[Event "WCh 2024 "] [White "Ding,Liren"] [Black "Gukesh,D"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Havanur,Nagesh"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2024.12.01"] [WhiteElo "2728"] [BlackElo "2783"] [PlyCount "92"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 {The London System acquired its name adfter the London 1922 Tournament. Maroczy and Rubinstein played it with White and Capablaca took on it with Black. Ding Liren has enormous experience with it. Importantly, he beat Nepomniachtchi in the World Championship Match 2023.} (2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nbd2 cxd4 6. exd4 Bf5 7. c3 e6 8. Bb5 Bd6 9. O-O O-O {1-0, (44 moves), Ding Liren-Nepomniachtchi, FIDE World Championship (6) 2023.} )d5 3. e3 e6 4. Nf3 c5 5. c3 Bd6 6. Bb5+ {Carlsen's idea. The first point of this move is to exert pressure on e5.} (6. Bg3 {has been seen before.} )({So also the more direct} 6. Ne5 )Nc6 7. Bxc6+ $1 {Now we see the second point of the move. Black is saddled with a weak pawn on c6.} bxc6 8. Bxd6 Qxd6 9. Qa4 O-O ({After} 9... cxd4 10. cxd4 {White has grip on e5 as pointed out by Richard Palliser in his notes to the game at ChessPublishing.com.} )({The engine offers} 9... c4 $5 10. b3 O-O 11. bxc4 c5 $44 )10. Qa3 {This loses precious tempi and White lags behind in development.} ({Magnus played} 10. O-O cxd4 11. cxd4 c5 {1/2 -1/2 ( 37 moves), Carlsen-Ding Liren, Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024.} )({Perhaps the standard move, completing development} 10. Nbd2 {is still preferable. There have been quite a few games with} cxd4 11. cxd4 c5 $11 )Ne4 11. Nfd2 $6 {The knight challenges the invasion of his counterpart on e4 even as his other partner remains on b1 to move to a3 in case of exchange of queens after a move like...cxd4. However, it loses control of e4 and the absence of the knight allows Black to free his position.} ({ Again there was something to be said for the more direct} 11. Nbd2 cxd4 12. Qxd6 Nxd6 $11 )e5 $1 {The point. Black frees the position at the cost of a pawn.} 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qxc5 {Thus White has won a pawn.} Qg6 $1 14. Nd2 (14. O-O $2 {loses to} Bh3 15. g3 Bxf1 16. Kxf1 Qh5 $19 )({If he defends the pawn with} 14. Rg1 Rb8 15. b3 Rb5 )Qxg2 15. O-O-O Qxf2 16. dxe5 ({ An earlier game saw} 16. Rde1 Rb8 17. Rhf1 Qxh2 18. Rh1 Qf2 19. Rhf1 Qh2 20. Rh1 Qf2 21. Rhf1 {1/2 -1/2 (Aronian-Dominguez, Saint Louis Rapid, 2022)} )Rb8 17. Nc4 (17. Qxc6 $2 {is bad on acount of} Rd8 18. Rhf1 Qe2 19. Rfe1 Qxh2 $17 )Be6 $1 {The first new move in this position.} ({Quite a few correspondence games saw a line like} 17... Qf3 18. Rhf1 Qe2 19. Rfe1 Qf2 20. Rf1 Qe2 21. Rfe1 Qf2 {1/2 -1/2, Bussom-Kiraly, Corr. ICCF 2024} )18. Rd2 ({Not } 18. Qxc6 $4 Rfc8 19. Qxe4 Rxc4 $19 )Qf3 19. Re1 Bxc4 20. Qxc4 Qf5 $6 { The c-pawn is weak and can fall any time. So Gukesh sets up counterplay with an attack on the White pawn on e5. However, his rooks remain active.} ({ The engine suggests contesting the control of the d-file with} 20... Rbd8 $1 21. Rd6 ({Again not} 21. Qxc6 $4 Rxd2 22. Kxd2 Qf2+ 23. Re2 Rd8+ $19 )(21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. e6 fxe6 23. Qxe6+ Qf7 24. Qxf7+ Kxf7 $11 )Rde8 22. Rxc6 Rxe5 $11 )21. Qxc6 Qxe5 22. Qd5 Qe7 $6 {Gukesh avoids exchange of queens, egging on his opponent to fight. However, he cedes the control of the d-file.} (22... Qxd5 23. Rxd5 f5 {was preferable, though White may be slighter better.} )23. Qd6 $2 {Sadly, Ding Liren wants a peaceful position at all costs.} ({He could have seized control of the d-file with} 23. Red1 $1 Rfc8 24. c4 $14 (24. Qd6 Qg5 25. Qd4 $14 {is also good for White.} ))Qg5 {Gukesh continues to probe vulnerable points in his opponenr's position.} (23... Qxd6 24. Rxd6 f5 25. b4 $14 )24. Qd5 Qe7 25. Qd6 Qg5 26. Qd5 Qh4 27. Red1 g6 28. Qe5 (28. c4 $1 Rfc8 29. Kb1 $14 )Rbe8 29. Qg3 Qh5 {Provocative play and it slowly results in weakining of his position.} ({There was a level position after} 29... Qxg3 30. hxg3 Re5 $11 )30. Qf4 Qa5 31. a3 Qb5 32. Rd4 $1 Qe2 33. R1d2 Qf3 34. Kc2 $2 {Ding Liren seeks safety for his king from checks and he was censured for this move.} (34. Qg5 $1 {set more problems for Black. Here is a sample line.} Qf1+ 35. Kc2 Qe1 36. Qf4 Rb8 37. Qxe4 Qa1 38. Rb4 a5 39. Rb3 Qe1 40. Rxb8 Rxb8 41. Qd4 $14 )Qxf4 35. exf4 f5 36. h4 e3 ({Carlsen recommended the advance of the Black monarch to target White's kingside pawns with} 36... Kg7 $5 {After} 37. Rd7+ (37. b4 Kh6 38. Rd1 Kh5 39. Kd2 $1 { is OK for White as pointed out by Palliser} Kxh4 $4 40. Ke3 $18 )Kh6 38. Rg2 ({Not} 38. Rxa7 $2 e3 39. Re2 Re4 $17 )Re6 39. Kd2 Rb8 40. Ke3 Reb6 41. Rdd2 {White can make a draw.} )37. Re2 Re7 38. Kd3 Rfe8 39. h5 gxh5 40. Rd5 h4 41. Rxf5 Rd7+ 42. Kc2 Kg7 43. Rg2+ {Going for repetition of moves.} Kh8 44. Re2 Kg7 45. Rg2+ Kh8 46. Re2 Kg7 1/2-1/2