[Event "WCC Match 2024"] [White "Gukesh Dommaraju"] [Black "Ding,Liren"] [Site "Singapore"] [Round "3.1"] [Annotator "Schulz, A"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2024.11.27"] [WhiteElo "2783"] [BlackElo "2728"] [PlyCount "74"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 c6 6. Qc2 {To hinder the development of the light-squared bishop to f5, although Black forces it anyway.} ({The main line is} 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Qc2 )g6 ({An alternative is} 6... Be7 )7. h3 {A very rarely played move in this position, used twice last year by Kramnik in rapid tournaments.} ({Here, too,} 7. Bg5 {is the main line.} )Bf5 8. Qb3 Qb6 {[#]} 9. g4 {In the first game, Gukesh also played this expansive move, albeit in a different situation.} Qxb3 (9... Be6 10. Bg2 h5 11. g5 Nfd7 12. O-O Bd6 13. e4 dxe4 14. Qxb6 Nxb6 15. Nxe4 Be7 16. Nc5 Bxc5 17. dxc5 Nd5 $14 {0-1 (50) Kramnik, V (2753) - Nepomniachtchi, I (2771), Amsterdam 2023} )10. axb3 Bc2 (10... Be6 11. Bf4 Nbd7 $11 )11. Bf4 h5 (11... Bxb3 $6 {is unfavourable due to} 12. Nd2 Bc4 (12... Bc2 $2 13. Rc1 Be4 14. f3 $18 )13. Nxc4 dxc4 14. e3 Nbd7 (14... b5 $2 15. Bg2 $18 )15. Bxc4 $16 {White has more space, central dominance, and the bishop pair.} )12. Rg1 hxg4 13. hxg4 {Gukesh played his moves fairly quickly, while Ding took more time. At this point, Ding spent half an hour thinking.} Nbd7 {After this move, Gukesh had nearly two hours on the clock, while Ding had just under one hour.} (13... Bxb3 14. Nd2 Bc4 15. Nxc4 dxc4 16. e3 Bb4 17. Bxc4 $16 {with a good position for White.} )14. Nd2 {Now threatening Rc1, leaving the bishop on c2 in trouble.} Rg8 {To prepare g6-g5, giving the bishop on c2 a retreat square on h7.} 15. g5 (15. Be3 $5 g5 16. Rc1 Be4 17. Ndxe4 Nxe4 18. f3 $14 )Nh5 16. Bh2 Rh8 {[#]} 17. f3 {White wants to play e4 to increase his central control and trap the bishop on c2. For now, the bishop on h2 is undefended, which Black uses to reposition the knight with tempo.} Ng7 18. Bg3 Rh5 $6 {Ding was already running short on time. After this move, he had 27 minutes left on the clock, while Gukesh had more than one hour.} (18... O-O-O $2 {is unfavourable:} 19. Rc1 Bf5 20. Nxd5 $16 ({Or} 20. e4 dxe4 21. fxe4 Re8 22. Be2 Bh3 23. Nb5 $16 ))(18... Ne6 {might have been considered:} 19. Rc1 Bf5 20. e4 Nxd4 21. exf5 Nxf5 22. Bf2 Bd6 {with compensation for the piece, two pawns, and active play.} )({A solid option was} 18... Be7 {also attacking g5.} 19. Rc1 (19. e4 Ne6 20. Rc1 dxe4 {with the idea} 21. Rxc2 $2 Nxd4 22. Rc1 e3 $19 )Bf5 20. e4 Be6 $15 )19. e4 dxe4 20. fxe4 Ne6 {[#] In the following complications, Black will lose a piece in all lines but gain two pawns as compensation.} (20... Rxg5 $2 21. Rc1 $16 {traps the bishop on c2.} )21. Rc1 Nxd4 22. Bf2 Bg7 ({An alternative was} 22... Bc5 23. Na4 (23. b4 $5 Bb6 24. Rg3 $16 )Nxb3 24. Rxc2 Bxf2+ 25. Kxf2 Nxd2 26. Rxd2 Ke7 $18 {Black has two pawns for the piece and must fight for a draw.} )23. Ne2 Nxb3 (23... Nxe2 24. Bxe2 $18 )24. Rxc2 Nxd2 25. Kxd2 Ne5 $18 {Threatening a fork on f3, which is easily parried.} 26. Nd4 (26. Ke3 $18 )Rd8 27. Ke2 Rh2 28. Bg2 a6 29. b3 Rd7 30. Rcc1 Ke7 31. Rcd1 {White defends the knight on d4 and opens up the possibility of Bg3.} Ke8 {For the last 9 moves, Ding had just 1 minute 50 seconds left on the clock, while Gukesh still had 15 minutes.} 32. Bg3 Rh5 33. Nf3 Nxf3 34. Kxf3 {[#]} Bd4 (34... Rxg5 $2 {is dangerous:} 35. Rxd7 Kxd7 36. Rd1+ Ke7 $4 (36... Ke6 37. Bh3+ $18 )37. Bh4 )35. Rh1 Rxg5 36. Bh3 f5 (36... Rd8 37. Bh4 $18 )37. Bf4 Rh5 (37... Rh5 38. Bxf5 Rxh1 39. Bxd7+ Kxd7 40. Rxh1 $18 )1-0