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The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
Find expert commentary — video and game annotations — by well-known coach and author IM Robert Ris at the end of the article.
The pendulum continues to swing at the World Championship match, as Ding Liren recovered from Saturday’s loss by collecting a win from the white side of a London System to again level the score in Astana. This was the third consecutive game with a decisive result, and the second consecutive game that saw one of the players dominating with the white pieces.
Master Class Vol. 12: Viswanathan Anand
This DVD allows you to learn from the example of one of the best players in the history of chess and from the explanations of the authors how to successfully organise your games strategically, and how to keep your opponent permanently under pressure.
Not only did both contenders get clear wins with white, but they did it after playing similar themes, with h4-h5 the recurring idea of the weekend. Vishy Anand, one of the few players in the world who got to play multiple matches for the title, is certainly enjoying the spectacle:
What a fantastic match! 4 decisive games out of 6. and such beautiful games. h4-h5 was the theme of the 5th and 6th games. What do you think? @FIDE_chess #NepoDing
— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) April 16, 2023
As Daniel King noted, the players adopted a strategy of jumping between different openings instead of challenging their opponent to try to find small cracks in a single system that has been studied extensively. Even a long-time elite analyst like Erwin l’Ami has been struggling to predict the first move in each of the games.
While some pundits, like Romain Edouard, have been critical of the quality of the games, the entertainment value has surely increased compared to preview matches. And, as grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn noted, there is plenty to learn from each of the encounters as well.
Every win in this match is worth an entire chapter in a book! Very instructive #chess! #NepoDing
— Eugene Perelshteyn (@EugenePerel) April 16, 2023
Master Class Vol.11: Vladimir Kramnik
This DVD allows you to learn from the example of one of the best players in the history of chess and from the explanations of the authors (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) how to successfully organise your games strategically, consequently how to keep y
For a second consecutive time, Ding will get to enjoy a rest day right after scoring a win, a situation described by Anand as “the best feeling ever”. Since Tuesday’s encounter will mark the half point of the 14-game match, the players will get another rest day on Wednesday.
Time to regroup | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage
In the post-game press conference, a satisfied Ding mentioned that he was not sure which opening to play on Sunday. Understandably, he opted for one of the weapons he knows best, the London System. Despite being one of his strong suits from the white side, though, he confessed that he had not prepared the specific line that appeared on the board.
Feeling more at home in the position did help, as Nepo spent more time in the opening, trying to find precise move orders in a configuration full of subtleties. Ding deviated from theory on move 12, and perhaps the most critical point of the game was reached ten moves later.
White is already in the driver’s seat here, and an impatient Nepo decided to make an extremely committing decision to get back in the game, one that was thus described by commentator Daniil Dubov: “22...e5 is either a very good move or White is just winning”.
The latter evaluation turned out to be true, as Ding went on to find a number of precise manoeuvres to increase his advantage — he lifted his a-rook, and offered a couple of pawn sacrifices in order to activate his army.
This is how the position looked after move 32:
Black did get a passer on the a-file, but White is ready to create deadly threats on the kingside with his well-coordinated queen, rook, knight and h-pawn (the outside pawn playing a big role for a second day in a row).
Nepo’s position quickly went from bad to worse, with the Russian later lamenting, “I guess I played one of my worst games ever. Nearly every move was bad”.
By move 42, there was no hope for Black. Ding had found a devastating combination.
Olimpiu di Luppi clipped the deciding sequence, and captioned it in style: “The raw emotions of a true genius. [...] Ding Liren has found an amazing finish”.
The raw emotions of a true genius: 42.Qc7!!, Ding Liren has found an amazing finish: 42...Kh7 43.Ng6 Rg8 44.Qf7, threatening the 45.Qxg8+ queen sacrifice with a forced mate. That was the point of 41.d5! pic.twitter.com/r2ls5pNUE5
— Olimpiu Di Luppi (@olimpiuurcan) April 16, 2023
Black resigned instead of allowing White to demonstrate the winning idea on the board — a remarkable queen sacrifice that led to a forced mate.
It is Black to move, but there is nothing he can do to effectively prevent the queen from capturing on g8 next, winning the game on the spot.
A Complete Black Repertoire against 1.d4, 1.Nf3 & 1.c4
These video courses feature a black repertoire against 1.d4, 1.Nf3 and 1.c4. The recommended variations are easy to learn and not difficult to remember, but also pose White serious challenges.
Relieved — Ding Liren leaves the stage right after levelling the score of the match for a second time (in only six games!) | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage
Middlegame Secrets Vol.1 + Vol.2
Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!
