[Event "Wch 2024"] [White "Ding Liren"] [Black "Gukesh"] [Site "Singapore SIN"] [Round "12.1"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2024.12.09"] [ECO "A13"] [WhiteElo "2728"] [BlackElo "2783"] [PlyCount "77"] [GameId "2128947951472705"] [EventDate "2024.11.25"] {[%evp 0,77,19,-18,-11,-17,-23,-28,-26,-17,-15,-16,-9,-1,29,29,57,40,30,20,5,29,56,6,90,44,28,21,20,-28,7,-24,6,0,-6,-27,8,-53,42,20,28,46,51,11,20,41,86,126,138,147,142,149,238,153,219,219,219,229,210,201,315,259,332,255,291,267,307,316,317,266,388,367,367,423,789,649,1039,706,2017,2451]} 1. c4 e6 ({In the 8th game Gukesh played} 1... e5) 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 d4 {Not a bad move, but it leads to difficult and fragile positions. Because of the state of the match (Gukesh being one point ahead) you would rather expect a solid move as} (4... Be7) 5. O-O Nc6 6. e3 Be7 ({The wild} 6... e5 7. exd4 e4 8. d5 ({or} 8. Ng5 Nxd4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 h5 {with a chaotic situation}) 8... exf3 9. Qxf3 Ne5 10. Re1 {has been played, but it is understandable that Gukesh was not in for such adventures.}) 7. d3 dxe3 8. Bxe3 e5 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Re1 h6 11. a3 a5 {This move is almost played automatically, but later Black will suffer from the weakness of square b5.} 12. h3 Be6 13. Kh2 {White is not in a hurry. He is somewhat better and in the next few moves he builds up his advantage. It is not easy to determine what exactly Black did wrong.} Rb8 14. Qc2 Re8 15. Nb5 Bf5 16. Rad1 Nd7 {Maybe this is the culprit.} ({The simple move} 16... Bf8 {was better, though even then White has some advantage.}) 17. Qd2 Bg6 ({Black's intention with his previous move must have been} 17... Nc5 {but maybe here Gukesh saw the variantion} 18. d4 Nd3 19. d5 Nxe1 20. Qxe1 Nd4 21. Nbxd4 exd4 22. Nxd4 Bh7 23. Qxa5 {when White, with two pawns for the exchange and beautiful minor pieces, would be better. Nevertheless, this would be preferable for Black to the move he makes.}) 18. d4 e4 (18... exd4 19. Bf4 {would be even worse for Black.}) 19. Ng1 Nb6 20. Qc3 Bf6 21. Qc2 a4 {White has a great position.} 22. Ne2 Bg5 {Not a good move, but really good moves were not available.} ({Also after} 22... Na5 23. c5 Nbc4 24. Nf4 Bf5 25. Bf1 {White would have a big advantage.}) 23. Nf4 Bxf4 24. Bxf4 Rc8 25. Qc3 Nb8 26. d5 {At first I thought that Ding found this more artistic than the simple win of the exchange with} (26. Na7 {but at the press conference after the game Ding said that he hadn't seen Na7.}) 26... Qd7 27. d6 {Good enough. Black's position is in ruins.} c5 28. Nc7 Rf8 29. Bxe4 Nc6 30. Bg2 Rcd8 31. Nd5 Nxd5 32. cxd5 Nb8 33. Qxc5 Rc8 34. Qd4 Na6 35. Re7 Qb5 36. d7 Rc4 37. Qe3 Rc2 38. Bd6 f6 {Black was totally lost, but now the end comes very quickly.} 39. Rxg7+ {Black resigned, for after} (39. Rxg7+ Kxg7 40. Bxf8+ {White's d-pawn will promote.}) 1-0