Alexander Grischuk wins match against Ding Liren

by Johannes Fischer
7/25/2016 – From 19th to 22nd July the Chinese number one Ding Liren, with a rating of 2778 currently number eight in the world, and Russian grandmaster Alexander Grischuk, with a rating of 2747 currently number 18 in the world, played a four-game match in Wenzhou, China. Grischuk won the first game from a worse position and Ding Liren did not manage to equalise the score in the following three games. Grischuk won the match 2.5-1.5.
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The first game that turned out to decide the match on first sight looks like a convincing win for Grischuk who seemed to punish the extravagant rook moves of his opponent with a pawn-sacrifice that gave him ample compensation which he finally turned into a better endgame which he could win. However, the engines tell a different story and think that Grischuk was rather lucky.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Ne2 e6 7.Nbc3 exd5 8.cxd5 0-0 9.Ng3 a6 10.a4 Ne8 11.Be2 h5 Pushing the h-pawn ahead is a common idea in many King's Indian structure but in this position it is a new move. 12.Be3 h4 13.Nf1 f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Qd2 Nd7 16.Bg5 Bf6 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.f4 Ng7 19.Ne3 Re8 20.Rf1!? The beginning of an interesting idea. Hard to believe but White gives up his right to castle to attack the h-pawn. Rb8 21.Rf3 Qg6 Black gives the pawn to bring his pieces into a play. For a human mind White's rook maneuver might appear too time-consuming and rather artificial and Black seems to have a lot of compensation for the pawn. However, the engines condone White's play and consider White's to be clearly better here. 22.Rh3 Nf6 23.Rxh4 Bd7 24.Kf2 b5 25.axb5 axb5 Black threatens ...b4, followed by ...Ne4+, White's rook on h4 looks to be out of play and Black seems to have very active pieces. Still, the engines insist that White is better. 26.Kg1 Re7 27.Rh3 Ng4 28.Ra7 b4 29.Ncd1 Rbe8 30.Rf3 Nh5 (#) 31.Rxd7 A little tactical trick to exchange pieces. Rxd7 32.Bb5 Rde7 33.Bxe8 Rxe8 34.h3 Ngf6 35.Nf2 Ng3 36.Qd1 The engines like the exchange sacrifice 36.Rxg3 Qxg3 37.Nxf5 Qg6 38.g4 and evaluate the position as clearly better for White. 36...Kh8 To attack on the g-file. 37.Kh2 Rg8 38.b3 Nge4 Threatening 39...Nxf2. 39.Qe1 39.Nh1 is the move the engine recommends - with an equal position. 39...Nxd5 40.g4 Nxe3 41.Rxe3 d5 (#) Now Black finally gets the upper-hand. 42.Nd3? Better was 42.Nxe4 fxe4 but not 42...dxe4 43.Qh4+ Kg7 44.Qe7+ Qf7 45.Qxc5 43.f5 Qf6 with a sharp double-edged but dynamically equal position. 42...fxg4 43.hxg4 Qxg4 44.Rh3+ Kg7 45.Rh4 Qxh4+ 46.Qxh4 Rh8 47.Qxh8+ Kxh8 (#)Black liquidated into a knight ending with an extra pawn that looks promising. However, he has technical difficulties. The c-pawn cannot advance easily because it has to protect the b-pawn and the knight on e4 is tied to the defense of the c-pawn. 48.Kh3 Kg7 49.Kg4 Kf6 50.f5 Ke7 51.Kh5 Kf7 52.Kg4 Nf6+ 53.Kg5 Nd7 54.f6 Ke6 55.Kg6 c4 How else should Black make progress? 56.bxc4 dxc4 57.Nxb4 Nxf6 (#) According to the Nalimov tablebases this position is a draw. But in the further course of the game Ding Liren does not find the right defense. 58.Kg5 Nd5 59.Nc6 c3 60.Kg4 Kd6 61.Na5 Kc5 62.Kf3 Kb5 63.Nb3 Kc4 64.Nc1 c2 65.Ke4 Nb4 66.Ne2 Nc6 67.Ke3 Kb3 68.Nc1+ Kc3 69.Ne2+ Kb2 70.Kd3 Nb4+ 71.Kd4 Na2 72.Nf4 Kb1 73.Ne2 Nc1 74.Nc3+ Ka1 75.Kc4 Na2 76.Ne2 Kb2 77.Kd4 Nc1 78.Nf4 Nb3+ 79.Kd5 Kc3 80.Ke4 Nc5+ 81.Kf3 Kd2 82.Ne2 Ne6 83.Kf2 Kd3 84.Nc1+ Kc3 85.Ke3 Kb2 86.Ne2 Nc7 87.Ke4 Nb5 88.Nf4 Ka1 89.Nd3 Kb1 90.Ke3 Nc3 91.Kd2 Ne4+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ding,L2778Grischuk,A27470–12016A65Ding vs Grischuk Match1

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Ne2 e6 7.Nbc3 exd5 8.cxd5 0-0 9.Ng3 a6 10.a4 Ne8 11.Be2 h5 12.Be3 h4 13.Nf1 f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Qd2 Nd7 16.Bg5 Bf6 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.f4 Ng7 19.Ne3 Re8 20.Rf1 Rb8 21.Rf3 Qg6 22.Rh3 Nf6 23.Rxh4 Bd7 24.Kf2 b5 25.axb5 axb5 26.Kg1 Re7 27.Rh3 Ng4 28.Ra7 b4 29.Ncd1 Rbe8 30.Rf3 Nh5 31.Rxd7 Rxd7 32.Bb5 Rde7 33.Bxe8 Rxe8 34.h3 Ngf6 35.Nf2 Ng3 36.Qd1 Kh8 37.Kh2 Rg8 38.b3 Nge4 39.Qe1 Nxd5 40.g4 Nxe3 41.Rxe3 d5 42.Nd3 fxg4 43.hxg4 Qxg4 44.Rh3+ Kg7 45.Rh4 Qxh4+ 46.Qxh4 Rh8 47.Qxh8+ Kxh8 48.Kh3 Kg7 49.Kg4 Kf6 50.f5 Ke7 51.Kh5 Kf7 52.Kg4 Nf6+ 53.Kg5 Nd7 54.f6 Ke6 55.Kg6 c4 56.bxc4 dxc4 57.Nxb4 Nxf6 58.Kg5 Nd5 59.Nc6 c3 60.Kg4 Kd6 61.Na5 Kc5 62.Kf3 Kb5 63.Nb3 Kc4 64.Nc1 c2 65.Ke4 Nb4 66.Ne2 Nc6 67.Ke3 Kb3 68.Nc1+ Kc3 69.Ne2+ Kb2 70.Kd3 Nb4+ 71.Kd4 Na2 72.Nf4 Kb1 73.Ne2 Nc1 74.Nc3+ Ka1 75.Kc4 Na2 76.Ne2 Kb2 77.Kd4 Nc1 78.Nf4 Nb3+ 79.Kd5 Kc3 80.Ke4 Nc5+ 81.Kf3 Kd2 82.Ne2 Ne6 83.Kf2 Kd3 84.Nc1+ Kc3 85.Ke3 Kb2 86.Ne2 Nc7 87.Ke4 Nb5 88.Nf4 Ka1 89.Nd3 Kb1 90.Ke3 Nc3 91.Kd2 Ne4+ 0–1
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
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  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ding,L2778Grischuk,A27470–12016E60Ding vs Grischuk Match1
Grischuk,A2747Ding,L2778½–½2016D11Ding vs Grischuk Match2
Ding,L2778Grischuk,A2747½–½2016E62Ding vs Grischuk Match3
Grischuk,A2747Ding,L2778½–½2016B10Ding vs Grischuk Match4

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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