[Event "WCh 2024"] [White "Gukesh, Dommaraju"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Site "Singapore SIN"] [Round "13.1"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2024.12.11"] [ECO "C11"] [WhiteElo "2783"] [BlackElo "2728"] [PlyCount "136"] [GameId "2121669807679133"] [EventDate "2024.11.25"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 (3. exd5 {was tried in game 5.}) 3... Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nce2 {Similar to the line in game 1 in that it prepares to meet ...c5 with c3 before Black takes on d4, but Gukesh intends to do without f4.} (5. f4 c5 6. Nce2 {was the line in game 1.} (6. Nf3 {is the most popular move, and nothing we've seen in this match looks likely to change that.})) 5... c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. a3 {Rare here, but a common French idea. There are generally two ideas: (1) keep Black's pieces (especially the bishop) out of b4, and (2) play b4 to grab some queenside space in the hope of making it harder for Black to develop his queenside initiative.} (7. Nf3 {is usual, while}) (7. f4 {would transpose to game 1.}) 7... Be7 {Simple development. While certainly not a bad move it's not the engine's top choice, which may mean that Ding was already on his own.} (7... Qb6 {is a common French idea, but it's probably not the best option this time.} 8. b4 $14) (7... a5 {is a better option, intending ...a4 followed by ...Qa5.}) ({A refreshingly direct approach is} 7... cxd4 8. cxd4 f6 {, when play will often resemble the Tarrasch lines where Black meets 3.Nd2 with 3...Nf6. White's options include the solid 9.exf6 and the very sharp 9.Nf4.}) 8. Be3 $146 {This was the engine's top choice.} Nb6 $6 (8... b5 {is a reasonable option, looking to break with ...b4.}) 9. Nf4 {It's a good square for the knight, and it also gets out of the way of the queen (potentially headed to g4) and the bishop (to take on c4 if Black moves the knight there).} cxd4 {A third straight suboptimal move.} (9... Bd7 $142) 10. cxd4 $16 {White seems to be in great shape here. Gukesh has achieved everything he could reasonably expect from the opening, and then some.} Nc4 11. Bxc4 dxc4 12. Nge2 $6 (12. Qg4 $1 {is the obvious move here; the only question is if the tactics work out.} Nxd4 {The critical test, though not the objectively best move.} (12... Qa5+ 13. Bd2 Qb6 14. Qxg7 Rf8 15. Nge2 Nxd4 16. Nxd4 Qxd4 17. Be3 $16) (12... O-O 13. Nh5 (13. Nf3 $16) 13... g6 14. Nf3 Kh8 15. Bh6 Rg8 16. Nf4 $16) 13. O-O-O $1 $18 {The play from here is sharp, but Black is loads of trouble.}) 12... b5 (12... f6 $1 13. exf6 Bxf6 14. O-O e5 $1 15. Nh5 $1 exd4 16. Nxf6+ Qxf6 17. Nxd4 O-O 18. Nxc6 Qxc6 $14) 13. O-O O-O 14. Nc3 $14 {White still enjoys a pleasant advantage, though it's not nearly as good as what he would have had with 12.Qg4.} Rb8 (14... b4 15. axb4 Nxb4 {was best, hoping to use the a8-h1 diagonal in general, especially the d5 square.}) 15. Nh5 f5 $1 16. exf6 Bxf6 17. Qf3 $5 (17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 18. d5 exd5 19. Qxd5+ Qe6 20. Rfd1 Qxd5 21. Rxd5 $14 {is a little better for White, but Gukesh probably rejected this as too drawish.}) 17... Qe8 (17... Nxd4 $142 $11) 18. Nxf6+ Rxf6 19. Qe2 $14 Qg6 20. f3 Rf8 (20... Rf5 $142 {looks better, preparing ...Bb7 followed by ...Raf8. The rook takes over the defense of the b-pawn, so Black doesn't have to spend a tempo on ...a6.}) 21. Rad1 Ne7 22. Bf4 Rb6 (22... Rxf4 $4 23. Qe5 $18) 23. Bc7 Rb7 (23... Rc6 $142 24. Be5 Rb6 25. a4 a6 26. Ne4 $16) 24. Bd6 Re8 $6 (24... Rf7 $16) (24... Rf5 $16) 25. Bxe7 $6 (25. Rfe1 $1 $16 {/+- is a big improvement, threatening 26.d5. Black has a few ways to neutralize the threat, but they all have some drawback.} Bd7 (25... a5 {Now 26.d5 can be met by 26...b4.} 26. Bxe7 Rexe7 27. Ne4 Rbd7 28. Qd2 {shows the drawback of ...a5. The pawn is weak, and if} a4 29. Nc3 $18 {leaves Black's majority blocked, fragile, and with nothing but weaknesses on the dark squares.}) (25... Rd8 26. Bxe7 Rxe7 27. Nxb5 $18) (25... Nf5 26. Bb4 Bd7 27. Qe4 Rbb8 28. d5 exd5 29. Qxd5+ Be6 30. Qd2 $18 {followed by 31.Ne4 is positionally winning for White.}) 26. Bxe7 Rxe7 27. d5 $16 {/+- Because the bishop is on d7, Black can't play ...exd5.}) 25... Rexe7 26. Qe5 (26. Rfe1 $142 $14 {/? isn't as good as it would have been on the last move, but it's still White's best bet, intending 27.Qf2 followed by 28.Re5.}) 26... a6 27. d5 exd5 28. Qxd5+ Qe6 29. Qc5 Re8 $1 30. Rde1 Qf7 $2 {/?? If Gukesh ends up losing the match, this position will give him nightmares for the rest of his life, or at least until he gets another shot at the title and breaks through.} (30... Qxe1 31. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 32. Kf2 Re8 33. Ne4 Rbe7 $8 {Ding surely considered this and rightly appraised it as more comfortable for White, but "equal-to-slightly worse and a little uncomfortable" is better than lost.}) 31. Ne4 $2 {/?? Too soon.} (31. Rxe8+ Qxe8 32. Ne4 $18 {Now Nd6 is a humongous threat, attacking all of Black's pieces while also troubling Black's king after an ensuing Qd5+. Black is lost here. For example:} Qd7 33. Nd6 Rb8 34. Qd5+ Kf8 (34... Kh8 $4 35. Re1 $1 {Threatening both 36.Re8+ and 38.Nf7+ Kg8 39.Nh6+ Kf8 40.Qg8# - the rook on e1 prevents the king's escape via e7. The best Black can do is give up his queen for a rook, e.g.}) 35. Rd1 {Threatening Rd4-f4+.} Bb7 36. Qe5 Qe7 {*almost* lets Black escape. Alas for Black, there's} 37. Nxc4 $1 {when White should eventually win the coming endgame.} Qxe5 38. Nxe5 Ke7 39. b4 $18) 31... Rf8 $8 32. Nd6 Rc7 $1 33. Qe5 Qf6 34. Qd5+ Kh8 $14 {With Black's rook on f8 guarding the back rank and helping defend f7, White has nothing special here. A bit more space, but no targets.} 35. Re5 Re7 36. Rfe1 Rxe5 37. Rxe5 (37. Qxe5 $142 Qxe5 38. Rxe5 h6 39. Kf2 $14 {was White's last chance to squeeze something out of the position. Black should hold, but there are still practical difficulties.}) 37... h6 38. Qc5 Bd7 39. Ne4 Qf4 $1 {Black's counterplay is just in time.} 40. Re7 Bf5 $11 {The time control has been made, and Ding survived. In fact, he has made it all the way back to equality.} 41. Qd4 Rg8 42. h3 Qc1+ 43. Kf2 Bxe4 44. Rxe4 c3 $1 {Not necessary, but a nice idea. Either White wins the pawn but heads directly into a drawn rook endgame or he lets Black get a little counterplay with a passed a-pawn.} 45. bxc3 (45. Qxc3 Qxc3 46. bxc3 Rc8 47. Re6 (47. Re3 Rc4 {followed by ...Ra4 regains the pawn.}) 47... Rxc3 48. Rxa6 Rb3 {followed by ...b4, with the drawn ending that eventually arises in the game.}) 45... Qxa3 46. Kg3 Qb3 47. Re7 a5 48. Rb7 Qc4 49. Qe5 Qc6 50. Qxb5 Qxc3 51. Ra7 Qe1+ 52. Kh2 Qb4 {There's nothing left for White but to try the rook ending, or at least pretend to. While rook and three pawns vs. rook and four pawns can sometimes be dangerous for the defender, rook and three vs. rook and two is almost never lost at the GM level, and Ding certainly isn't going to lose it.} 53. Qxb4 axb4 54. Rb7 Ra8 55. Rxb4 Ra2 56. Kg3 Kh7 57. Rb5 Kg6 58. f4 Kf6 59. Kf3 Rc2 60. g3 Rc3+ 61. Kg4 Ra3 62. h4 Rc3 63. Rb6+ Kf7 64. f5 h5+ 65. Kf4 (65. Kxh5 Rxg3 $11) 65... Rc4+ 66. Kf3 (66. Kg5 {doesn't help.} Rg4+ 67. Kxh5 Rxg3 68. Rg6 {Otherwise White's king will be cut off forever, but now Black gets the pawn back.} Rxg6 69. fxg6+ Kf6 70. Kg4 Kxg6 $11) 66... Rc3+ 67. Kf4 Rc4+ 68. Kf3 Rc3+ 1/2-1/2