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Shenzhen Masters 03-05: Anish Giri and Ding Liren lead

by Albert Silver - 27/03/2017

It has been a very balanced tournament so far, and if Harikrishna was the first to score a win in round two, in round three, he lost to Anish Giri, who thoroughly outplayed him in a Sicilian. Ding Liren also kept the screws tight on Peter Svidler with his bishops against knights. All games were drawn in round four and five, leaving Ding Liren and Anish Giri in the lead.

Shenzhen Masters 03-05: Anish Giri and Ding Liren lead

It hasn’t been a terribly exciting event so far, it is fair to say. If there is one player who has gone out of his way to stir the pot it has been Ding Liren. In round one he drew Yu Yangyi sacrificing his knight in an endgame to keep the game going, though his compatriot held fast and they drew.

Ding Liren has been the main spectator attraction so far. In round three he wielded his bishop pair against Peter Svidler with deadly force.

In round three, he managed to emerge into an endgame with a rook and pair of bishops against Peter Svidler’s rook and pair of knights, with large open spaces for his artillery to fire. It should not have been enough, but it was clear that this was a game with only two results possible, a draw or a win for him, and after nearly forty moves, the Russian snapped and it was all over.

Ding Liren vs Peter Svidler

[Event "DT News Cup Shenzhen 2017"] [Site "Shenzen"] [Date "2017.03.25"] [Round "3"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Svidler, Peter"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D15"] [WhiteElo "2759"] [BlackElo "2741"] [Annotator ""] [PlyCount "87"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] 1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. e3 a6 5. Nc3 b5 6. b3 Bg4 7. a4 {D15: Slav Defence: 4 Nc3 a6 and gambit lines after 4 Nc3 dxc4} bxc4 8. bxc4 Nbd7 9. a5 { White is slightly better.} e5 10. Be2 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Bb4 12. Bd2 O-O $146 (12... exd4 13. exd4 Bxc3 14. Bxc3 Qe7+ {1-0 (34) Howell, D (2655)-Sarakauskas,G (2414) Reading 2017}) 13. O-O dxc4 14. Qe2 exd4 15. exd4 Bxa5 16. Qxc4 Rc8 17. Qxa6 Bb6 18. Be3 $1 c5 19. Na4 cxd4 20. Nxb6 Qxb6 21. Qxb6 Nxb6 22. Bxd4 Nc4 23. Rfd1 Rfe8 24. g3 h6 25. Kg2 Ne5 26. Be2 Re6 27. h3 Nc6 28. Ba6 Rd8 29. Be3 Rxd1 30. Rxd1 Ne5 31. Bb5 g5 32. Rc1 Rd6 33. Rc8+ Kg7 34. Ba4 Ra6 35. Bb3 Rc6 36. Ra8 Rc3 37. Ba2 {[#] Strongly threatening Bd4.} Rc2 (37... Rd3 $14) 38. Ra7 {White has been keeping the pressure of his powerful bishop pair, and is finally rewarded for his persistence.} Nc4 $2 {A fatal blunder as now after} ( 38... Ned7 $16 39. Bd4 Kg8 40. Ra8+ Kg7) 39. Bd4 $1 $18 {Black will lose material. The immediate threat is plain old Ra6, and Black cannot free himself with Kg6 since Bb1 would then win the rook.} Nd6 40. Rd7 Nb5 41. Rxf7+ Kg8 42. Bxf6 {[#] White threatens Rg7+ and mate.} Rxa2 43. Rg7+ Kf8 44. Rb7 1-0

 

Pentala Harikrishna faced a mirror of himself in the ultra-solid Anish Giri, but the Dutch player had other things in mind and began to slowly outplay the Indian.

[Event "DT News Cup Shenzhen 2017"] [Site "Shenzen"] [Date "2017.03.25"] [Round "3"] [White "Harikrishna Pentala"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B55"] [WhiteElo "2758"] [BlackElo "2769"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "112"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2003.06.08"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3 e5 6. Nb3 d5 7. Bg5 Be6 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. exd5 Qxd5 10. Qxd5 Bxd5 11. Nc3 Be6 12. O-O-O {5 B5: Sicilian: 2...d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 f3} Nc6 (12... Nd7 13. Nb5 Kd8 14. Na5 Rb8 15. Bc4 Rg8 16. g3 Bb4 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Nc4 a6 19. Nbd6 Kc7 20. a3 {1/2-1/2 (20) Kravtsiv, M (2645)-Areshchenko,A (2678) Rivne 2016}) 13. Bb5 Rc8 14. Nd5 {White is slightly better.} f5 15. Na5 $146 (15. Rhe1 a6 16. Bxc6+ bxc6 17. Nb6 Rb8 18. Na4 f6 19. Nac5 Bd5 {1/2-1/2 (31) Da Fonseca,I (2133)-Puzone,M (2407) ICCF email 2013}) 15... Bh6+ 16. Kb1 Kf8 $1 17. Nb3 Kg7 18. Rhe1 Rhd8 19. Nc3 Rxd1+ 20. Nxd1 Kf6 21. Bxc6 Rxc6 22. Nf2 Rc4 23. Re2 b6 24. Nc1 Bf8 25. Ncd3 Bd6 26. b3 Rc8 27. g4 Bd5 28. Ne1 Bb4 {Hoping for ...Bxe1.} 29. gxf5 Kxf5 {White must now prevent ...Bxe1.} 30. Ng2 Ba8 31. c4 (31. Ne4 $17) 31... f6 32. Ne4 (32. Nd3 $17 {is a better defense.} Bf8 33. Ne3+ Ke6 34. Nd5) 32... Ke6 $19 33. Ne3 (33. Ne1 $142) 33... f5 34. Ng5+ Kf6 35. Rg2 (35. a3 $142 Kxg5 36. axb4) 35... Rc7 {Black is clearly winning.} 36. Nc2 Bc5 37. b4 Bf8 38. Nh3 {If only White now had time for Rg8....} Bxf3 39. Rg8 Bh6 ({Weaker is} 39... Rxc4 40. Rxf8+ Ke7 41. Rxf5 $15) 40. c5 bxc5 41. b5 Rb7 42. a4 a6 43. Rc8 axb5 44. a5 Ra7 45. Rxc5 Rxa5 46. Nf2 Bf8 47. Rc7 Be7 48. Ne3 f4 49. Neg4+ Bxg4 50. Nxg4+ {Endgame KRB-KRN} Ke6 51. Nf2 Ra4 52. Rb7 Rb4+ 53. Kc2 f3 54. Nd3 Rc4+ 55. Kd1 Rd4 56. Kc2 b4 0-1

His performance was immaculate, and at the end of the day, he stood on equal footing with Ding Liren with 2.0/3.

Round four saw three uneventful draws, changing nothing in the standings. Things began to heat up in the fifth round.

For example, Hari was losing to Yu Yangyi and only managed survive by the skin of his teeth.

All the games ended in draws and Giri and Ding continue to lead.

[Event "DT News Cup Shenzhen 2017"] [Site "Shenzen"] [Date "2017.03.27"] [Round "5"] [White "Harikrishna Pentala"] [Black "Yu, Yangyi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D63"] [WhiteElo "2758"] [BlackElo "2750"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "204"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2003.06.08"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 h6 6. Bh4 Nbd7 7. Rc1 O-O 8. Nf3 c5 {7 D63: Queen's Gambit Declined: Classical: Rc1} 9. dxc5 (9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Bxe7 Nxe7 11. Be2 b6 12. dxc5 Nxc5 13. b4 Qxd1+ 14. Rxd1 Nd7 15. Nd4 a5 16. b5 {1/2-1/2 (42) Ivanchuk,V (2733)-Kramnik,V (2810) Novi Sad 2016}) 9... dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nxc5 11. O-O a6 12. Be2 b5 {LiveBook: 4 Games} 13. b4 {Strongly threatening Bxf6.} (13. Bxf6 $5 {creates asymmetry.} Bxf6 14. b4 Nd7 15. a4 Qe7 16. Nd4) 13... Qxd1 14. Rfxd1 Ncd7 15. a3 g5 16. Bg3 Bb7 $146 17. h4 g4 18. Nh2 h5 19. f3 gxf3 20. gxf3 Rfc8 21. Bd3 ({White should play} 21. e4 $11) 21... Nd5 $15 22. Nxd5 Bxd5 23. Kf2 Nb6 24. Rg1 (24. Nf1 $15) 24... Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Bc4 26. Be4 Rd8 {And now ...Rd2+ would win.} 27. Nf1 {White wants to play Bc7.} Bxf1 ({ Better is} 27... Rd7 $17) 28. Kxf1 {Hoping for Bc7.} Nc4 29. Bf2 Rd2 30. Bb7 Ra2 31. Bxa6 Rxa3 32. Bxb5 Nxe3+ 33. Bxe3 Rxe3 {Endgame KRB-KRB} 34. Be2 Bxb4 35. Kf2 Ra3 36. Rg1+ Kh7 37. Rg5 Kh6 {aiming for ...Be7.} 38. f4 Be7 39. Rxh5+ Kg7 40. Rb5 Bxh4+ 41. Kg2 Rg3+ 42. Kf1 Re3 43. Re5 {[#]} (43. Rb4 $15) 43... Rh3 (43... Rxe5 $1 $17 44. fxe5 Bg3) 44. Bg4 Rg3 {[#]} 45. Bxe6 $1 Bf6 (45... fxe6 46. Rxe6) 46. Re4 fxe6 47. Rxe6 {KRB-KR} Kg6 48. Ke2 Kf5 49. Re3 Rg4 50. Rd3 Ke4 51. Re3+ Kxf4 52. Rf3+ Ke5 53. Re3+ Kd5 54. Kf3 Rg8 55. Re4 Be5 { ( -> ...Rg3+)} 56. Rg4 Rh8 57. Rg2 Rf8+ 58. Ke2 Ke4 59. Rg4+ Bf4 60. Rg7 Rh8 61. Re7+ Be5 62. Ke1 Rh2 63. Re8 Kd4 64. Kf1 Bf4 65. Re2 Rh8 66. Kf2 Rf8 67. Ra2 Be3+ 68. Kg3 Ke4 69. Ra4+ Bd4 70. Kg4 Rg8+ 71. Kh4 Ke3 (71... Ke5 $15) 72. Kh5 $11 {The position is equal.} Be5 73. Rg4 Rf8 74. Ra4 Kf3 75. Kg6 $1 Bf4 76. Kg7 Rf5 77. Kg6 Kg4 78. Ra1 Rg5+ 79. Kf7 Kf5 80. Rd1 Rh5 81. Rd5+ Be5 82. Rd7 Rh6 83. Ke7 Rc6 84. Rd5 Rc8 85. Rd7 Rh8 86. Kf7 Rh1 87. Ke7 Rh6 88. Kf7 Bd6 89. Kg7 Kg5 90. Kg8 Kf5 91. Kg7 Rg6+ 92. Kf7 Rf6+ 93. Kg7 Bf8+ 94. Kg8 Ke6 95. Ra7 $1 Bd6 96. Kg7 $1 Rf1 97. Ra6 Rf7+ 98. Kg6 Rf8 99. Kg7 Rd8 100. Kg6 Rg8+ 101. Kh6 Rg1 102. Rb6 Ke5 1/2-1/2

Standings after Round 05: