14
12:01
14… Na5
Jan Nepomnyashchi
Wow! After the almost surgical accuracy with which both athletes acted yesterday, the number of mistakes and inaccuracies increased today. Jan Nepomnjaschtschi’s 14…Na5 can also be interpreted as a mistake, since it now allows the Chinese to set up with f3 after Qa4 and b6.
11:59
13… Bg4 | 14. Nd2
Jan Nepomnjaschtschi accepts the invitation to 13… Bg4 after a short period of reflection, whereupon Ding Liren doesn’t pull the bishop back to e2, but instead moves with the knight to d2. It is still unclear how the Chinese grandmaster wants to continue with this line-up.
13.
11:51
13. Bd3
thing Liren
After more than twelve minutes, Ding Liren now continues with 13. Bd3, which looks like a positional error, at least in terms of engine evaluation. Finally, how does the Chinese intend to respond to the extremely tempting 13… Bg4? Ding Liren would then have to reply with 14. Be2 almost forced.
11:50
Ding Liren thinks for a long time for the first time
Now it is the Chinese grandmaster who is taking his time for the first time. Ding Liren has been sitting at the board and calculating for more than ten minutes. Perhaps the double-edged move 13. c5? A slightly calmer alternative would be 13. h3.
12.
11:40 a.m
12… Re8
Jan Nepomnyashchi
After almost ten minutes of deliberation, the Russian grandmaster decides to play 12… Re8 in favor of the quiet move.
11:36
Nepomnjaschtschi facing a difficult decision
Theoretically, Jan Nepomnjaschtschi can now unpack the crowbar with 12… g5 and attack. Objectively, this plan is perfectly fine. However, in doing so he also exposes his king, which entails great risks. If the Russian wants to play more calmly, a move like Re8 would be a good idea, but this would leave his light-squared bishop on the back rank. Bg4, meanwhile, runs into h3. A move that Ding Liren would like to play sooner or later anyway. On the other hand, should it come to 12… g5 13. h3 g4 14. hxg4, 14… Bxg4 would be a response that would also free the light-squared bishop. However, the position could hardly be sharper.
12.
11:29
12. Rfe1
thing Liren
The pause between the trains is getting longer at Ding Liren. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that the Chinese is still fully prepared. 12. Rfe1 is also the engine’s first choice in this position, which already certifies that the white side has a razor-thin opening advantage. Jan Nepomnjaschtschi definitely has to play more carefully at the moment, but has already used up more than twice as much time as Ding Liren.
11.
11:26
11… Qf6
Jan Nepomnyashchi
Jan Nepomnyashchi has to deal with the f-pawn, which is a potential target for Ding Liren. 11… Qf6 is a very natural move for this.
11.
11:25
11.OO
thing Liren
The Chinese grandmaster now deviates from the previous game of his second and knows how to please this decision. The rapport move 11. h4 also doesn’t score as well in the engine rating as the move Ding Liren chooses now: 11. OO.
11:23
10. Bxf4 exf4
Ding Liren takes the knight off the board, whereupon Jan Nepomnjaschtschi takes it back forcibly with the e-pawn. Richárd Rapport vs. Ilja Zaragatski (2013) is still the most prominent predecessor game, which is followed by this fourth game of the World Chess Championship. Richárd Rapport then continued with h4.
9.
11:21
9… Nf4
Jan Nepomnyashchi
Should Rapport have a hand in this, the plan would definitely have worked, because Nepomnjaschtschi plays 9… Nf4 exactly the move with which Zaragatski fell behind against Rapport back then.
9.
11:20
9.d4
thing Liren
Again Ding Liren responds within seconds and plays 9. d4. It is interesting that there is a previous game in which Richárd Rapport, the second of the Chinese, defeated the German grandmaster Ilja Zaragatski with the white pieces. Can you see the handwriting of the second here? Incidentally, Zaragatski then continued with Nf4, which was already a very slight inaccuracy. On the other hand, Black keeps the balance with the move Qf6.
8th.
11:16
8… Nh5
Jan Nepomnyashchi
Jan Nepomnyashchi continues to waste a lot of time early in the game, but then finds the theoretical move 8…Nh5 after just under five minutes. The Russian has already used up a quarter of an hour. Unusual for the 32-year-old, who usually plays very quickly.
8th.
11:13
8. Be2
thing Liren
Ding Liren is still in full preparation and, as part of the calm variant of the Four Knights game in the English Opening, executes the absolutely theoretical move 8. Be2.
7.
11:12
7…OO
Jan Nepomnyashchi
Jan Nepomnjaschtschi looks into the position for five and a half minutes and then plays the logical continuation with short castling.
11:08
6… d6 | 7.e4
Both players are still very fast. For the second time Ding Liren moves his e-pawn, whereupon Jan Nepomnjaschtschi should castling short. At least this move came in well over 90% of all previous games where this position was already on the board.
11:06
5… Bxc3 | 6.bxc3
Nepomnyashchi plays the principle move. He gives up his bishop pair, but this also weakens the Chinese’s pawn structure.
11:04
4. e3 Bb4 | 5. Qc2
The game follows normal moves. No surprises yet. After 5. Qc2, Nepomnjaschtschi might now give up his white-squared bishop against the knight. At least that corresponds to the absolute main variant in this system.
11:01
1… Nf6 | 2. Nc3 e6 | 3. Nf3 Nc6
Ding Liren has the opportunity to get into d4 systems by changing moves, but then remains true to the English opening. After the development of all knights, the game ends up in the English four-knight game.
1.
11:00 a.m
1.c4
thing Liren
Ding Liren opts for 1. c4 – one of his three standard moves. The English opening.
10:59
The players are there
Ding Liren is the first player to sit at the board. Jan Nepomnjaschtschi initially lies on his couch in the relaxation room, but now he also comes onto the stage. The handshake takes place. The game can start shortly.
10:52
Does Ding Liren also surprise on the first move?
Yesterday the experienced e4 player Nepomnjaschtschi opened with the very unusual move 1. d4. Is it Liren who surprises today? The Chinese grandmaster is known as a d4 player, but he also likes to start with moves like 1. c4 or 1. Nf3, with which he can switch moves and end up in his usual d4 repertoire. Anything other than one of these three opening moves would be the next little bang in this world championship fight.
10:43
Is the Chinese attacking today?
Very exciting is the question of whether Ding Liren will attack with the white pieces as an attractive player today or whether he is instead aiming for another draw in another quiet game. In any case, with white he has the better options to play for a win, for which he also has to show something. In his first game with White, the 30-year-old played the curious waiting move 4. h3 in a kind of rejected Queen’s Gambit, after which Jan Nepomnjaschtschi was able to equalize easily.
10:34
New hope for Ding Liren
After losing the second game, Ding Liren showed a completely different face after the rest day. The Chinese sat concentrated on the board for long stretches of the game, worked out a safe and comfortable position from which he could even have tried something, and at the end of a flawless game he safely converted into a draw.
10:27
Nepomnyashchi with 2.0 to 1.0 in front
Jan Nepomnyashchi drew twice with the white pieces, but in his first game with Black he was able to win against Ding Liren. Overall, the Russian leads with 2.0 to 1.0. But there is still a long way to go to the world title. 7.5 points are required for overall victory at the 2023 World Chess Championship.
10:21
Welcome to the fourth day of play
Good day and welcome back from Astana. The fourth game of the 2023 World Chess Championship will take place here today between Jan Nepomnyashchi and Ding Liren. It starts at 11:00 a.m.