[Event "WCh 2024"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Gukesh, Dommaraju"] [Site "Singapore SIN"] [Round "8.1"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2024.12.04"] [ECO "A21"] [WhiteElo "2728"] [BlackElo "2783"] [PlyCount "102"] [GameId "2119130045973014"] [EventDate "2024.11.25"] {[%evp 0,102,15,17,7,4,11,9,14,15,15,8,28,14,14,12,21,25,27,27,21,14,10,15,20,-3,28,-2,-75,8,28,-10,-18,9,0,-29,4,72,2,6,4,-7,16,173,9,-22,43,-70,-72,-55,-63,-175,-173,-145,-124,-124,-81,30,-21,44,38,39,56,147,55,170,58,42,79,62,58,7,84,50,16,79,35,32,3,31,16,21,1,18,69,18,29,82,70,33,23,-1,1,1,57,-4,-5,3,-51,0,0,-3,0,-2,-3]} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 {Sometimes called the Kramnik-Shirov Counterattack, it first shows up in my database back in 1816. In that first game, White played 3.d3.} 3. Nd5 Be7 {This move, which is really Shirov's contribution (Kramnik played 3...Bc5 in a couple of games, and the slightly avant garde 3...Bd6 once), was first played second game in the database with 2...Bb4, a consultation game Steinitz/Potter vs. Kolisch/Meitner played by telex in 1872.} (3... Bc5) ({and} 3... a5 {are also standard alternatives. Gukesh successfully played this latter move against his countryman and fellow rising star Erigaisi earlier this year.} 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 c6 6. Nxb4 axb4 7. d4 e4 8. Nd2 Nf6 9. Bg2 d5 10. b3 O-O 11. e3 Bf5 12. Bb2 Re8 13. O-O Nbd7 14. a3 bxa3 15. Bxa3 Nf8 16. b4 Qd7 17. Qb3 Bh3 18. b5 Ng6 19. Rfc1 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Qg4 21. Kh1 Qe2 22. Ra2 Ng4 23. Nf1 Nxf2+ 24. Kg1 Nh3+ 25. Kh1 Qf3+ 26. Rg2 dxc4 27. Qc3 cxb5 28. Nd2 Qg4 29. Bb2 Ng5 30. Rf1 f6 31. Qb4 Qd7 32. Bc3 Ne7 33. Qb2 Nd5 34. Re2 Ra2 35. Qc1 Nf3 36. Rff2 Nxd2 37. Bxd2 c3 38. Bxc3 Rxe2 39. Rxe2 Rc8 40. Rc2 Qc6 41. Qa1 b4 {0-1 Erigaisi,A (2762)-Gukesh,D (2764) Warsaw Superbet Blitz 2024 (11)}) 4. Nf3 d6 {The normal move. If you've never seen this line before it makes a strange impression: the bishop goes out, then it comes back (but allows itself to be traded off), and then for good measure Black locks it in. And Black has a plus score with it!} 5. g3 (5. d4 {is the most popular move.}) 5... c6 {For good measure, Black insists that White take the bishop.} (5... Nf6) 6. Nxe7 Nxe7 7. Bg2 {This allows ...f6 followed by ...d5. White can try to stop it in various ways, but Black always has a reply that's at least as good.} (7. Qc2 $6 {hopes to meet ...f6 with d4, but Black can instead play} c5 $1 $15 {when Black's central pawns work with his remaining bishop rather than against it. If White were set up to take advantage of the d5 square it might be another story; here, Black will always win that battle.}) (7. e4 $6 {is likewise well met by} c5 $1 $15 {, taking d4 ideas off the table.}) (7. d4 $6 {allows} e4 $15 {, which wouldn't be as attractive when White's pawn is back on d2. Then White would play Nd4 followed as quickly as possible by b3 (or b4) and Bb2, with a fantastic open, unopposed diagonal. Here Black will slam the door shut on any ideas of b3, Bb2, and d5 by playing ...d5 himself.}) ({So White should acquiesce in Black's ...f6, ...d5 plan and find the setup he finds most to his taste. Alternatives to the game's 7.Bg2 include} 7. d3 {,}) (7. b3 {,}) ({and} 7. b4 {, with rough equality in every case.}) 7... f6 $1 $146 {A novelty, but Black generally plays this pretty quickly. The point is not just to play ...Be6 but also to play ...d5 - at least that's Gukesh's point. It didn't happen in the Koch or Theodorou games.} (7... O-O 8. O-O c5 (8... f6 9. d3 Be6 10. b4 (10. b3 Nd7 11. Ba3 Qc7 12. Qd2 Rad8 13. Rac1 Rfe8 14. Rfd1 Bf7 15. Qc2 c5 16. e3 Nc6 17. Qc3 Bh5 18. Rd2 Nf8 19. b4 Ne6 20. b5 Ne7 21. Bb2 Nf5 22. Qc2 Bg6 23. Qd1 Qd7 24. g4 Ne7 25. Nh4 Bf7 26. d4 Qc8 27. d5 Nf8 28. Be4 Bg6 29. Nxg6 hxg6 30. h3 Kf7 31. Qf3 Nh7 32. Qg3 f5 33. Bg2 Nf6 34. Bf3 Rh8 35. g5 Ne4 36. Bxe4 fxe4 37. Kg2 Nf5 38. Qg4 Rh4 39. Qe2 Nd4 {0-1 Balster,S (2290)-Koch,T (2345) BL2-West 9596 Germany 1995 [2]}) 10... Qd7 11. a4 Bh3 12. e4 Bxg2 13. Kxg2 Qe6 14. Qe2 Nd7 15. d4 Rae8 16. d5 cxd5 17. cxd5 Qg4 18. h3 Qg6 19. Nh4 Qf7 20. Qb5 Rd8 21. Qxb7 f5 22. Nxf5 Nxf5 23. exf5 Qxf5 24. Qxa7 Nf6 25. Qe3 Rc8 26. Ra3 Nxd5 27. Qb3 e4 28. Bf4 Rc3 29. Qa2 Qf7 30. Rd1 Rxa3 31. Qxd5 Qxd5 32. Rxd5 Rxa4 33. Rxd6 Rxb4 34. Rd7 Re8 35. Be3 Reb8 36. g4 R4b7 37. Rd5 Re8 38. h4 h6 39. h5 Re6 40. Kg3 Rf7 41. Rd4 Kh7 42. Ra4 Rf3+ 43. Kg2 Rf7 44. Kg3 Rfe7 45. Bc5 Rb7 46. Be3 Rd7 47. Rb4 Rde7 48. Ra4 g6 49. hxg6+ Rxg6 50. Kh4 Rge6 51. Rb4 Rd7 52. Kg3 Kg6 53. Rb5 Rf7 54. Kg2 Kg7 55. Rb4 Kh7 56. Kg3 Kg6 57. Rb5 Kg7 58. Rb4 Kh7 59. Ra4 Rg7 60. Kh4 Rb7 61. Kg3 Kg7 62. Rc4 Rd7 63. Rb4 Rde7 64. Rb5 Kh7 65. Rh5 Rg7 66. Kh4 Reg6 67. g5 Rf7 68. Rxh6+ Rxh6+ 69. gxh6 Rxf2 70. Bxf2 Kxh6 71. Kg4 e3 72. Bxe3+ {½-½ Aryan,C (2634)-Theodorou,N (2619) FIDE Grand Swiss Douglas 2023 (4)}) 9. b3 Nbc6 10. Bb2 h6 11. e3 Bg4 12. h3 Bh5 13. g4 Bg6 14. d4 f6 15. Nh4 Bh7 16. Qd2 Qe8 17. d5 Nb8 18. f4 g5 19. Nf3 Nd7 20. f5 h5 21. e4 Kh8 22. Ne1 Qf7 23. Bf3 h4 24. Nd3 Rfc8 25. Rfc1 Bg8 26. a3 Qe8 27. Be2 Bf7 28. Ne1 Qg8 29. Nf3 Be8 30. Bc3 a6 31. a4 b6 32. a5 b5 33. cxb5 axb5 34. Bxb5 Nb8 35. Bc4 Na6 36. Nxh4 Qh7 37. Nf3 Qxh3 38. Qh2 Qxh2+ 39. Kxh2 Rcb8 40. Ne1 Bb5 41. Nd3 Kg7 42. Kg3 Nc8 43. Rab1 Na7 44. Ba1 Nc8 45. b4 Bxc4 46. Rxc4 Nxb4 47. Nxb4 Rxa5 48. Bc3 Ra3 49. Kf2 Nb6 50. Nc2 Ra2 51. Bd2 {½-½ Vakhidov,J (2599)-Caruana,F (2794) Wch Blitz Samarkand 2023 (8)}) 8. O-O (8. d4 e4 9. Nd2 d5 10. Qb3 a5 $1 {This important move lets Black chase White's queen off the diagonal with ...a4 in some critical lines.} 11. O-O O-O 12. a4 {Stopping ...a4 and ...b5 alike. Now White threatens to take on d5 and then e4.} (12. Nb1 a4 13. Qc2 b5 $11) (12. f3 exf3 13. Nxf3 a4 14. Qb4 Re8 15. Bd2 b6 16. Rae1 Be6 $11) (12. cxd5 cxd5 13. f3 (13. Nxe4 $4 a4 $19) 13... exf3 14. Qxf3 Nbc6 15. Qf2 Nb4 16. a3 Nc2 17. Ra2 Nf5 18. Nb3 Re8 19. e4 $8 a4 $1 20. Qxc2 axb3 21. Qxb3 Nxd4 22. Qxd5+ Be6 23. Qxd8 Raxd8 24. b3 (24. Ra1 $4 Nc2 25. Rb1 Bc4 $19 (25... Ba2 $19)) 24... Nxb3 $11 {/? The weakness of White's e-pawn leaves Black with a minuscule edge.}) 12... Kh8 13. Nb1 Be6 $5 (13... f5 $11 {is also satisfactory.}) 14. Qxb7 Na6 15. Bd2 (15. cxd5 $2 Bxd5 $17 {leaves White's queen in a cage.}) 15... dxc4 16. Bxa5 Qd6 $1 17. Bd2 $8 g5 18. Qb6 $8 Nd5 19. Qa5 Nab4 $8 20. Qc5 $1 Qxc5 21. dxc5 Nc2 22. Ra2 Ndb4 23. Bxb4 Nxb4 24. Ra3 Nc2 25. Rc3 Nd4 26. Re3 f5 27. g4 Nc2 28. Rc3 Nd4 29. Re3 Nc2 $11 {is a funny "perpetual".}) (8. b4 {is a good option here, as it was on move 7.}) 8... Be6 9. b3 d5 10. Ba3 {This is a very nice diagonal for the bishop. Fortunately for Black, no White pieces coordinate with that bishop.} O-O $11 11. Rc1 a5 {A nice move that's good for both the knight on b8 (...Na6-b4) and the rook on a8 (...a5-a4).} ({There are other good moves for Black, such as the unpinning} 11... Re8 {.}) 12. Ne1 {Clearing the way for f2-f4. Black has the center, but can he keep it?} Re8 13. f4 exf4 $1 (13... e4 {is okay, as long as Black doesn't meet} 14. d3 {with the spatially greedy} f5 $2 {, which cedes tons of dark squares on the a1-h8 diagonal.} 15. Nc2 $16) 14. Rxf4 dxc4 15. bxc4 {Now Black has no center. If White could safely advance his d- and e-pawns into the center he'd have an enormous advantage, especially with his bishop pair - or so it would seem.} Ng6 16. Re4 (16. Rf2 $6 Ne5 17. d3 $6 Ng4 $17) (16. Rf3 {lets us examine what happens if White gets everything he could reasonably hope for from the center:} Ne5 17. Rfc3 Na6 18. d4 Nf7 19. e4 {This looks like a dream come true. Two bishops! An enormous pawn center! Black with a dim knight on the rim! (Etc.) This just shows that general principles are only that: generalities, not universal laws. White is not in trouble here, but as we'll see, neither is Black.} b5 $1 20. d5 (20. cxb5 cxb5 21. e5 Bd5 22. Rc6 {Cute, but not a problem for Black.} Bxg2 23. Nxg2 fxe5 24. d5 $44) 20... b4 $1 21. dxe6 Ne5 22. Qxd8 Raxd8 23. Rb3 bxa3 24. Rxa3 Nc5 25. Nf3 a4 26. Nxe5 fxe5 27. Bh3 $8 Rd4 $11) 16... Na6 ({The aggressive} 16... f5 17. Re3 f4 $11 {is also possible.}) 17. Nc2 (17. d4 f5 (17... Nb4 18. d5 cxd5 19. cxd5 Qxd5 20. Bxb4 Qxd1 21. Rxd1 axb4 $11) 18. Re3 f4 19. Rf3 Bg4 20. Rf2 fxg3 21. hxg3 Re3 22. Bb2 Rxg3 23. Rc3 Rxc3 24. Bxc3 Qg5 25. Qd2 (25. d5 $44) 25... Qxd2 26. Bxd2 Re8 27. e4 c5 28. d5 Ne5 29. Bf1 $44) 17... Qc7 (17... f5) (17... Qd7 18. Rd4 Qc7) 18. Nd4 Bf7 19. d3 Ne5 (19... Nb4) 20. Nf3 {From here, Ding starts losing the thread of the game.} (20. Qd2 $142) (20. Nf5 $142) 20... Nd7 (20... Bg6 $142 21. Rf4 Nb4 $15) 21. Rxe8+ Rxe8 22. Rb1 $2 {This not only fails to stop ...b5, it encourages it.} (22. Bb2 {retains a comfortable position for White, who will continue to consolidate with Qd2.}) 22... b5 $1 $15 23. cxb5 $6 Qb6+ 24. Kf1 cxb5 25. Bb2 $2 {This should have cost Ding the game.} (25. Bh3 $142) 25... Bxa2 $19 26. Bd4 Nac5 $2 {One problem with using this knight is that White can attack the knight on d7 with Bh3.} (26... Ndc5 27. Rc1 Bf7 28. Nd2 Qd6 $19 {Black has the material and the compensation.}) 27. Rc1 Bb3 (27... b4 $142 28. Qc2 b3 29. Qb2 Na4 30. Bxb6 Nxb2 31. Bd4 Na4 32. Nd2 b2 33. Rc7 Ne5 34. Rb7 Ng4 35. h3 Rd8 36. e3 Ne5 37. Bxb2 Rxd3 $15) (27... Bf7 28. Qc2 a4 29. Bh3 $1 Be6 $8 30. Bxe6+ Qxe6 $8 31. Bxc5 Nxc5 32. Nd4 $8 Qh3+ 33. Kg1 $11) 28. Qe1 $11 Be6 $2 {Stopping Bh3 ideas, but the cure is worse than the disease. Now it's Gukesh who should lose.} (28... a4 29. Qb4 Qe6 $1 30. Bxc5 Qxe2+ 31. Kg1 Nxc5 32. Qxc5 Qxd3 $11 33. Ne1 Qd2 34. Nf3 $8 Qd3 $11) 29. Qf2 $18 Rc8 30. Be3 $1 Rc7 31. Nd4 $6 (31. Ne1 $1 {This blocks the back rank, so d4-d5 is a threat - there's no ...Rxc1 intermezzo with check. This was Ding's best chance to win. He's still much better, but from here any possible White win will require a great deal of effort.} Bf7 32. Bf4 $1 Rc8 (32... Ne5 33. d4 $18) 33. d4 $18) 31... Bf7 32. Nc6 $1 Rxc6 33. Bxc6 Qxc6 34. Bxc5 $16 {/+-} h6 35. Ke1 {White retains a serious edge, but there's no clear-cut win.} (35. Be3 $142) 35... b4 (35... a4 $142) 36. Qd4 $6 (36. Kd2 $142 $18) 36... Ne5 $1 37. Kd2 Qg2 38. Qf2 Qd5 39. Qd4 $2 (39. Bd4 $1 Nc6 40. Bb6 Ne5 41. Qd4 Qg2 42. Qf4 $16 {/+-}) 39... Qg2 $2 (39... Qa2+ $1 40. Rc2 Qe6 $14) 40. Qf2 Qd5 41. Qd4 $2 {The first move of the new time control could have given Ding enough time to gather himself and find the best way to push for a win. Fortunately for Gukesh, he decides to repeat moves instead.} (41. Bd4 $1) 41... Qa2+ $5 {And Gukesh is not interested! A remarkable decision, but it his bravery or foolhardiness?} (41... Qg2 {is weaker as a move, but correct for the sake of making a draw by threefold repetition.}) 42. Rc2 Qe6 43. Qd8+ (43. Bb6 {tries to win the pawn without decentralizing the queen.} b3 44. Rc1 Kh7 45. Bc7 (45. Bxa5 Nc6 46. Qa4 b2 47. Rxc6 Qxc6 48. Qxc6 b1=Q $11 {is objectively equal, but White is presumably happier to play on.}) 45... Nc6 46. Qc4 Qxc4 47. dxc4 a4 48. Kc3 $1 Nd4 $1 {Black is losing after anything else.} 49. Ra1 (49. Kxd4 b2 50. Re1 Bg6 51. Bd6 b1=Q 52. Rxb1 Bxb1 53. Ba3 Kg8 54. Kc5 Kf7 55. Kb6 Ba2 56. c5 Bc4 57. e3 (57. c6 Bxe2 58. c7 Bg4 59. Kb7 g5 60. c8=Q $2 Bxc8+ 61. Kxc8 f5 $19) 57... Ke6 58. c6 Bd5 59. c7 Kd7 60. Bf8 g5 61. Bxh6 g4 $11) 49... Nxe2+ 50. Kb2 Bxc4 51. Rxa4 Bd5 $11) 43... Kh7 44. Qxa5 b3 45. Rc1 (45. Rb2 Qd7 46. Ke1 Qh3 $11) 45... Qd5 $1 46. Qb4 Qg2 47. Qe4+ Qxe4 48. dxe4 b2 $1 49. Rb1 Ba2 50. Rxb2 Nc4+ 51. Kc3 Nxb2 (51... Nxb2 52. Kxb2 Bc4 {is dead drawn, and would be even if Black ignored White's e-pawns with a move like 52...Be6 instead.}) 1/2-1/2