[Event "WCC Match 2024"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Gukesh Dommaraju"] [Site "Singapore"] [Round "8.1"] [Annotator "Sundararajan Kidambi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2024.12.04"] [ECO "A21"] [WhiteElo "2728"] [BlackElo "2783"] [PlyCount "102"] [GameId "2119713149985213"] [EventDate "2024.11.18"] [EventType "match"] [EventCountry "SIN"] [SourceTitle "playchess.com"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceQuality "1"] [TimeControl "40/7200:1800+30"] 1. c4 {[%emt 0:00:14]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 2. Nc3 {[%emt 0:00:23]} Bb4 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 3. Nd5 {[%emt 0:00:32]} Be7 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 4. Nf3 {[%emt 0:03:34]} d6 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 5. g3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} c6 {[%emt 0:00:28]} 6. Nxe7 {[%emt 0:02:31]} Nxe7 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 7. Bg2 {[%emt 0:00:06]} f6 $5 {[%emt 0:00:06] An amazing concept like in the previous game. Black protects the central e5 point and is intending to go for a broad centre with d6-d5.} 8. O-O {[%emt 0:13:53]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:08]} (8... O-O 9. d3 Be6 10. b4 Qd7 {½-½ Aryan,C (2634)-Theodorou,N (2619) FIDE Grand Swiss Douglas 2023 (4)}) 9. b3 {[%emt 0:06:34]} d5 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 10. Ba3 {[%emt 0:01:45]} O-O {[%emt 0:02:18]} 11. Rc1 {[%emt 0:02:45]} a5 {[%emt 0:05:57]} 12. Ne1 {[%emt 0:04:21]} Re8 {[%emt 0:10:35]} 13. f4 $5 {[%emt 0:09:46] Hypermodern opening at its best, White has not pushed the central pawns, but tries to undermine Black's centre with his flank pawns.} exf4 {[%emt 0:03:38]} 14. Rxf4 {[%emt 0:03:11]} dxc4 {[%emt 0:02:13]} 15. bxc4 {[%emt 0:12:10] Giving up both central pawns in consequtive moves to create a very concrete play.} Ng6 {[%emt 0:02:02]} 16. Re4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Na6 {[%emt 0:08:33]} 17. Nc2 {[%emt 0:15:30]} Qc7 {[%emt 0:10:23]} (17... f5 $5) 18. Nd4 {[%emt 0:03:56]} Bf7 {[%emt 0:00:45]} 19. d3 {[%emt 0:05:03]} Ne5 {[%emt 0:12:34]} 20. Nf3 {[%emt 0:06:29] Ding was playing for stability more than anything else and was welcoming exchanges.} Nd7 {[%emt 0:07:44] Black responds to a retreat with a retreat in order to retain pieces on the board. This was not expected by Leko at all. He felt this gives White time to stabilise.} (20... Bg6 $1 {Leko was expecting this with a very comfortable position for Black.}) 21. Rxe8+ {[%emt 0:02:12]} Rxe8 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 22. Rb1 $6 {[%emt 0:02:04] [#] outwardly it looks like preventing Black's b5 break, but ironically it makes it stronger! It remains to be seen if Ding did not expect Black's response by not considering the intermediate Qb6+ move} b5 $1 {[%emt 0:01:28]} 23. cxb5 {[%emt 0:06:10]} Qb6+ {[%emt 0:00:25]} 24. Kf1 {[%emt 0:00:29]} cxb5 {[%emt 0:00:30]} 25. Bb2 {[%emt 0:00:56]} Bxa2 $17 {[%emt 0:03:17]} 26. Bd4 {[%emt 0:00:05][%CAl Bb2d4,Bd4e3,Be3c5][%mdl 32] [#] As Ding pointed out, this move was natural but also based on a miscalculation. He did not expect that Black will walk into a self pin with his knights to retain his material advantage.} Nac5 $2 {[%emt 0:06:57] While it is difficult to understand that this move loses the advantage while the other knight moves retains it, we can nevertheless try to think which move suits in terms of logic.The knights defending each other(Khokki Ghoda) are not good units in terms of solidity. The problem as I understand is because if one of the knights are attacked, the other knight it defends also loses support, especially with pawns, or sometimes Bishops using pins.Apart from this in this position, after the knight walks into a self pin Black needs to think how to get reinforcements to support it. White would double on the c-file and attack the the knight on c5. Black would have to support the same with ?c8, and this walks into another pin and the Rook on c8 is unsupported. To support the Rook, Be6 is an option, but for this the c8-h3 diagonal should be open and not blocked by the knight on d7! This would show that retaining the knight on a6 keeps black more coordinated.I would also feel the knight being on d7 would invite Bh3 by White at some point, but it is perhaps not relevant at this point.} ({Better is} 26... Ndc5 27. Rc1 Bd5 $1 {apparently this is very strong,Black is going to support the knight with Rc8 and get his rook to c7 next and White cannot make any use of the pin.} (27... Be6 28. Qc2 (28. Bg1 {threatening d4-d5, but here too Black can wriggle out with} Qd6 ({or} 28... Bb3 29. Qe1 b4 30. Qf2 Bf7 {Now that the bishop is on g1, this works well for Black, his connected passed pawns decide.}) 29. Nd4 Bd7 $17) 28... Rc8 29. Bg1 Qb8 $19) 28. Qc2 Rc8 29. Be3 (29. Bg1 Qb7 30. d4 Nb4 $1 $19 {Showing that the knight on a6 was not placed on a worse square after all!}) (29. Bh3 Rc7 $19) 29... Qe6 30. Bf2 Nb4 $19) (26... Qb8 27. Ra1 {regains back the pawn.}) 27. Rc1 {[%emt 0:00:48]} Bb3 {[%emt 0:06:40] This was the move that Gukesh thought was winning for him.As he admitted he missed White's next move. According to Gukesh if he had seen White's response he would have probably gone back to analysing Nac5 instead of Ndc5.} 28. Qe1 $1 $36 {[%emt 0:01:01][%mdl 2048] Bringing the Queen over to f2 to put pressure on c5.} (28. Qd2 b4 $19) 28... Be6 $2 {[%emt 0:07:11] Apparently this even tilts the balance in White's favour. A typical feature of such complex positions.} ({Black can still maintain the equilibrium with} 28... a4 $1 $11 {keeps the balance.The passed pawns are pushed instead of supporting the knight.} 29. Qb4 (29. Qf2 a3 30. Bxc5 Nxc5 31. Qxc5 Qxc5 32. Rxc5 a2 33. Rc1 b4 $19) 29... Na6 (29... Rc8 $2 30. Bh3 $18) 30. Qxb3+ axb3 31. Bxb6 Nxb6 32. Rb1 {White regains the pawn.} Nd5 $11) 29. Qf2 $1 $16 {[%emt 0:00:18][%CAl Rd4c5][%mdl 1024]} Rc8 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 30. Be3 $1 {[%emt 0:00:06] threatening d4 and d5, is a nice resource.} Rc7 {[%emt 0:06:17] [#]} 31. Nd4 {[%emt 0:00:14]} (31. Ne1 $1 $16 {This essentially guards a check on c1 and renews the threat of Bf4. This retreating move is especially difficult when short of time. What Ding chose was the natural move. But this move would have given White a serious advantage!} Bf7 32. Bf4 Ra7 33. Bh3 $1 {This exploits the problem of ?ac5!} Be6 34. Bxe6+ Qxe6 35. Be3 {and White wins material.}) (31. Bf4 Ne5 32. Nxe5 fxe5 33. Bxe5 {fails to the brilliant resource} Nxd3 $19 ({or} 33... Ne4 $19)) 31... Bf7 $1 {[%emt 0:07:46] [#]} 32. Nc6 $1 {[%emt 0:00:25][%mdl 512]} Rxc6 {[%emt 0:00:25]} 33. Bxc6 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Qxc6 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 34. Bxc5 {[%emt 0:00:05]} h6 {[%emt 0:01:47] While this was also asessed by the computer to be a sizeable advantage for White. In practical terms with White's king being unsafe and the play on light squares, this felt not at all easy and Ding was completely fine with a draw here, it seemed during the game.} 35. Ke1 {[%emt 0:00:37]} b4 {[%emt 0:00:30] [#]} 36. Qd4 {[%emt 0:01:52]} Ne5 $1 {[%emt 0:03:14]} 37. Kd2 {[%emt 0:01:56]} Qg2 {[%emt 0:00:53]} 38. Qf2 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Qd5 {[%emt 0:00:38]} 39. Qd4 {[%emt 0:00:06] aiming for Qxd5.} Qg2 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 40. Qf2 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Qd5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 41. Qd4 {[%emt 0:00:34]} Qa2+ {[%emt 0:09:03] It was shocking to many that Black was the one to avoid the repetition once again, but again in practical terms both Black and White thought there was no risk and that being exchange down was merely formal and attacking chance comensate the material deficit.} (41... Qg2 $11 {Black could have forced a repetition for the third time and forced the draw.}) 42. Rc2 {[%emt 0:00:37]} Qe6 $1 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 43. Qd8+ {[%emt 0:10:06]} Kh7 {[%emt 0:00:14] The position is equal.} 44. Qxa5 {[%emt 0:00:06]} b3 {[%emt 0:01:19]} 45. Rc1 {[%emt 0:05:19]} Qd5 {[%emt 0:07:16]} 46. Qb4 {[%emt 0:03:08]} Qg2 {[%emt 0:02:42]} 47. Qe4+ {[%emt 0:04:01] White forces the draw.} Qxe4 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 48. dxe4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} b2 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 49. Rb1 {[%emt 0:00:01][%CAl Od2c3] Threatens to win with Kc3!} Ba2 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 50. Rxb2 {[%emt 0:00:01]} Nc4+ {[%emt 0:00:04]} 51. Kc3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Nxb2 {[%emt 0:00:06] Weighted Error Value: White=0.15 (very precise) /Black=0.16 (very precise) . Mistake: White=4 Black=3 Inaccurate: White=2 Black=2 OK: White=14 Black=17 Best: White=4 Black=9 Strong: White=2 Black=3 Brilliant: White=1 ---} 1/2-1/2 [Event "Ch World (match)"] [White "Euwe, Max"] [Black "Alekhine, Alexander"] [Site "Netherlands"] [Round "18"] [Annotator "Khalifman,A"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "1935.??.??"] [ECO "A20"] [PlyCount "31"] [GameId "404720370024"] [EventDate "1935.??.??"] [SourceTitle "Alekhine-4thWC"] [Source "Convekta"] [SourceDate "2004.01.01"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2004.01.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. c4 e5 2. Nf3 e4 3. Nd4 Nc6 4. Nc2 (4. Nxc6 dxc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. h3 h5 7. d4 exd3 8. e4 Be6 9. Bxd3 Qd6 10. Qc2 O-O-O 11. Be2 Qe5 12. Be3 g5 {...1/2-1/2, Hodgson J.(2605) - Hansen C.(2607), Harplinge 1998 It (cat.12)}) 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. b3 O-O 7. g3 d5 {9} 8. cxd5 {9} Nb4 {8} 9. Nxb4 {8} Bxb4 {8} 10. Bg2 {8} Re8 {8} 11. O-O {8} Bf5 {8} 12. Bb2 {8} Nxd5 {8} 13. Nxd5 {8} Qxd5 {8} 14. d3 {8} Rad8 {8} 15. dxe4 {8} Bxe4 {8} 16. Qxd5 {Z0} 1/2-1/2