Dark squares....dark squares: Ding Liren vs Inarkiev
"For a long time, I suspected that the question of dark-square weaknesses and attacks on the dark squares that I read about in books was incomprehensible not only to me but to the writers themselves. I used to tell myself, in fact, that my opponent's dark squares were weak when his men stood on light squares and he had no dark-square Bishop. But what if he took all his pieces off the dark squares? What could I attack then?
That is how I reasoned until one day it dawned on me that a dark-square weakness meant that the pieces on the light squares were also weak. Likewise, a weakness of the light squares leads to the weakness of the men on dark squares."
If Kafka's famous opening sentence in 'Metamorphosis': "One day, Gregor Samsa wakes up on his bed to find himself transformed into a giant insect..." was revolutionary in literary fiction world; then so is David Bronstein's famous opening paragraph from the 'bible for chess players' - "The Chess Struggle in Practice - Lessons from the famous Zurich Candidates tournament of 1953". This great work has the power to transform a chess player, if only he devotes sufficient time to study the games that he analysed in this book in his unique inimitable style.
Ding Liren demonstrated this aspect of "dark square weakness" in the first game of his second round against Inarkiev!
Ding Liren - Ernesto Inarkiev, World cup, Baku, 2015
Black's last move 11.....g6 opened us the door for the chosen subject!! It is very difficult to pick the mind of the player for his choice of putting that Knight in the corner and break his legs and make him a passive spectator - turned a perpetrator later (as he took revenge on Inarkiev for this sin!!) and ofcourse our hero ".....g6".
The chief reason behind this is that the dark squared bishop - the owner of the square that g6 vacated - is no longer alive!
12.OO OO; 13.Rae1! Be6; 14.e4!
White is given a free hand to play this move, which is the primary aim of opening with 1.d4 which is attained after much struggle and contest and concessions. Here, white is offered this luxury free of cost!!
14.....de4?!
Black is trying to be too generous: the move played not only gives a wonderful center for White, but also opens up lines for his further operation - vertically and horizontally!!
15.fe4 Rad8; 16.b3 Bg4; 17.Qe3 f6?!
Chess is all about not playing the right moves at the wrong time! When you have a Knight sitting on b6-square, it makes sense to try and create the square "d5" for him and with this view in mind, why not push that pawn one more square further to.....f5!?
18.a4 Qb4! 19.Bc2 Be2?!
For some reason, Black is suffering some serious incoherence in his thought process. There is no justification for this unprovoked surrendering of a long range piece, more importantly, the one which has got some role after White played 18.a4.
Why not put him on e6-square to pursue the target and if need arises (as it did in this game) protect the light squares around his King!?
Chess game hinges on such significant premises. Failing to realise them and acting upon in critical phases, allows one to drift.
20.Ne2 Ng7?
From one stupid square to another - a "fianchettoed Knight"!!
21.Rd1 Qe7??
why why WHY
Black has become "Black square blind"!! The Queen was meaningfully placed covering the 'c3' square and was pursuing White's tender "d4" spot; exercising control over the dark squares around it and Black unmindfully takes it away from a commanding position to.....
22.Qc3! a6; 23.Nf4 Kh8??
As inviting as a whore. The problem with Black, in this game, is, not that he is allowing White to carry out his plan; but rather devising a clear cut plan for him and create self threats!!
24.Qh3! Qf7
The once dominantly posted Queen is brought in and put on the line of fire.
25.Rd3 Nc8; 26.b4!!
The exclamation marks are for the position that we see above! A beautifully co-created position where more than White, Black created....self-created....or _________ fill-up the blanks with what comes to your mind!!
26.....g5?!
Come on......., let me come in....cries that Knight on b8.
He is not only a good defender of 'g6' - sitting on e7 - but also has the power, or rather the only fellow who can expunge the White Queen, as and when she lands on the deadly DARK SQUARE "h6"!
27.Bb3 Qe8; 28.Qh6 Qe4; 29.Rh3 Ne7
Too late, the drama is coming to an end!
30.Bc2!
The denouement arrives on the light squares - White shoots Black from the "c2" to "h7" and look at that Knight sitting like a duck on g7!!
30.....Qc2; 31.Nd3 Kg8
Prefers bullet on the sweet spot, rather than jumping out of the window of 31st floor!!
32.Qh7 Kf7; 33.Ne5 Ke6; 34.Qc2....
....and it took some more time for Black to wake up from the slumber.....started at move 11.....and resign.
Bronstein would have found this a perfect example to describe his chosen theme!
That is how I reasoned until one day it dawned on me that a dark-square weakness meant that the pieces on the light squares were also weak. Likewise, a weakness of the light squares leads to the weakness of the men on dark squares."
If Kafka's famous opening sentence in 'Metamorphosis': "One day, Gregor Samsa wakes up on his bed to find himself transformed into a giant insect..." was revolutionary in literary fiction world; then so is David Bronstein's famous opening paragraph from the 'bible for chess players' - "The Chess Struggle in Practice - Lessons from the famous Zurich Candidates tournament of 1953". This great work has the power to transform a chess player, if only he devotes sufficient time to study the games that he analysed in this book in his unique inimitable style.
Ding Liren demonstrated this aspect of "dark square weakness" in the first game of his second round against Inarkiev!
Ding Liren - Ernesto Inarkiev, World cup, Baku, 2015
Black's last move 11.....g6 opened us the door for the chosen subject!! It is very difficult to pick the mind of the player for his choice of putting that Knight in the corner and break his legs and make him a passive spectator - turned a perpetrator later (as he took revenge on Inarkiev for this sin!!) and ofcourse our hero ".....g6".
The chief reason behind this is that the dark squared bishop - the owner of the square that g6 vacated - is no longer alive!
12.OO OO; 13.Rae1! Be6; 14.e4!
White is given a free hand to play this move, which is the primary aim of opening with 1.d4 which is attained after much struggle and contest and concessions. Here, white is offered this luxury free of cost!!
14.....de4?!
Black is trying to be too generous: the move played not only gives a wonderful center for White, but also opens up lines for his further operation - vertically and horizontally!!
15.fe4 Rad8; 16.b3 Bg4; 17.Qe3 f6?!
Chess is all about not playing the right moves at the wrong time! When you have a Knight sitting on b6-square, it makes sense to try and create the square "d5" for him and with this view in mind, why not push that pawn one more square further to.....f5!?
18.a4 Qb4! 19.Bc2 Be2?!
For some reason, Black is suffering some serious incoherence in his thought process. There is no justification for this unprovoked surrendering of a long range piece, more importantly, the one which has got some role after White played 18.a4.
Why not put him on e6-square to pursue the target and if need arises (as it did in this game) protect the light squares around his King!?
Chess game hinges on such significant premises. Failing to realise them and acting upon in critical phases, allows one to drift.
20.Ne2 Ng7?
From one stupid square to another - a "fianchettoed Knight"!!
21.Rd1 Qe7??
why why WHY
Black has become "Black square blind"!! The Queen was meaningfully placed covering the 'c3' square and was pursuing White's tender "d4" spot; exercising control over the dark squares around it and Black unmindfully takes it away from a commanding position to.....
22.Qc3! a6; 23.Nf4 Kh8??
As inviting as a whore. The problem with Black, in this game, is, not that he is allowing White to carry out his plan; but rather devising a clear cut plan for him and create self threats!!
24.Qh3! Qf7
The once dominantly posted Queen is brought in and put on the line of fire.
25.Rd3 Nc8; 26.b4!!
The exclamation marks are for the position that we see above! A beautifully co-created position where more than White, Black created....self-created....or _________ fill-up the blanks with what comes to your mind!!
26.....g5?!
Come on......., let me come in....cries that Knight on b8.
He is not only a good defender of 'g6' - sitting on e7 - but also has the power, or rather the only fellow who can expunge the White Queen, as and when she lands on the deadly DARK SQUARE "h6"!
27.Bb3 Qe8; 28.Qh6 Qe4; 29.Rh3 Ne7
Too late, the drama is coming to an end!
30.Bc2!
The denouement arrives on the light squares - White shoots Black from the "c2" to "h7" and look at that Knight sitting like a duck on g7!!
30.....Qc2; 31.Nd3 Kg8
Prefers bullet on the sweet spot, rather than jumping out of the window of 31st floor!!
32.Qh7 Kf7; 33.Ne5 Ke6; 34.Qc2....
....and it took some more time for Black to wake up from the slumber.....started at move 11.....and resign.
Bronstein would have found this a perfect example to describe his chosen theme!
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