Ding Liren vs Le Quang Liem - Budapest Olympiad 2024 | English Opening

Ding Liren vs Le Quang Liem - Budapest Olympiad 2024 | English Opening: Symmetrical, Four Knights Variation

In the sixth round of the Budapest Olympiad 2024, two elite grandmasters, Ding Liren and Le Quang Liem, faced off in a highly complex encounter. This chess game featured the English Opening: Symmetrical, Four Knights Variation. Ding Liren, playing White, initiated the game with 1. c4, entering the well-known English Opening. Le Quang Liem responded with 1... c5, setting the stage for a symmetrical pawn structure.

The game quickly moved into the Four Knights setup with 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3, aiming for a flexible and balanced position. Le Quang Liem countered with 4... d5, immediately striking at the center and setting a dynamic tone for the game. Ding chose to exchange pawns with 5. cxd5 Nxd5, leading to an open and fluid position. The early h4-h5 push by Ding was a clear indication of his aggressive intentions, while Le Quang Liem calmly developed his pieces with 7... Bg7 and 8... Bf5.

As the game progressed, Ding castled kingside and launched a kingside pawn storm, while Le Quang Liem maneuvered his pieces to solidify his position. The turning point came when Ding played 15. d3, and Le Quang Liem responded with a bold queenside expansion with 16... Rc8. The position became increasingly sharp, with Le Quang Liem sacrificing material to create imbalances. His strategic exchange of queens with 18... Qxd7 led to a complex middlegame where both players had to rely on precise calculation and deep understanding.

Le Quang Liem’s remarkable pawn play in the center and on the queenside created tactical opportunities. By move 29, the game had transitioned into an endgame where Le Quang Liem had the upper hand with a more active rook and pawns. Ding’s attempt to create counterplay was met with accurate responses by Le Quang Liem, who demonstrated exceptional endgame technique.

In the endgame, Le Quang Liem's rook and pawn coordination proved too much for Ding to handle. The key breakthrough occurred when Le Quang Liem advanced his pawns systematically while keeping Ding's king and pieces tied down. The final blow came when Le Quang Liem skillfully maneuvered his rook to dominate the board, forcing Ding into a position with no counterplay. Ding was left with no choice but to concede defeat after 62... Re7, as there was no way to stop Le Quang Liem’s advancing pawns.

This game showcases Le Quang Liem's mastery in the English Opening and his ability to convert subtle advantages into a decisive victory. His dynamic play and strategic vision were on full display, leading to a remarkable win against one of the world's strongest players, Ding Liren.

*Music Attribution:*
"That Kid in Fourth Grade Who Really Liked the Denver Broncos" by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: [http://chriszabriskie.com/uvp/](http://chriszabriskie.com/uvp/)
Artist: [http://chriszabriskie.com/](http://chriszabriskie.com/)

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