Ding Liren Leads in World Cup Finals

Ding Liren has the lead in the Finals of the 2019 FIDE World Cup, defeating Teimour Radjabov today on the White side of a Mikenas Attack. Their match stands at 1.5-0.5 after two games. The 3rd place match between Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Yu Yangyi is tied 1-1, also after two rounds. In Monday’s first Finals game, Ding and Radjabov went deep into Marshall theory, with 27.a4 being Radjabov’s new idea. Suffice to say that Ding was aware of it, and as it did not fundamentally overturn the equal nature of the position, the game was soon drawn.

[pgn] [Event "FIDE World Cup 2019"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"] [Date "2019.10.04"] [Round "7.1"] [White "Radjabov, Teimour"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C89"] [WhiteElo "2758"] [BlackElo "2811"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "2019.09.10"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. d3 Bd6 13. Re1 Bf5 14. Qf3 Qh4 15. g3 Qh3 16. Nd2 Rae8 17. Ne4 Bg4 18. Qg2 Qxg2+ 19. Kxg2 f5 20. h3 Bh5 21. Bf4 Bxf4 22. gxf4 fxe4 23. dxe4 Bf3+ 24. Kxf3 Rxf4+ 25. Kg3 Rfxe4 26. Rxe4 Rxe4 27. a4 (27. f3 Re2 28. c4 bxc4 29. Bxc4 Rxb2 30. Bxa6 g5 31. Bc4 Kg7 32. Bxd5 cxd5 33. a4 h5 34. h4 Kg6 35. a5 Rb7 36. a6 Ra7 37. hxg5 Kxg5 38. Ra5 h4+ 39. Kh3 Kf4 40. Rxd5 Rxa6 41. Kxh4 Rh6+ 42. Rh5 Rxh5+ 43. Kxh5 Kxf3 {1/2-1/2 (43) Radjabov,T (2756)-Ding Liren (2812) Shamkir AZE 2019}) 27... Re2 28. axb5 axb5 29. Bxd5+ cxd5 30. Rd1 Rxb2 31. Rxd5 Rb3 32. f3 Rxc3 33. Rxb5 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

Yu decided to test Vachier-Lagrave’s pet line in the Russian System of the Grunfeld, obtaining a position where White has a rook and two pawns for Black’s two active pieces. Yu’s 15.e5 was not unknown to MVL, and while he had to be accurate, the draw was never really in doubt.

[pgn] [Event "FIDE World Cup 2019"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"] [Date "2019.10.04"] [Round "7.1"] [White "Yu, Yangyi"] [Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D97"] [WhiteElo "2763"] [BlackElo "2774"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [PlyCount "71"] [EventDate "2019.09.10"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Nc6 8. Be2 e5 9. d5 Nd4 10. Nxd4 exd4 11. Qxd4 c6 12. Qc4 b5 13. Qxc6 Bd7 14. Qd6 Re8 15. e5 $146 (15. Bg5) (15. Bd3) (15. f3) 15... Ng4 16. e6 fxe6 17. h3 Ne5 18. dxe6 Bxe6 19. Qxd8 Raxd8 20. Bxb5 Bc4 21. Bxe8 Nd3+ 22. Kf1 Bxc3 23. bxc3 Nxc1+ 24. Kg1 Ne2+ 25. Kh2 Rxe8 26. Rhe1 Bf7 27. c4 Bxc4 28. Rac1 Bb5 29. Rc7 a6 30. Ra7 Re4 31. Rd1 Rd4 32. Rxd4 Nxd4 33. a4 Bxa4 34. Rxa6 Bb3 35. Ra7 Bf7 36. Kg3 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

Ding took his chances in Tuesday’s second round, getting a sharp position after 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 c5!?. He gambited a pawn for development, and while he admitted afterwards that he had forgotten his preparation, he knew the ideas and navigated the complexities better than his opponent. Radjabov’s 23…e5?! gave Ding the d5 square for his pieces, and after he opened the g-file, White’s creeping pressure induced errors and gave him the win. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NfCtKIUJBU

[pgn] [Event "FIDE World Cup 2019"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"] [Date "2019.10.04"] [Round "7.2"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Radjabov, Teimour"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A19"] [WhiteElo "2811"] [BlackElo "2758"] [Annotator "Hartmann,John"] [PlyCount "79"] [EventDate "2019.09.10"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 c5 4. e5 Ng8 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nxe5 8. Ndb5 a6 9. Nd6+ Bxd6 10. Qxd6 f6 11. Be3 Ne7 12. Bb6 Nf5 13. Qb4 {The best move.} (13. Qc5 $6 d6 14. Qa5 Qd7 15. f4 Nc6 {is probably equal.}) 13... Nc6 ( 13... Qe7 {is another idea in the position.}) 14. Qc5 Qe7 (14... d6 15. Bxd8 dxc5 16. Bb6 $14) 15. O-O-O {Afterwards Ding said that he had forgotten his preparation, and had to choose between 15.0-0-0 and 15.Qxe7 over the board.} ( 15. Qxe7+ Nfxe7 16. O-O-O d5 17. Be2 {is the critical variation. Ding thought that perhaps Black could equalize, but Georgiev and Semkov claim that White has good play.}) 15... d6 $6 {This surprised Ding.} (15... Qxc5 16. Bxc5 d6 17. Ba3 $5 (17. Bxd6 Nxd6 18. Rxd6 Bd7 $11) 17... e5 (17... Ne5 18. Be2 h5 { 1/2-1/2 (50) Svane,R (2534)-Donchenko,A (2582) Saarbruecken 2015}) 18. Nd5 Kf7 19. Nb6 Rb8 20. g4 Nfd4 21. Bxd6 $2 Bxg4 {(Ding)}) 16. Qa3 O-O 17. g4 $1 { Pushing the kingside pawns is the only idea for White in the position according to Ding.} Nh6 18. Rg1 Nf7 19. f4 Bd7 (19... a5 20. h4 Nb4 21. Qb3 d5 22. a3 {(Ding)}) 20. h4 a5 {with the idea of ...Nb4} 21. g5 Kh8 22. Qb3 { "A semi waiting move to prevent ..Nb4, but also if ...a4, then I want to play Qa3."} (22. Re1 Nb4 23. Bxa5 Nxa2+ (23... Nc6 24. Nd5 $1) 24. Qxa2 d5 $5 { (Ding)} (24... b6)) (22. Kb1 $6 Nb4) 22... Rfc8 (22... a4 23. Qa3 Rfc8 (23... Na5) 24. Kb1 Na5 25. gxf6 gxf6 26. Ne4 Nxc4 27. Bxc4 Rxc4 28. Qg3 Nh6 29. Nxd6 Rc6 {(Ding)}) 23. Kb1 e5 $2 ({The computer thinks that} 23... fxg5 $5 24. hxg5 e5 {is a much improved version of the game continuation, keeping the g-file closed and the king safer.}) (23... a4 24. Qa3 Na5 25. gxf6 (25. Qb4 Nc6 { makes a draw}) 25... gxf6 $16 {Ding thought he was better, but didn't see a concrete way to continue.} (25... Qxf6 26. Bd4 (26. Ne4 $145 $1) 26... e5 27. Nd5)) (23... Nb4 24. a3) 24. Nd5 Bf5+ 25. Ka1 (25. Bd3 Qe6 26. gxf6 gxf6 27. a3 a4 $1 28. Qc2 (28. Qc3 Ne7 $1) 28... e4 {worried Ding in-game, but in the analysis he realized that with} 29. Be2 $1 {White keeps a significant edge.} e3 30. Bd3) 25... Qe6 26. gxf6 gxf6 27. a3 Rab8 (27... Nb4 28. Nxb4 axb4 29. Qxb4 exf4 30. Bd4 Ne5 31. Bc3 $16 {(Ding)}) 28. Bg2 Rg8 29. Ne3 {Ding was proud of this regrouping idea, which allows the bishop to come to d5.} Nd4 $6 {The last big error.} (29... Ne7 30. Bc7 Rbc8 31. Bxa5 exf4 32. Nxf5 Nxf5 33. Bd5 { (Ding)}) (29... Qd7 30. fxe5 fxe5 31. c5 Nd4 32. Rxd4 exd4 33. cxd6 dxe3 $4 34. Bd4+ $18 {(Ding)}) 30. Bxd4 exd4 31. Nxf5 Qxf5 32. Bd5 $18 Rxg1 33. Rxg1 Nh6 34. Qb6 {Aiming for Qc7 and the g7 square.} Qd7 35. Qxd4 Qe7 36. Ka2 Nf5 37. Qc3 b6 38. h5 Re8 39. h6 Ne3 40. Re1 (40. Rg7 $6 Nxd5 41. cxd5 Qe4) (40. Bc6 $5 Rg8 41. Re1 Rg3 42. Qd4 $18) (40. Re1 Nxd5 41. cxd5 $1 {and Black loses a rook or gets mated.}) 1-0 [/pgn]

Meanwhile Vachier-Lagrave and Yu drew in a fairly quiet Petroff.

[pgn] [Event "FIDE World Cup 2019"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"] [Date "2019.10.04"] [Round "7.2"] [White "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Black "Yu, Yangyi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C42"] [WhiteElo "2774"] [BlackElo "2763"] [PlyCount "60"] [EventDate "2019.09.10"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nd7 9. O-O-O Nf6 10. Bd3 Re8 11. Rhe1 Bg4 12. Qe2 a6 13. h3 Bd7 14. g4 Bf8 15. Qf1 g6 16. Bg5 Bg7 17. Nd2 Rxe1 18. Rxe1 Qf8 19. f4 Re8 20. Bh4 Rxe1+ 21. Qxe1 Qe8 22. Qxe8+ Bxe8 23. Ne4 Nxe4 24. Bxe4 c6 25. Kd2 Bd7 26. Bd3 f5 27. g5 b5 28. Bf2 c5 29. b3 Kf7 30. h4 h5 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]

While both Ding and Radjabov have already won the big prizes – the two spots in the 2020 Candidates – there is still much to play for. The winner of the World Cup receives $110,000, while the second place finisher takes home $80,000. Third place nets $60,000, while fourth place is worth $50,000. Two games remain in both matches; if players are tied after four games, there will be a tiebreak day. Play resumes tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6am EDT. Live coverage will be available at the FIDE YouTube Channel.

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