[Event "WCh 2024"] [White "Ding Liren"] [Black "Gukesh, D.."] [Site "Singapore SIN"] [Round "14.1"] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2024.12.12"] [ECO "A08"] [WhiteElo "2728"] [BlackElo "2783"] [PlyCount "116"] [GameId "2128947395506219"] [EventDate "2024.11.25"] {[%evp 0,116,25,19,18,-7,10,2,-6,-15,-3,-6,12,10,16,37,9,9,-3,0,26,12,37,27,27,23,35,24,46,-15,-4,4,9,2,4,1,1,32,43,23,25,13,9,10,7,5,24,19,10,13,14,0,0,-57,-41,-50,-44,-74,-50,-86,-93,-86,-87,-119,-112,-119,-79,-82,-88,-79,-81,-86,-91,-125,-94,-88,-76,-90,-90,-100,-99,-97,-89,-97,-97,-96,-92,-97,-71,-97,-75,-76,-67,-94,-88,-116,-104,-109,-102,-129,-116,-111,-118,-128,-118,-135,-125,-122,-127,-139,-135,-268,-966,-1011,-1012,-1012,-1022,-1022,-1022]} 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 e6 5. O-O cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nge7 7. c4 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qd1 d4 10. e3 Bc5 11. exd4 Bxd4 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Nb5 Bb6 14. b3 {Already here Ding is too modest.} ({After} 14. Qe2 a6 15. Rd1 Qe7 16. Nc3 {White would have a clear advantage.}) 14... a6 15. Nc3 Bd4 16. Bb2 e5 17. Qd2 Be6 18. Nd5 b5 19. cxb5 {Again, White is playing for a draw while he still can play for a small advantage.} ({A way to fight was} 19. Bxd4 Nxd4 20. f4) 19... axb5 20. Nf4 exf4 21. Bxc6 Bxb2 22. Qxb2 Rb8 23. Rfd1 Qb6 24. Bf3 fxg3 25. hxg3 b4 {White has got what he wanted, a clearly drawn position. On the way he has granted several small concessions.} 26. a4 {And this is another concession. Ding is going to trade his 2 vs 1 pawn position on the queenside for a total clean-up.} ({A normal continuation would be} 26. Rd2 Rbd8 27. Rad1) 26... bxa3 27. Rxa3 g6 28. Qd4 Qb5 ({Interesting. Gukesh doesn't want the immediate win of the pawn with} 28... Qxd4 29. Rxd4 Bxb3) 29. b4 {Ding forces Gukesh to win the pawn as soon as possible.} Qxb4 30. Qxb4 Rxb4 31. Ra8 Rxa8 32. Bxa8 {A drawn position. After the exchange of bishops the rook ending will be drawn. After the exchange of rooks the bishop ending will be drawn. Only after the exchange of all four pieces Black may win, but of course that will not happen?} g5 33. Bd5 Bf5 34. Rc1 Kg7 35. Rc7 Bg6 36. Rc4 Rb1+ 37. Kg2 Re1 38. Rb4 h5 39. Ra4 Re5 40. Bf3 Kh6 41. Kg1 Re6 42. Rc4 g4 43. Bd5 Rd6 44. Bb7 Kg5 45. f3 f5 46. fxg4 hxg4 47. Rb4 Bf7 48. Kf2 Rd2+ 49. Kg1 Kf6 50. Rb6+ Kg5 51. Rb4 Be6 52. Ra4 Rb2 53. Ba8 Kf6 54. Rf4 Ke5 {A lot of moves have been made and we are stil in a situation where almost every plausible move that White will make keeps the position drawn.} 55. Rf2 {But only not this one.} ({One of the many moves that would keep the draw was} 55. Ra4) 55... Rxf2 56. Kxf2 Bd5 {Ding must have forgotten that because of the unfortunate position of his bishop on a8, a lost pawn ending cannot been averted.} 57. Bxd5 Kxd5 58. Ke3 Ke5 {White resigned. Black wins the pawn ending because he has the opposition.} 0-1