[Event "FIDE World Championship 2024"] [White "Gukesh D"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Site "Singapore, Singapore"] [Round "3"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2024.11.27"] [ECO "D35"] [WhiteElo "2783"] [BlackElo "2728"] [PlyCount "74"] [GameId "2116613199511486"] [EventDate "2024.??.??"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 c6 ({It is possible for Black to bring out the bad bishop straight away, but without the pawn on c6, allowing him to meet Qb3 with ...Qb6 or ...Qc7, he'll have to make some weird moves to stay out of trouble.} 5... Bf5 $5 6. Qb3 $1 Nc6 $1 7. Bg5 $1 Na5 $1 8. Qa4+ c6 9. Bxf6 $1 gxf6 10. e3 $14 {Black's position is playable, but his kingside structure is a serious long-term problem.}) 6. Qc2 g6 {Usual, but not forced.} (6... Bd6) (6... Be7) 7. h3 {This rare move has been getting some love the last year or so, thanks to the mostly retired Vladimir Kramnik. The idea of this move is that while White can't stop Black from developing his bad bishop, he can try to make its life miserable once it gets to f5.} (7. Bg5 Be7 8. e3 Bf5 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nbd7 {has been giving White nothing for a very long time. Here's a model game, from Black's perspective:} 11. Bh6 Ng4 12. Bf4 O-O 13. O-O Re8 14. h3 Ngf6 15. Ne5 Nb6 16. Bg5 Ne4 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Qc2 Nd6 19. Na4 Nbc4 20. Nxc4 Nxc4 21. Nc5 Nd6 22. Rac1 Qg5 23. Qd1 h5 24. Kh1 Re7 25. Nd3 Ne4 26. Nc5 Nd6 27. Nd3 Qf5 28. Ne5 f6 29. Nf3 Rg7 30. Nh2 Re8 31. Kg1 Ne4 32. Qf3 Qe6 33. Rfd1 g5 34. Qxh5 f5 35. Re1 g4 36. hxg4 fxg4 37. f3 gxf3 38. Nxf3 Rh7 39. Qe5 Qc8 40. Qf4 Rf8 41. Qe5 Rf5 {0-1 Bobotsov,M-Petrosian,T Olympiad-18 Final A Lugano 1968 (2)}) 7... Bf5 8. Qb3 Qb6 (8... Qc7 $5 $146 {is an interesting idea, provoking White to play the very unclear 9.Bf4. White's most circumspect option may be} 9. g3 {, preparing Bf4, when a transposition to the game after} Qb6 10. g4 {is possible.}) 9. g4 Qxb3 (9... Be6 10. Bg2 h5 11. g5 Nfd7 12. O-O (12. Qc2) 12... Qxb3 (12... Bd6 $6 {0-1 Kramnik,V (2753)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2771) Amsterdam Levitov Rapid 2023 (18)} 13. Qd1 $1 {followed by Nh4, looking to play f4-f5, is clearly better for White.}) 13. axb3 Na6 $11) 10. axb3 Bc2 {Principled, but dangerous.} ({The more modest} 10... Be6 {isn't a bad idea either, as shown by Kramnik's old rival last year.} 11. Bg2 h5 12. g5 Nfd7 13. Bf4 Be7 14. h4 O-O $11 15. Bh3 Bxh3 16. Rxh3 Rd8 17. e3 Nf8 18. Ne5 Ne6 19. Rf3 Nd7 20. Bg3 Nxe5 21. Bxe5 Bd6 22. Bxd6 Rxd6 23. Rf6 Rd7 24. b4 Nc7 25. Ra5 a6 26. Ra1 Ne8 27. Rf4 Nd6 28. Na4 Re7 29. Nc5 Kg7 30. Ke2 Rae8 31. Kd3 Ne4 32. Rh1 Nd6 33. b3 Ne4 34. Re1 Nd6 35. Rh1 Ne4 36. Nxe4 Rxe4 37. Rxe4 dxe4+ 38. Ke2 f6 39. Rg1 f5 40. Rc1 Rd8 41. f3 {½-½ Yu,Y (2720)-Shirov,A (2655) FIDE Grand Swiss Douglas 2023 (2)}) 11. Bf4 h5 (11... h6 {is also possible, looking to play ...g5 and (as necessary) ...Bg6.} 12. Bxb8 Rxb8 13. Rxa7 Ne4 14. Bg2 Bb4 15. O-O Bxb3 16. Rfa1 (16. Rc1 $11) 16... Bc4 $11) 12. Rg1 hxg4 13. hxg4 Nbd7 $146 (13... Bxb3 $2 14. Nd2 Bc4 15. Nxc4 dxc4 16. e3 (16. e4 $16 {may be a little better.}) 16... Bb4 17. Bxc4 $16 {½-½ Kramnik,V (2753)-Erigaisi,A (2681) World-chT Rapid Duesseldorf 2023 (12) Kramnik wasn't able to bring home the full point - as we saw in 2024, Erigaisi is one tough hombre - but his opening has been a complete success.}) 14. Nd2 Rg8 $1 {Intending ...g5, giving the c2-bishop a safe haven on g6 or h7 in case of emergency.} 15. g5 $6 (15. Rc1 g5 $1 {Otherwise it's 1-0.} 16. Be3 (16. Bxg5 Rxg5 17. Rxc2 Rxg4 $11) 16... Be4 {Better than going to h7, but the important thing is that Black has that square available in case of 17.f3.} 17. Ndxe4 Nxe4 18. f3 Nxc3 19. bxc3 a5 {gives White the sunnier side of equality thanks to the bishop pair. Black's immediate idea is to play ...a4, or in case of Ra1 to start with ...b5 and then play ...a4.}) 15... Nh5 16. Bh2 Rh8 $1 $11 {/?} 17. f3 (17. Bh3) 17... Ng7 $1 $15 18. Bg3 {So far, so good for Ding, but his next two moves are errors that leave him with a nearly lost position.} Rh5 $2 (18... Be7 $1 19. e4 {Cages the bishop, but it's hard to keep him there.} Bxg5 {Threatening to take on d2 and then b3.} 20. exd5 (20. f4 $2 {lets Black's bishop out via e4.} Bf6 $1 $19) (20. b4 Ne6 21. exd5 $8 cxd5 22. Nxd5 Bh4 $15) 20... Nf5 21. dxc6 bxc6 $15 {Material is equal but White's structure is awful.}) (18... Bf5 19. e4 Be6 $11 {/? is a little less ambitious than 18...Be7, but very solid.}) 19. e4 $1 dxe4 $2 (19... Ne6 $1 20. Rc1 Nxd4 21. Bf2 Bc5 22. Rg2 Nxf3+ 23. Nxf3 Bxe4 24. Nxe4 dxe4 25. Bxc5 exf3 26. Rg3 Nxc5 27. Rxc5 O-O-O 28. Rxf3 f5 $1 $14 {/? A cute and easily overlooked trick, without which Black might be lost. Thanks to 28...f5, Black has good chances to save the game.}) 20. fxe4 Ne6 (20... Rxg5 $2 21. Rc1 Nh5 22. Bf2 Rxg1 23. Bxg1 Bxe4 24. Ncxe4 $18) 21. Rc1 Nxd4 (21... Bg7 22. Bf2 Rh2 23. Rxc2 Rxf2 24. Kxf2 Bxd4+ 25. Kg2 Bxg1 26. Kxg1 Nxg5 $16 {/+-}) 22. Bf2 Bg7 (22... Bc5 $142 23. Na4 Nxb3 24. Rxc2 Nxd2 (24... Bxf2+ 25. Kxf2 Nd4 26. Rc1 Ne5 $16 {/+-}) 25. Rxd2 Be7 $16 {/+-}) 23. Ne2 $1 $18 {Ding had missed this critical move when choosing 18...Rh5. Black has equality against everything else, but now he's lost.} (23. Bxd4 $2 {was what Ding had initially expected.} Bxd4 24. Rg2 Bxb3 25. Nxb3 {also finds White a piece up, but after} Be3 26. Ra1 Bxg5 $11 {Black's three pawns offer sufficient compensation.}) 23... Nxb3 24. Rxc2 Nxd2 25. Kxd2 {In this version Black has only two pawns for the piece, and White also manages to keep the bishop pair. Black is simply lost, and Gukesh shows excellent technique the rest of the way. Black's dream is that he'll manage to swap off all the pawns and reach something like rook vs. rook and bishop; it doesn't happen, but that's what he's shooting for.} Ne5 (25... a5 {followed if possible by ...a4 and ...a3 was better, aiming to swap off as many pawns as possible.}) 26. Nd4 Rd8 27. Ke2 Rh2 28. Bg2 a6 29. b3 Rd7 30. Rcc1 Ke7 ({It's not that easy for Black to round up White's g-pawn. For example:} 30... Rh5 31. Rcd1 Re7 (31... Rxg5 $2 32. Bh3 $1 $18) (31... Rc7 32. Nf3 $18) 32. Nf3 $18) 31. Rcd1 Ke8 32. Bg3 Rh5 33. Nf3 $1 Nxf3 34. Kxf3 $1 Bd4 (34... Rxg5 35. Rxd7 Kxd7 36. Rd1+ Ke6 37. Bh3+ f5 38. exf5+ gxf5 39. Re1+ {makes progress, as Black must either allow White's rook to the 7th rank or, if the king retreats, Kf4 and Bxf5 will win more material.} Kf7 40. Kf4 Bh6 41. Bxf5 $18 {The discovered checks are all harmless.}) (34... Rxd1 35. Rxd1 Rxg5 36. Bh4 Rb5 37. Rd8#) 35. Rh1 Rxg5 $5 36. Bh3 $1 {If it weren't for this, Black would be back in the game.} f5 (36... Rd8 37. Bh4 $18) 37. Bf4 Rh5 {Black lost on time making this move.} (37... Rh5 {wouldn't be *that* bad for Black, were it not for} 38. Bxf5 $1 {, but this is *extremely* bad for him.} Rxh1 (38... Rxf5 39. exf5 $18 {isn't meaningfully better.}) 39. Bxd7+ Kxd7 40. Rxh1 $18 {and there's probably no one reading this blog who couldn't defeat Ding from here.}) (37... fxe4+ 38. Kxe4 $18 {is also hopeless for Black, whose pieces are all en prise.}) 1-0