Sunday, April 23, 2023

London System Attack Ding Liren

London System is as strong or weak as the players involved in the game. In this 2023 World Championship match Ding Liren outplays Ian Nepomniachtchi with a clash of plans. Black obtained a passed a-pawn which seemed destined to become a queen. But before that could happen, White weaved a mating net on the kingside.

Ding Liren (2788) – Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2795), WCh 2023 Astana KAZ, 16.04.2023 begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 [This is more dynamic than 4.c3 cxd4 5.cxd4, which transposes to a more drawish Slav Defense Exchange Variation.] 4...Nc6 5.Nbd2 cxd4 6.exd4 Bf5 [Both players develop the queenside bishop in a similar manner.] 7.c3 e6 8.Bb5 Bd6 9.Bxd6 Qxd6 10.0–0 0–0 11.Re1 h6 12.Ne5 Ne7 13.a4 a6 14.Bf1 Nd7 15.Nxd7 Qxd7 16.a5 Qc7 17.Qf3 Rfc8 18.Ra3 Bg6 19.Nb3 Nc6 20.Qg3 Qe7 21.h4 Re8 22.Nc5 e5 [Black attacks the pawn that defends White's knight.] 23.Rb3 Nxa5 24.Rxe5 Qf6 25.Ra3 Nc4 26.Bxc4 dxc4 27.h5 Bc2 28.Nxb7 [White has won a pawn.] 28...Qb6 29.Nd6 Rxe5 30.Qxe5 Qxb2 [Black regains the pawn and prepares to push the passed a-pawn.] 31.Ra5 Kh7 32.Rc5 Qc1+ 33.Kh2 f6 34.Qg3 a5 35.Nxc4 a4 36.Ne3 Bb1 [White takes deadly aim at mate on g7.] 37.Rc7 Rg8 38.Nd5 [The threat is 39.Nxf6+.] 38...Kh8 39.Ra7 a3 40.Ne7 Rf8 41.d5
[This pawn covers the escape square e6. Black is in a mating net.] 41...a2 42.Qc7 Kh7 43.Ng6 Rg8 44.Qf7 [The threat is 45.Qxg8+ Kxg8 46.Ra8+ Kf7 47.Rf8 mate] 1–0
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Sunday, April 2, 2023

French Defence Alapin Gambit

White has many options against the French Defence. Here I present an Alapin Gambit 3.Be3 between two high-rated chess engines. I assume the opening moves were pre-set since the same two opponents played a draw with colors reversed. Obviously, 3.Nc3, 3.Nd2, 3.e5, and 3.exd5 are all excellent choices, but 3.Be3 can be a fun gambit in blitz play. I first wrote a book on the Alapin French in 1995. Since then, I’ve written much about this gambit.

Stockfish dev15_20220302 (3612) – SlowChess Blitz 2.83 avx2 (3490), TCEC 22 Premier 2022 tcec-chess.com INT, 25.03.2022 begins 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Be3 Nf6 [Better is 3...dxe4 4.Nd2 Nf6 when White has 5.c3 (Alapin), 5.f3 (Diemer), or maybe 5.Ne2.] 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Nf3 Qb6 8.Qc1 f6 9.Bd3 g5 10.exf6 Nxf6 11.0–0 Ng4 12.Nxg5 cxd4 13.cxd4 Bg7 14.Kh1 Nxe3 15.Qxe3 Bxd4 16.Qh3 Bxb2 17.Nc3 Bxc3 18.Rac1 Bf6 19.Qh5+ Kd8 20.f5 Bb2 21.Rb1 Qd4 22.Qe2 Kc7 [If 22...Qg7 23.Nxe6+ Bxe6 24.fxe6 favors White.] 23.Rxb2 exf5 24.Rc1 Qf6 25.Qd2 Re8 26.Nf3 a6 27.Rbb1 Ra7 28.Qc2 Bd7 29.Qb3 Rc8 30.a4 Kb8 31.Qxd5 Qe6 32.Qc5 Qe7 33.Qb6 Qd6 34.h3 Ka8 35.Bf1 Qc7 36.a5 Qg3 37.Rc3 Qg7 38.Rc5 Rg8 39.Rd1 h6 40.Rc2 Rb8 41.Bc4 Qe7 42.Bd5 f4 43.Rcc1 Rc8 44.Nd4 h5 45.Nxc6 bxc6 46.Rxc6 Bxc6 47.Bxc6+ Rxc6 48.Qxc6+ Rb7 49.Qxa6+ [White wins a pawn and soon wins another.]
49...Kb8 50.Qh6 Qe4 51.a6 Rb1 52.Qxh5 Rxd1+ 53.Qxd1 Ka7 54.Qf3 Qe1+ 55.Kh2 Kxa6 56.Qxf4 [Black resigns] 1–0


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