Ding Liren, like the reed in La Fontaine's fable, bent without breaking.
After nearly 7 hours of suffering where he used all his technique by showing exemplary coolness, the Chinese grandmaster managed to cancel a tricky rounds final against the Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 14th and last classic part of the world championship. Chess 2023 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
Read alsoLa Diagonale du Figaro N°25: Nepomniachtchi - Ding Liren, a slightly crazy world championship
The score is now 7-7 and the two champions will have to decide tomorrow, Sunday April 20, in a tie-break played in quick games and then finally in blitz, if the tie persists.
The rate will first be 25 minutes per player (plus an addition of 10 seconds per move) then after 4 games blitzes of 5 minutes per player (plus an addition of 3 seconds per move).
Ding Liren - Ian Nepomniachtchi, Part 14, Nimzo-Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Bd2 d5 6.a3 Be7 7.Nf3 c5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Qc2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nbd7 11.Rd1 Be7 12.Ng5 h6 13.h4 Qc7 14.Be2 Rd8 15.Rc1 Nf8 16.Nge4 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Qxc2 18.Rxc2 Bd7 19.Bb4 Bxb4+ 20.axb4 Bc6 21.Nc5 Bxg2 22.Rg1 Bd5 23.e4 Bc6 24.b5 Be8 25. CXB7 TD4 26.TC4 TD7 27.CC5 TC7 28.TC3 TAC8 29.B4 CD7 30.TCG3 CXC5 31.TXG7+ RF8 32.BXC5 TXC5 33.FD3 TD8 34.RE2 TC3 35.TG8+ RE7 36.T1G3 E5?
, again the Russian misses an opportunity to take a big advantage.
He was to play 36...Rb3!...see the diagram below...
Nepo should have played 36...Rb3!
Le Figaro
37.Rh8 Rd6 38.b6 Rxb6 39.Rxe8+ Kxe8 40.Bb5+ Rxb5 41.Rxc3 Kd7 42.Rf3 Re7 43.Rc3 a5 44.Rc7+ Kf6 45.Rc6+ Kg7 46.Ra6 Rb2+ 47.Rf3 Ra2 48.Kg3 h 5 49. Ra8 Ta1 50.Rg2 a4 51.Ra5 f6 52.Rf3 a3 53.Ra6 Rf7 54.Re3 Re8 55.Re2 Re7 56.Rf3
... and drawn after about forty moves during which Nepo tried in vain to win this theoretically equal endgame .
