Nepo strikes again and regains control of a spectacular duel

The Russian candidate recovers from his loss in the fourth game and wins the fifth with a great show of authority

While Magnus Carlsen he loses money in California playing poker and oblivious to what is happening in Kazakhstan, a Russian and a Chinese fight in the former Soviet republic to inherit the Norwegian crown. Without him, the Chess World Cup is not the same, but the show offered by Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren it’s worth it. This Saturday, the former has won again and is ahead again: 2-1 and two draws, with nine games to play. The burial of chess due to an overdose of tables will have to wait.

Nepo was heavily criticized for his behavior in his only defeat. He played too fast when it was necessary to calculate calmly. In the opinion of five-time Indian champion Vishy Anand, that is a sign of nervousness, despite the fact that the verbal language of mourning in Astan indicates otherwise. Indeed, on the circular stage arranged by FIDE we could see Ding concentrated on the board, no longer hidden in his private room, while Nepo circled around him, lurking like a shark.

The Russian would later recount that he did not spend as much time as other days in his cubicle because the temperature was too low. Perhaps it was a whimsical ploy by FIDE to avoid the spectacle of the empty gaming table.

By the way, it has been written too many times that Nepo has a glass jaw, but with the advantage of the white pieces, he opted to do battle with the Spanish opening, an immortal way to start the games. It is a flexible approach for both sides, which allows for rich strategic games. Six hundred and some years later, that way of starting the game is still among the favorites of the best players.

Ding showed that he had his lesson learned, but Nepo made quite a safety demonstration. If he had been criticized for moving quickly, he further accelerated his decisions, supported by his perfect knowledge of the chosen scheme and by the analyzes provided by the Zhores supercomputer. The Chinese made his 40th move, just before the first time control, with 40 seconds left on his clock. At that time, the Russian had one hour and 40 minutes.

That overwhelming difference in wear was paid for by Ding Liren. His first inaccuracy came on move 27. His opponent didn’t punish him as he could have, but as soon as the Wenzhou-born player faltered again, he no longer relinquished control of the game. Nepomniachtchi finished off the job with a brilliant game and made it clear that he is not the same one who collapsed in Dubai when Carlsen beat him in the first game.

The best news for the public is that, contrary to what seemed after Nepo’s first victory, with Ding Liren depressed, this time It does not seem that the World Cup is decided. The last blow has been hard, but every game is an adventure and anything can still happen.

Another positive fact is the level of play. As Anish Giri remarked in his comments, “Ding lost without making a single serious mistake; he just accumulated a few inaccuracies.” That Nepo took advantage of the circumstance with such authority says a lot about how well prepared he has arrived at the World Cup.

Nor has Carlsen’s response to the question of who he thinks will win the World Cup affected him too much: “I literally don’t care,” said the Norwegian. “Literally, I don’t care,” the Russian repeated when asked after his victory about the words of the still champion.