Chess World Cup 2017 Semi Final Game 2 - Tblisi

What phenomenally contrasting matches these two semi finals are turning out to be. Once again I missed the entire Aronian – MVL game. These two have used just on an hour for both classical games combined. They seem to be fast tracking themselves toward the lottery of the Armageddon game.

In contrast the Ding – So match is being fought down to the last ounce of energy. This time around it was Ding that missed 37. Rh8, and a chance to cast a mating net that is very difficult to escape. Then again, it is easier to see these moves with an engine helping you, rather than over the board with the clock ticking.

Vachier-Lagrave,Maxime (2804) - Aronian,Levon (2802)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (6.2), 20.09.2017

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a3 0–0 9.Nc3 Bg4 10.Be3 Nd4 C84: Closed Ruy Lopez: Unusual White 6th moves

11.Bxd4 exd4 12.Nd5 Nxd5 [12...Nd7 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 a5 15.c3 dxc3 16.bxc3 c6 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.d4 1–0 (59) Naiditsch,A (2712)-Ponomariov, R (2699) Danzhou 2017] 

13.Bxd5 Rc8 14.h3 Bd7 The position is equal.

15.Nxd4 

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15...c6N [15...Bf6 16.c3 Bxd4 17.cxd4 Qf6 18.Qc2 1–0 (60) Garcia Pantoja,R (2402)-Olivares Canelles,F (2296) Havana 2010]

16.Bb3 Bf6! 17.c3 Bxd4! 18.cxd4 Qf6 19.Qd2 ½–½

Ding,Liren (2771) - So,Wesley (2792)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (6.2), 20.09.2017

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.b3 b6 7.0–0 Bb7 8.Nc3 Nbd7 9.Bb2 c5 

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10.Ne1N E17: Queen's Indian: 4 g3 Bb7 5 Bg2 Be7 [10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd5 Bxd5 12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.Rc1 Bf6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Qd4 Qe7 16.Qe3 Qb7 17.Rfd1 Rac8 18.Ne1 1/2–1/2 (18) Hernandez Guerrero,G (2506)-Gonzalez Zamora,J (2502) Mexico City 2016] 
10...cxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qf4 White is slightly better. 
12...Bb4 13.Nd3 Bxc3! 14.Bxc3 Qc8 15.Rfc1 dxc4 16.Bxf6 Nxf6 17.Rxc4 Qb8! 18.Qxb8 Rfxb8 19.Ne5 [19.Rac1!? Bxg2 20.Kxg2²] 
19...Bxg2 20.Kxg2 Ne8 21.Nc6 Rb7 22.Rd1 Kf8 23.e4 Nf6 24.f4 b5 25.Rcd4 g6 26.Ne5 h6 [Better is 26...Rc7= ] 
27.Rc1² Ke8 28.Kf3 Nd7 29.Nd3 a5 30.Rc6 [30.f5!?] 
30...Ke7 31.a3 [31.f5!?] 
31...Raa7 32.Ke3 Nb8 33.Rc8 Nd7 34.Rc6 Nb8 35.Rc8 Black must now prevent Ne5. 
35...Nd7 36.Nc5 Nb6 

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[Black should play 36...Rc7² 37.Rxd7+ Rxd7] 
37.Rc6 [But not 37.Nxb7?! Nxc8 38.Nc5 Rc7=; 37.Rh8!± Rc7 38.Rdd8 Rxc5 39.e5] 
37...Rc7„ Black puts up resistance 
38.Rxb6 Rxc5 Endgame KRR-KRR 
39.e5 The position is equal. 
39...g5 40.Rd3 gxf4+ 41.gxf4 Rc2 42.h3 Ra2 43.b4 axb4 44.axb4 Rh2 45.Ke4 Rc7 46.Rxb5 Rc4+ 47.Rd4 Rc7 48.Rc5 [48.h4!?] 
48...Rxc5 49.bxc5 KR-KR 
49...Rc2 50.f5 exf5+ 51.Kxf5 Rxc5 52.Rd6 Rc1 53.Rxh6 Rf1+ 54.Ke4 f6 55.exf6+ Rxf6 56.Rxf6 Kxf6 57.h4 Kg6 58.h5+ Kxh5 Precision: White = 57%, Black = 64%. ½–½