmed in both games, surprised by his opponent’s opening choice in a Ruy Lopez in Game 1 and thoroughly outplayed in the second game, a Queen’s Gambit where White allows his opponent to build up a massive initiative on both flanks, leading to a quick collapse. Heavy time pressure in both games didn’t help the Chinese player’s cause.
Game 2 actually started with a mini-moral victory for Ding, whose 4. h3 novelty in a well-known Queen’s Gambit line forced Black to improvise and adjust. But things start to head south for White as early as 11. Ne4 Na5 12. Nxf6+?! (played after a long, unproductive think; 12. Nxc5 Bxc5 13. dxc5 Nd7 14. Bd2 was a more sensible path if you’re feeling shaky about your game) gxf6 (Ding said he only considered 12…Qxf6) 13. e4? (the engines much prefer 13. dxc5 Qd7 14. c6, keeping the balance) c4!, and now Black not only has the open g-file to play with, but enjoys vastly more space on the queenside as well. It looks at first as if Nepo will have trouble finding a place for his king, but it turns out to be perfectly safe after castling long.
White’s 15. Bd2? makes things worse, as with 15. Be3 (Qe1 is also better) 0-0-0?! 16. Rc1 Kb8 17. Bd3, Ding has the threat of 18. Nd2 with some legitimate counterplay. And 18. Re1? (Qe1 f5 19. Kh1 is tougher) again occupies the right square with the wrong piece, leaving White open to a devastating counter: 18 … f5! 19. Bc2 (GM Robert Ris noted this very cool line: 19. exf5? Rxd4! 20. Nxd4 Rxg2+ 21. Kf1 Rxf2+!! 22. Kxf2 Qh2+ 23. Ke3 [Kf1 Qg2 mate] Bh6 mate) Nc6 (f6! 20. Qe2 e5 was also strong) 20. Bg5 (see diagram) Rxg5!, an exchange sac that practically plays itself. After 21. Nxg5 Nxd4 22. Qh5 f6 23. Nf3 (Nxh7 Qg7! 24. Nxf8 Rxf8 25. Bb1 Rg8 26. g3 f4, Black’s attack will soon crash through) Nxc2 24. Rxc2 Bxe4, a second White pawn falls and Nepo’s bishops are about to run wild. It’s complete domination for the second player.
Black is highly accurate in the final phase: 26. Kh1 c3 (insult to injury — the queenside pawns White forgot to neutralize now decide the bout) 27. bxc3 bxc3 28. Rd4 c2 29. Qh6 e5!, and Ding resigns as his rook has no good place to go; e.g. 30. Rxd6 (Rd2 c1=Q) Rxd6 31. Rc1 Rd1+ 32. Kh2 Bxf3 33. gxf3 Qd8! 34. Qe3 Rxc1 35. Qxc1 Qd1 36. Qb2+ Ka8 37. Qb6 c1=Q and the White queen checks will soon run out.
Tuesday is a day off, and Nepomniachtchi will have the advantage again of the White pieces for Wednesday’s Game 3.
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A future world champion may well have been in the field as D.C.’s Washington Hilton hotel played host to the National High School K-12 Championships that ended April 2. Organizers said a record-busting 1,745 players from 38 states competed, breaking the record set in 2019 — and more could have played if the playing space were available.
FMs Jason Wang of Mason, Ohio, and Sharvesh Deviprasath of Coppell, Texas, shared individual honors in the Open section, but North Virginia’s Chance Nguyen put on a show by sharing the title in the Under-1900 section at 6-1 while leading her Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology to the Under-1900 team title as well.
Nguyen clinched first place with a nice fighting game against Maryland Class B player Brandon Chen in the final round, a complicated struggle in which both players acquit themselves well. In a Queen’s Pawn Opening, things get messy early after 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. h5!? Bxd3 13. cxd3 d4!, starting a brawl in the center with both kings still uncastled.
Nguyen as Black wins a pawn but the fight is by no means over after 14. Ne4 dxe3 15. Bxe3 Nxd3+ 16. Ke2 Ne5 17. Qb3 Qd7 (Qd5 18. Qxd5 exd5 19. Nc3 0-0 20. Rad1, and White may have a slight positional edge despite the pawn deficit) 18. Bf4 Qd4!? (White’s central pressure is getting uncomfortable, and even a queen trade does not clarify things) 19. f3 Qd4+ 20. Qxc4 Nxc4 21. Rac1!, inviting 21 … Nxb2? 22. Rc7 b5 23. h6! Nc4 24. g4 g6 (Rd8 25. Bg5! f6?? 26. gxf6 gxf6 27. Nf6 is mate) 25. Nf6+ Kd8 26. Rd1+, winning.
A critical crossroads comes after White regains the pawn with 25. hxg7 Bxg7 26. Nd6+ Kg6 27. Nxb7 Rhb8 28. Nc5 Rb2+ — the rule of thumb is that a king should be active in this phase of the game, but it turns out there are hidden dangers for White’s king that decide the contest: 30. Kd3? (Kf1! looks craven, but White is still battling after 30 … Bh6 31. Re1 e5 32. a4) Bh6! 31. Rxh6+ (unfortunately forced, as 31. Rcd1 Rd8+ 32. Kc4 [Ke4?? Re2 mate] Rc8 33. Kd4 e5+ 34. Kc4 Bf8 wins) Kxh6 32. Nxe6 Rxa2, and Nguyen has won the exchange and need only connect her rooks to obtain a winning ending.
White hurries the process along with the only real oversight of the game: 35. Nf4+ Kg7 36. Rd1? Ra4+, picking off the loose knight. Chen fights on another dozen moves but the ending is never in doubt.
(Click on the image above for a larger view of the chessboard.)
Ding-Nepomniachtchi, FIDE World Championship Match, Game 2, Astana, Kazakhstan, April 2023
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. h3 dxc4 5. e3 c5 6. Bxc4 a6 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nc3 b5 9. Bd3 Bb7 10. a4 b4 11. Ne4 Na5 12. Nxf6+ gxf6 13. e4 c4 14. Bc2 Qc7 15. Bd2 Rg8 16. Rc1 O-O-O 17. Bd3 Kb8 18. Re1 f5 19. Bc2 Nc6 20. Bg5 Rxg5 21. Nxg5 Nxd4 22. Qh5 f6 23. Nf3 Nxc2 24. Rxc2 Bxe4 25. Rd2 Bd6 26. Kh1 c3 27. bxc3 bxc3 28. Rd4 c2 29. Qh6 e5 White resigns.
Chen-Nguyen, Under-1900 National K-12 Championships, Washington, D.C., April 2023
1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bf4 a6 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Bd3 Bg6 7. h4 e6 8. Ne5 Nxe5 9. Bxe5 Nd7 10. Bf4 c5 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. h5 Bxd3 13. cxd3 d4 14. Ne4 dxe3 15. Bxe3 Nxd3+ 16. Ke2 Ne5 17. Qb3 Qd7 18. Bf4 Qd4 19. f3 Qc4+ 20. Qxc4 Nxc4 21. Rac1 Nb6 22. h6 Nd5 23. Be5 f6 24. Bc3 Kf7 25. hxg7 Bxg7 26. Nd6+ Kg6 27. Nxb7 Rhb8 28. Nc5 Nxc3+ 29. bxc3 Rb2+ 30. Kd3 Bh6 31. Rxh6+ Kxh6 32. Nxe6 Rxa2 33. Kc4 Re8 34. Rh1+ Kg6 35. Nf4+ Kg7 36. Rd1 Ra4+ 37. Kb3 Rxf4 38. c4 a5 39. Rc1 Rc8 40. c5 Rb4+ 41. Ka3 Rb5 42. c6 Rb6 43. Rd1 Rcxc6 44. f4 Rc3+ 45. Ka2 Rc2+ 46. Ka1 Rc4 47. Rd7+ Kg6 48. f5+ Kh6 White resigns.
• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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