CARLSEN vs DING – EUROPEAN CLUB CUP 2018 ROUND 6

What an incredibly tense moment for the world champion. Carlsen managed to salvage a draw and his position at the top of the ELO rating list out of a completely lost position.

This game is from round 6 of the 2018 European Club Cup. It is between Magnus Carlsen with White against Liren Ding with Black.

This game features a Scotch Opening. To learn more about the Scotch Opening, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Carlsen,Magnus (2839) - Ding,Liren (2804)

34th European Club Cup 2018 Halkidiki (6), 17.10.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.exd5 0–0 9.0–0 cxd5 10.Bg5 c6 11.Qf3 Bd6 12.h3 h6 13.Bf4 Rb8 C47: Scotch Four Knights and Four Knights with 4 g3 

14.b3 Rb4 15.Bxd6 Qxd6 16.Rfe1 

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16...a5N [16...Be6 17.Ne2 Rbb8 18.Nf4 Rbe8 19.Qg3 Nd7 20.c3 Nc5 1/2–1/2 (79) Kovchan,A (2576)-Kazakov,M (2468) Lutsk 2015] 

17.Rad1 Bd7 18.Qe3 Rc8 19.Qa7 Rh4 

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20.Re3 [20.Qxa5 Bxh3! 21.g3 Rh5µ] 

20...Qc7! 21.Qxc7 Rxc7 22.Na4 c5 23.g4 [23.Nb6= remains equal.] 

23...d4ƒ Black has strong initiative. 

24.Rf3 

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24...Nxg4! 25.Re1 [25.hxg4µ was called for. 25...Bc6 26.Be2] 

25...Nf6–+ 26.Nb6 With the idea Rxf6! 

26...Bc6! [26...Rxh3 27.Rxf6! gxf6 28.Nxd7±; 26...Bxh3 27.Nd5!³] 

27.Rg3 g5 28.Re5 Nh5 29.Bf5 

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29...Rf4 [29...Nxg3? 30.fxg3 Rh5 31.Bg4+-] 

30.Rg4 White wants to play Rxf4. 

30...Bf3 31.Rxf4 Nxf4 32.Nd7 c4 33.bxc4 Rxc4 34.Rxa5 Rb4 35.Kh2 Rb1 

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36.Ne5 [36.Kg3µ might work better. 36...Bc6 37.Nf6+ Kg7 38.Be4] 

36...Rh1+ 37.Kg3 Bd5 38.f3 Re1 ( -> ...Re2) 

39.Nd3 Rg1+ 40.Kf2 [40.Kh2!³ Rg2+ 41.Kh1 Bxf3 42.Ne1] 

40...Rg2+ 

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41.Ke1 Black must now prevent Nxf4. 

41...Re2+ [Weaker is 41...Bxf3 42.Nxf4 gxf4 43.Ra4=] 

42.Kf1 aiming for Nxf4. 

42...Bc4! [Worse is 42...Bxf3 43.Nxf4 gxf4 44.Ra4=] 

43.Kg1 Rg2+ [Not 43...Rxc2 44.Nxf4 Rc1+ 45.Kf2µ] 

44.Kh1 

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44...Bxd3 [44...Rxc2–+ and Black stays clearly on top. 45.Nxf4 Rc1+ 46.Kh2 gxf4] 

45.Bxd3 Endgame KRB-KRN 

45...Rg3 46.h4 Rh3+ 47.Kg1 Rxh4 48.Bf1 Kg7 49.a4 Ng6 

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50.Rc5 [50.Kg2³] 

50...d3! 51.a5!³ [51.cxd3 Rxa4] 

51...dxc2 52.Rxc2 Ra4 53.a6 h5 

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54.Rc5 The position is equal. 

54...Kf6 55.Rc6+ Kg7 56.Rc5 Kf6 And now ...Ne5 would win. 

57.Rc6+ Ke5  ½–½