Ding goes from lamb to wolf and signs a splendid victory in the fourth round of the World Chess Championship

The millions of fans of Liren Ding have two powerful reasons to remember this April 13: Gari Kasparov, for many the best chess player in history (number one since 1985 until his retirement in 2005), turned 60;

and his idol went from depression to elation in just three days.

The Chinese won the 4th game of the World Cup in a big way with the Russian Ian Niepómniashi in Astana (Kazakhstan), which equalized the score (2-2) against the 5th of the fourteen games scheduled, which will be played on Saturday.

Kasparov, who emigrated to New York in 2013 because his life was in great danger in Moscow, now spends most of his time attacking Vladimir Putin every day (his book

-winter is coming-, from 2015, predicts much of the misfortune caused by the Russian leader) and also speaks often about artificial intelligence, as well as giving lectures to high-level managers on decision-making.

But at night he plays chess online, and follows the tournaments.

Before the duel in Astana, he released some lapidary phrases: "It will be a great show, but with great difficulty I can call it the World Championship because it is not the best", he sentenced, referring to the still champion, the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, who has renounced the title because he cannot bear the prospect of losing to a rival (Niepómniashi) whom he considers "clearly inferior" because he clearly beat him (7.5-3.5) in 2021 in Dubai.

Since the Scandinavian has made that decision with total freedom, despite the fact that the International Chess Federation (FIDE) was willing to make concessions regarding the changes in the format that Carlsen demanded, Kasparov's disqualification is debatable.

But what

(He was born in Azerbaijan to an Armenian mother and a Jewish father, he became a Russian national, lives in the US and travels with a Croatian passport, where he vacations) he will have to admit is that the Niepómniashi-Ding duel has had one of the most exciting beginnings in the history of the World Championships.

And it is very long: if only the officers are counted, since 1886;

but if the unofficial ones are added, we have to go back to the 16th century, when the Spanish Ruy López de Segura, close to King Felipe II, was considered the best chess player in the world.

No one could have expected such an amazing metamorphosis of Ding in just 72 hours;

probably not even his mother, who had come from China to Astana to cheer him up.

The 3rd in the world was so embarrassing on Monday that it was uncomfortable to ask him questions in public after his defeat in the 2nd round and the bad impression he had already given in the 1st.

In addition, the main cause that he cited for his depression is not one of those that can be cured with a strong coffee: he had recently broken up with his girlfriend.

But already on Wednesday, in the 3rd, the Asian gave unquestionable signs of being ready for mental boxing: he drew the black pieces without suffering one iota and on top of that he allowed himself the embellishment of stating that he was unhappy with the result, which He almost bordered on arrogance in a person who has always been noted for his great shyness, although he is also very kind.

Niepómniashi thinks about one of his moves during the fourth gameAnna Shtourmann

With these premises, it was not surprising that Ding raised the fourth assault in stubbornness of his first victory, entering a variant of the English Opening (1 v4) that usually gives rise to unbalanced positions and conducive to long and difficult fights.

The image of Niepómniashi after only seven sets was a poem: crouched, with his head resting on his arms against the table, trying to memorize the games of that variation that he had seen throughout his life.

Or upright, but covering his eyes with his hands or looking at the ceiling, as if to say: "This guy is no longer the little lamb from Monday, but a rabid wolf that is coming for me."

A chess player resorts in these situations to two types of memory, highly developed by mental sports: the conscious one, which is usually encyclopedic in great players;

and the unconscious, better known as intuition.

That is, the player may not remember which specific game was played in a similar way, but somewhere in his brain that position is buried, which he saw someday who knows where maybe many years ago.

In fact, the first eleven sets of this game had already been played in 2012 by Ding's main analyst, the Romanian Richard Rapport, but Niepómniashi did not consciously remember this.

However, intuition led him to the best path, and his position was objectively equal after the twenty-second move, although the Slav showed signs of discomfort, such as thinking about his next move in the dressing room instead of sitting on the bench. scenery.

Even, yes, but not easy to play for a human being, especially for the Russian, because the Chinese had sacrificed a pawn in exchange for initiative and harmony, and any inaccuracy by his opponent could melt the defensive fortress like a sugar cube.

This happened only six moves later: Niepomniashi placed his knight on a central square, and the decision seemed impeccable;

but he had omitted a tactical detail, a poison trap that left him in a losing position.

From there, Ding mercilessly pounded him until he surrendered, after 47 moves in just over four hours.

Ding later revealed that he has changed hotels again, returning to the official one, Saint Regis, where the World Cup is being played, from which he had left due to "its excessive luxury."

It is a way of reaffirming, in case someone very clueless had any doubts, that he is no longer the downcast and melancholy Ding of Monday, but a hungry beast.

And so that Niepómniashi, whose big problem since he was a youth has been recovering from defeats, would know who he is facing now, he finished: "This is the most important victory of my career, until today."

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