Ding Liren

The game below has been well-annotated all over the web, and I won't presume to add anything. Just enjoy! The computer may point out faster wins, but who cares... A dashing demonstration of the power of multiple minor pieces over a Queen, and the vulnerability of an uncastled King.

[Event "Chinese Chess League"]
[Site "China CHN"]
[Date "2017.11.04"]
[Round "18.4"]
[White "Jinshi Bai"]
[Black "Ding Liren"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2553"]
[BlackElo "2774"]
[UTCDate "2023.05.14"]
[UTCTime "22:41:35"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "E21"]
[Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/DrDaveExeter"]

1. d4 { [%eval 0.0] } 1... Nf6 { [%eval 0.28] } 2. c4 { [%eval 0.16] } 2... e6 { [%eval 0.23] } 3. Nc3 { [%eval 0.05] } 3... Bb4 { [%eval 0.25] } 4. Nf3 { [%eval 0.0] } 4... O-O { [%eval 0.21] } 5. Bg5 { [%eval 0.0] } 5... c5 { [%eval 0.0] } 6. e3 { [%eval 0.0] } 6... cxd4 { [%eval 0.0] } 7. Qxd4 { [%eval 0.0] } 7... Nc6 { [%eval 0.0] } 8. Qd3 { [%eval 0.0] } 8... h6 { [%eval 0.0] } 9. Bh4 { [%eval -0.02] } 9... d5 { [%eval -0.01] } 10. Rd1 { [%eval -0.06] } 10... g5 { [%eval -0.01] } 11. Bg3 { [%eval -0.06] } 11... Ne4 { [%eval 0.19] } 12. Nd2 { [%eval -0.08] } 12... Nc5 { [%eval 0.25] } 13. Qc2 { [%eval 0.2] } 13... d4 { [%eval 0.24] } 14. Nf3 { [%eval 0.09] } 14... e5 { [%eval 0.33] } 15. Nxe5 { [%eval 0.0] } 15... dxc3!! { [%eval 0.16] } 16. Rxd8 { [%eval 0.11] } 16... cxb2+ { [%eval 0.16] } { The engines will tell you it's equal here, but it couldn't have felt it for either side! } 17. Ke2?? { [%eval -2.28] } { Blunder. Rd2 was best. } { Now it's a rout. } (17. Rd2! Rd8 18. Bd3 Nxe5 19. Bh7+ Kf8 20. Bxe5 Rxd2 21. Qxd2 Bxd2+ 22. Kxd2 Be6) 17... Rxd8 { [%eval -2.22] } 18. Qxb2 { [%eval -2.88] } 18... Na4 { [%eval -2.96] } 19. Qc2 { [%eval -3.05] } 19... Nc3+ { [%eval -2.46] } 20. Kf3 { [%eval -3.23] } 20... Rd4! { [%eval -2.98] } 21. h3 { [%eval -3.5] } 21... h5 { [%eval -3.31] } 22. Bh2 { [%eval -3.92] } 22... g4+ { [%eval -3.94] } 23. Kg3 { [%eval -4.2] } 23... Rd2! { [%eval -4.46] } 24. Qb3 { [%eval -5.23] } 24... Ne4+ { [%eval -5.16] } 25. Kh4 { [%eval -6.02] } 25... Be7+ { [%eval -5.23] } 26. Kxh5 { [%eval -4.97] } 26... Kg7! { [%eval -6.46] } 27. Bf4 { [%eval -6.93] } 27... Bf5 { [%eval -5.78] } 28. Bh6+ { [%eval -5.66] } 28... Kh7 { [%eval -5.89] } 29. Qxb7 { [%eval -5.97] } 29... Rxf2! { [%eval -5.79] } 30. Bg5 { [%eval -6.89] } 30... Rh8 { [%eval #-6] } 31. Nxf7 { [%eval #-5] } 31... Bg6+ { [%eval #-4] } 32. Kxg4 { [%eval #-4] } 32... Ne5+! { [%eval #-3] } { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1



Endgame

Ding's defensive obstinacy is well shown in this next game.
[Event "Chinese Chess Championship"]
[Site "Xinghua CHN"]
[Date "2012.04.03"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Zhou Jianchao"]
[Black "Ding Liren"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2625"]
[BlackElo "2660"]
[UTCDate "2023.05.14"]
[UTCTime "22:41:35"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "E84"]
[Opening "King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation, Panno Main Line"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/DrDaveExeter"]

1. d4 { [%eval 0.0] } 1... Nf6 { [%eval 0.28] } 2. c4 { [%eval 0.16] } 2... g6 { [%eval 0.3] } 3. Nc3 { [%eval 0.31] } 3... Bg7 { [%eval 0.7] } 4. e4 { [%eval 0.67] } 4... d6 { [%eval 0.67] } 5. f3 { [%eval 0.5] } 5... O-O { [%eval 0.47] } 6. Be3 { [%eval 0.29] } 6... Nc6 { [%eval 0.77] } 7. Nge2 { [%eval 0.65] } 7... a6 { [%eval 0.59] } 8. Qd2 { [%eval 0.68] } 8... Rb8 { [%eval 0.62] } 9. Rc1 { [%eval 0.58] } 9... e6 { [%eval 0.56] } 10. b3 { [%eval 0.64] } 10... Nd7 { [%eval 0.68] } 11. h4 { [%eval 0.63] } 11... h5 { [%eval 0.68] } 12. d5 { [%eval 0.83] } 12... Nce5 { [%eval 0.61] } 13. Nf4 { [%eval 0.39] } 13... Nf6 { [%eval 0.74] } 14. Be2 { [%eval 0.83] } 14... c5 { [%eval 0.88] } 15. dxe6 { [%eval 0.83] } 15... Bxe6 { [%eval 0.8] } 16. Rd1 { [%eval 0.68] } 16... Qa5 { [%eval 0.79] } 17. Na4 { [%eval 0.74] } 17... Qxd2+ { [%eval 0.64] } 18. Rxd2 { [%eval 0.7] } 18... Rfd8 { [%eval 0.94] } 19. Nb6 { [%eval 0.78] } 19... Nc6 { [%eval 0.91] } 20. Kf2 { [%eval 0.81] } 20... Nd4 { [%eval 0.9] } 21. b4 { [%eval 0.82] } 21... Nd7 { [%eval 0.69] } 22. bxc5 { [%eval 0.83] } 22... dxc5 { [%eval 0.59] } 23. Rb1 { [%eval 0.76] } 23... Ne5?! { [%eval 1.53] } { Inaccuracy. Nxb6 was best. } 24. Nxe6 { [%eval 1.46] } 24... fxe6 { [%eval 1.59] } 25. f4 { [%eval 1.04] } 25... Nec6 { [%eval 1.26] } 26. e5 { [%eval 1.01] } 26... Bf8 { [%eval 1.46] } 27. g3?! { [%eval 0.4] } { Inaccuracy. Bd3 was best. } 27... Kf7?! { [%eval 1.46] } { Inaccuracy. Nxe2 was best. } 28. Bd3 { [%eval 1.4] } 28... Ne7 { [%eval 1.27] } 29. Na4 { [%eval 1.33] } 29... Nef5 { [%eval 1.38] } 30. Bxf5 { [%eval 1.05] } 30... Nxf5? { [%eval 2.78] } { Mistake. gxf5 was best. } 31. Rxd8 { [%eval 2.59] } 31... Rxd8 { [%eval 2.81] } 32. Rxb7+ { [%eval 2.9] } 32... Kg8 { [%eval 3.06] } 33. Nb2 { [%eval 3.01] } { Level material, but White dominates. Black offered a draw several times during this long grim endgame... } 33... Be7 { [%eval 3.16] } 34. Rb3 { [%eval 2.81] } 34... Kf7 { [%eval 2.91] } 35. Nd3?! { [%eval 1.88] } { Inaccuracy. Rb7 was best. } 35... Rd7 { [%eval 2.2] } 36. Kf3 { [%eval 2.51] } 36... a5 { [%eval 2.26] } 37. a4 { [%eval 1.91] } 37... Rd4 { [%eval 2.29] } 38. Nb2 { [%eval 2.14] } 38... Rd7 { [%eval 2.16] } 39. Rb5 { [%eval 2.17] } 39... Bd8 { [%eval 2.04] } 40. Rb3 { [%eval 2.11] } 40... Be7 { [%eval 2.21] } 41. Rb5 { [%eval 1.98] } 41... Bd8 { [%eval 1.72] } 42. Bxc5 { [%eval 1.46] } 42... Rd2 { [%eval 1.58] } 43. Bf2 { [%eval 1.33] } 43... Rc2 { [%eval 1.54] } 44. c5 { [%eval 1.61] } 44... Rc3+ { [%eval 1.68] } 45. Kg2 { [%eval 1.3] } 45... Ke8 { [%eval 1.35] } 46. Nd1 { [%eval 1.4] } 46... Rc4 { [%eval 1.43] } 47. Nb2 { [%eval 1.14] } 47... Rc3 { [%eval 1.31] } 48. Nd1 { [%eval 1.07] } 48... Rc4 { [%eval 1.02] } 49. Ne3 { [%eval 0.57] } 49... Rxa4 { [%eval 0.42] } 50. Nxf5 { [%eval 0.88] } 50... gxf5 { [%eval 1.13] } 51. c6?! { [%eval 0.21] } { Inaccuracy. Rb8 was best. } 51... Rc4 { [%eval 0.36] } 52. Bc5 { [%eval -0.02] } 52... a4 { [%eval 0.0] } { The arc of Liren's defence has been long, but has tended towards equality, attained around here. } 53. Kf1 { [%eval -0.37] } 53... Rc3 { [%eval 0.0] } 54. Bb6?? { [%eval -3.22] } { Blunder. Kg2 was best. } { White cannot let go of the idea of the win. } 54... Rb3 { [%eval -3.3] } { Black leaps ahead. } 55. Rc5 { [%eval -3.5] } 55... Rxb6?! { [%eval -2.56] } { Inaccuracy. Bxb6 was best. } 56. c7 { [%eval -3.0] } 56... Bxc7 { [%eval -3.42] } 57. Rxc7 { [%eval -3.27] } 57... Ra6 { [%eval -3.82] } 58. Rc2?! { [%eval -5.07] } { Inaccuracy. Rc1 was best. } 58... a3 { [%eval -5.0] } 59. Ra2 { [%eval -5.02] } 59... Kd7 { [%eval -5.16] } 60. Ke2 { [%eval -4.9] } 60... Kc6 { [%eval -5.2] } 61. Kd2 { [%eval -5.06] } 61... Kd5 { [%eval -5.08] } 62. Kd3 { [%eval -5.05] } 62... Ra8 { [%eval -5.21] } 63. Kc2 { [%eval -6.11] } 63... Ke4 { [%eval -5.93] } 64. Kb1 { [%eval -5.81] } 64... Kf3 { [%eval -6.03] } 65. Rd2 { [%eval -6.14] } 65... Kxg3 { [%eval -5.86] } 66. Rd6 { [%eval -6.03] } 66... Re8 { [%eval -6.21] } { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1



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