United States chess champ Fabiano Caruana conquered an elite field which included current world champion Ding Liren, to win the Superbet Chess Classic Tournament in Bucharest, Romania, recently.
Among the ten invitees were Ian Neponiachtchi who lost the World Championship Match three weeks ago, Anish Giri, Wesley So, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Alireza Firouzja, all 2700 contestants, the highest ranked worldwide.
Caruana drew his game with Ding, but Ding lost to Firouzja and Giri. The game with Firouzja is included in today’s column. However, Caruana defeated Nepomniachtchi and France’s national champion Vachier-Lagrave. Both Ding and Nepomniachtchi won one game each in the nine-round tournament.
Chess game
On April 30 China’s Ding Liren was declared World Chess Champion.
He lost his first game ten days later.
White: Alireza Firouzja
Black: Ding Liren
Event: 2023 Superbet Chess Classic, Bucharest, Romania. May 10
Type of Game: Spanish Game, Berlin Defence
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. Nbd2 dxe4 8. dxe4 a5 9. Qc2 Qe7 10. a4 Nb8 11. h3 Rd8 12. Be2 Nbd7 13. Re1 Nf8 14. Nb3 Bb6 15. Nfd2 Be6 16. Nc4 Bxc4 17. Bxc4 Ne6 18. g3 h5 19. Kg2 h4 20. Qe2 g6 21. Nd2 Nc5 22. Nf3 hxg3 23. fxg3 Ncxe4 24. Ng5 Nd6 25. Ba2 Re8 26. h4 Kg7 27. Rf1 Rad8 28. Bd2 e4 29. Bf4 e3 30. Rad1 Nfe4 31. Bxd6 Nxd6 32. Bxf7 Nxf7 33. Rxf7+ Qxf7 34. Nxf7 Rxd1 35. Qxd1 Kxf7 36. Qe2 Ke7 37. Kf1 Rf8+ 38. Ke1 Rf2 39. Qg4 Kf6 40. Qg5+ Kf7 41. Qd5+ Kf6 42. g4 Rxb2 43. g5+ Ke7 44. Qe5+ Kd7 45. Qg7+ Kd6 46. Qxg6+ Ke5 47. Qe8+ Kf4 48. g6 Rb1+ 49. Ke2 Rb2+ 50. Kd3 Rd2+ 51. Kc4 Rg2 52. Qf7+. 1-0. Black resigns.
