[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Date "2022.07.01"] [Round "12.2"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Radjabov, Teimour"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2806"] [WhiteTeam "China"] [BlackElo "2753"] [BlackTeam "Azerbaijan"] [Annotator "Aagaard"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E48"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Classical Defense"] [StudyName "2022 FIDE Candidates - Annotated by GM Jacob Aagaard"] [ChapterName "Ding, Liren - Radjabov, Teimour"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/TI0w25Wb"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,43,25,23,37,-18,-15,0,30,30,29,16,29,27,17,-12,23,9,-5,-11,-11,-27, -27,-22,-22,-27,-27,-33,-15,-31,-7,-43,-27,-71,-60,-77,-85,-121,-88,-122,-115, -124,-141,-303,-303,-284] We have seen horrible games from Nakamura and Caruana when they needed to win. Today it was Ding Liren's turn to have a total collapse. Again, I want you to pay attention to the important moves that create the foundations for this loss. Both come with the b-pawn. } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. a3 Bd6 8. Qc2 Na6 $146 { This move order is new. } 9. Nge2 c5 10. Bxa6 (10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. b4 Nxd3+ 12. Qxd3 { was played in Johner - Bogoljubow, Bern 1932. Black could now take the initiative with } 12... Ng4!! $17 { , when there are no good moves. } 13. Bb2 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 { for example is dreadful. }) 10... bxa6 (10... cxd4!? { is another idea. }) 11. dxc5 Bxc5 { [#] } 12. b4?! $146 { This is a stupid move. The pawn becomes a hook and White suddenly should think twice about castling. } (12. O-O! { is safest. I actually prefer White a little bit optically, but I would not call it an advantage. One email game continued: } 12... Bd6 13. b3 Re8 14. Nd4 a5? { (no GM would play this. You have to be a machine, and a poor one) } 15. Ncb5? Ba6? (15... Be5! $15) 16. Nxd6 Qxd6 17. Rd1 $14 Rac8? 18. Qf5! $16 Ne4 19. a4 g6 20. Qf3 Qe5 21. Bb2 Rc5 { Apparently a draw was agreed here in Vecek - Popov, email 2010. } 22. Rdc1 { would leave White with a winning advantage. }) 12... Bd6 13. Bb2 a5 14. b5 a6 (14... Bb7 15. O-O { The keen tactical eye (if I shall say so myself...) will spot an improved version of the Greek Gift sacrifice. Black can try } 15... d4!? (15... Rc8 { was also pleasant for Black. Essentially the position is equal. }) 16. Nxd4! (16. exd4 Bxh2+ 17. Kxh2 Qd6+ 18. f4 Ng4+ 19. Kg3 f5! { and the attack would be deadly. The white king is in too much danger. For example: } 20. Ng1 Rae8 21. Nf3 Bxf3 22. gxf3 Ne3 23. Qb3+ Kh8 { and having the move and an extra piece does not in the slightest help White. } 24. Rg1 Qg6+ 25. Kf2 Qh6 26. Rh1 Qxf4 { with a decisive attack. }) 16... Bxh2+ 17. Kxh2 Ng4+ 18. Kg3 Qd6+ 19. Kxg4! f5+ 20. Nxf5 Qg6+ 21. Kf4 Qd6+ { with a curious perpetual. }) 15. h3 (15. O-O?! Qc7! { and the queen is undefended on c2. }) 15... Bd7 { [#] } 16. bxa6? { The inability to keep tension has been a theme of this Candidates tournament. Why would White think it is a good idea to allow the black rook to the third rank? People usually give 1-2 pawns to be allowed to activate the rooks laterally in this way. } (16. a4 { with an equal position was better. }) 16... Rxa6 $15 { Black is better and White already has to consider how to stay in the game. He does not manage, which is why it is important to put the majority of the blame on two bad decisions: 12. b4 and 16.bxa6?. In both cases there we see a total lack of dynamic sensibility, akin to what we saw in the first round, when Ding played Nc3-a4xb2-c4-a5xb7 only to get mated on the kingside. } 17. Rd1 (17. O-O Qc8! $15 { and White already has to consider to let the pawn go when Black sacrifices on h3. }) 17... Rb6 18. Rd2? (18. Ba1! Bxa3 19. O-O { is only a fraction worse for White, says Stockfish. But who would want to make such a glaring admission of incompetency at move 18, that you have to give up a pawn to stay in the game? }) 18... Qc8! 19. f3? { Preventing ...Nf6-e4 ideas, but creating lots of weaknesses in the white position and making things much worse. } (19. Ba1 Re8 20. O-O { is worse than before. After } 20... Bxa3! (20... Bxh3 21. Qd1 d4 22. Rxd4 Be5 23. Rd2 Bg4 $15 { also looks as something you would need to be made of steel, silicon and oxygen to survive. }) 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 22. Qxc8 Rxc8 23. Rxd5 Bb5 24. Rb1 Bb4 { the endgame looks more lost than difficult (-0.75). But Stockfish cannot come up with anything better at this short notice. }) 19... Re8 { Bringing out the last piece. } 20. Kf2 { An unpleasant move to have to play. There were other unpleasant moves, but they all are unpleasant, which is the important thing. } 20... Qb8! 21. Qc1 { [#] } (21. Rb1 Rxe3! 22. Kxe3 Bc5+ 23. Rd4 Qe5+ { also gives Black a winning attack. }) 21... Rxe3! { A nice shot, but there were plenty of other winning moves already. } 22. Nd1 (22. Kxe3 Bc5+ { is just over. There are no lines needed. }) 22... Re8 23. Ne3 Rb3 { Black has many winning continuations. Radjabov plays the simplest and most human. } 24. Ng4 (24. Bxf6 Rbxe3 25. Bd4 Rxe2+ 26. Rxe2 Bg3+ 27. Kf1 Bb5 { and Black wins. }) (24. Bd4 Bf4 25. Nxf4 Qxf4 { and Black wins with the double threat of ...Rxe3 and ...Ne4+. }) 24... Bxg4 25. hxg4 Rc8 26. Qa1 Bf4 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1