[Event "WCh 2023"] [Site "Astana KAZ"] [Date "2023.04.24"] [Round "11.1"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C84"] [WhiteElo "2795"] [BlackElo "2788"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2023.04.09"] {[%evp 0,77,17,17,5,11,21,8,29,2,9,10,23,2,28,18,15,-1,30,30,35,28,44,33,33,36,25,26,22,15,15,-3,-4,0,6,13,9,0,25,53,55,47,35,47,49,52,54,62,33,38,31,39,39,39,34,43,44,51,38,38,31,33,46,33,37,37,37,25,67,65,64,64,64,64,55,55,55,55,57,57]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 {No Berlin, thankfully.} 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 {As in game 5, which Nepo won.} b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 {Opening a2 rather than c2 for the bishop's retreat while leaving c3 available to the knight.} (8. c3 {was what Nepo played in that earlier game.}) 8... Na5 (8... O-O {is the other main line, and was played in a previous game between the two.} 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. b4 Nc6 12. Bg5 Bxa2 13. Rxa2 Qd7 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Nd5 a5 16. Rb2 axb4 17. axb4 Bd8 18. c4 Nd4 19. Nxd4 exd4 20. Qc2 c6 21. Nf4 Qb7 22. cxb5 Qxb5 23. Ne2 Bf6 24. g3 Ra3 25. Rb3 Rxb3 26. Qxb3 Ra8 27. Rc1 g6 28. Qc4 Qxc4 29. Rxc4 Ra2 30. Kf1 Ra1+ 31. Kg2 Ra2 32. Nxd4 Bxd4 33. Rxd4 c5 34. bxc5 dxc5 35. Rd8+ Kg7 36. Kf3 Kf6 37. Rc8 Rc2 38. h4 h5 39. Ke3 Ke6 40. Rc7 Kf6 41. Rc6+ Ke7 42. e5 Kd7 43. Rf6 Ke7 44. Ke4 Rd2 45. f4 Rg2 46. Rc6 Re2+ 47. Kf3 Rd2 48. Ke3 Rg2 49. Rxc5 Rxg3+ 50. Ke4 Rh3 51. Rc7+ Ke8 52. d4 Rxh4 53. Rc8+ Kd7 54. Rg8 Rh1 55. d5 Re1+ 56. Kf3 Rf1+ 57. Ke3 Re1+ 58. Kf2 Rd1 59. d6 h4 60. Rh8 g5 61. Rh7 gxf4 62. Rxf7+ Ke6 63. Rxf4 Kxe5 64. Rxh4 Rxd6 65. Rh3 Rf6+ 66. Rf3 Rxf3+ 67. Kxf3 {½-½ Nepomniachtchi,I (2773)-Ding,L (2799) Airthings Masters Prelim chess24.com INT rapid 2022 (14)}) 9. Ba2 c5 10. Nc3 Be6 11. Bg5 {Playing for the d5 square.} (11. Nh4 {is a little more popular at the top, and had been Nepo's main move prior to this game, while Ding faced it with Black a couple of times.} O-O (11... c4 12. Nf5 Bxf5 13. exf5 O-O 14. dxc4 Nxc4 15. Bxc4 bxc4 16. Bg5 Rb8 17. Rb1 Nd7 18. Bxe7 Qxe7 19. Nd5 Qd8 20. Qg4 Rb5 21. Qxc4 Nb6 22. Nxb6 Qxb6 23. b4 d5 24. Qb3 Qc6 25. Rfe1 d4 26. a4 Rd5 27. h4 Rb8 28. Qf3 f6 29. Red1 Qc4 30. Qd3 Rc8 31. Rb2 Rd6 32. b5 Rb6 33. Ra1 h5 34. Ra3 Qd5 35. Rab3 e4 36. Qd1 Rd8 37. bxa6 Rxa6 38. Rb5 Qd6 39. a5 d3 40. cxd3 exd3 41. Rd2 Rc6 42. Rb3 Qc7 43. Rb1 Qxa5 44. Rxd3 Rdc8 45. Qxh5 Qe5 46. Rbd1 Rc1 47. Qf3 Rxd1+ 48. Rxd1 Qe8 49. g3 Rc5 50. Ra1 Qd7 51. Ra8+ Rc8 52. Ra5 Kh7 53. Rd5 Qe8 54. Kg2 Rc7 55. Ra5 Qf7 56. Qd5 Qxd5+ 57. Rxd5 Rc4 58. Rd2 Kg8 59. f3 Kf8 60. g4 Rc1 61. Kg3 Rg1+ 62. Rg2 Ra1 63. g5 Kf7 64. Kg4 Ra4+ 65. f4 fxg5 66. hxg5 Ra1 67. Rb2 Rg1+ 68. Kh3 Rf1 69. Rb7+ Kf8 70. Kg4 Rh1 71. f6 gxf6 72. g6 Ra1 73. Kf5 Ra6 74. Rf7+ Kg8 75. Re7 Ra4 76. Re4 Ra6 77. Re6 Ra4 78. Rxf6 Ra5+ 79. Kg4 Kg7 80. Rd6 Ra1 81. Kg5 Rg1+ 82. Kf5 Kh6 83. Rd8 {1-0 Caruana,F (2787)-Ding,L (2766) Tata Steel-A 78th Wijk aan Zee 2016 (7)}) 12. Nf5 Bxf5 (12... Nc6 13. Bg5 (13. Ne3 Nd7 14. Ncd5 Bg5 15. Bd2 a5 16. a4 b4 17. c3 Rb8 18. Bc4 Bxe3 19. Bxe3 Nb6 20. Nxb6 Qxb6 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. Qg4 Rbe8 23. Rab1 Qa6 24. Rfd1 Kh8 25. h4 h6 26. Rbc1 Qb6 27. Rb1 Kh7 28. Rbc1 Qa7 29. Rd2 Qf7 30. Qg3 Rc8 31. d4 cxd4 32. cxd4 Nxd4 33. Rxc8 Rxc8 34. Bxd4 exd4 35. Rxd4 Rc1+ 36. Kh2 Rc2 37. f3 Rxb2 38. Rxd6 Ra2 39. Rd8 Qe7 40. Rb8 Rxa4 41. f4 Ra3 42. Qg4 Rd3 43. h5 Rd8 44. Rb6 Rd6 45. Qg6+ Kh8 46. Rxd6 Qxd6 47. Qe8+ Kh7 48. e5 Qd4 49. Qg6+ Kh8 {½-½ Nepomniachtchi,I (2757)-Svidler,P (2753) Jerusalem Japhet Memorial Cup 4th rapid 2018 (7)}) 13... Bxf5 14. exf5 Qd7 15. g4 Rac8 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nd5 Qd8 18. c3 Bg5 19. Qf3 Ne7 20. Kg2 c4 21. Nxe7+ Qxe7 22. Rfe1 Rc7 23. Rad1 Rfc8 24. h3 Bf4 25. dxc4 bxc4 26. Re4 g6 27. fxg6 hxg6 28. Rd5 Kg7 29. Qe2 Qe6 30. Qd1 Rc6 31. Bb1 {½-½ Nepomniachtchi,I (2771)-Adams,M (2708) WchT 12th Astana 2019 (4.1)}) (12... Rc8 13. Bg5 Bxf5 14. exf5 Ne8 15. Be3 Bg5 16. Bd5 Bxe3 17. fxe3 Nf6 18. Qf3 Re8 19. b3 h6 20. Be4 c4 21. dxc4 Nxc4 22. bxc4 Rxc4 23. Bc6 Rxc3 24. Bxe8 Qxe8 25. Qb7 Ng4 26. f6 Nxf6 27. Qxa6 Qd7 28. Rab1 Rc5 29. a4 bxa4 30. Rb8+ Kh7 31. Rxf6 gxf6 32. Qa8 Qc6 33. Rh8+ Kg6 34. Qg8+ Kf5 35. Qxf7 Rxc2 36. Qh7+ Ke6 37. Qg8+ Kf5 38. Qh7+ Ke6 {½-½ Giri,A (2769)-Ding,L (2755) Sinquefield Cup 4th Saint Louis 2016 (3)}) 13. exf5 d5 14. Qf3 c4 15. Bg5 e4 16. dxe4 dxe4 17. Qh3 Qc7 18. Rae1 Rfe8 19. Bb1 Rad8 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Nxe4 Bxb2 22. f6 Qd7 23. Qg3 g6 24. Qe3 Rxe4 25. Qxe4 Bxf6 26. a4 b4 27. Qf3 Qc6 28. Qxc6 Nxc6 29. Re4 Nd4 30. Rfe1 Kf8 31. Kf1 b3 32. c3 Nc2 33. Bxc2 bxc2 34. Rc1 Rd1+ 35. Re1 Rd2 36. Re2 Rd1+ 37. Re1 Rd2 38. Re2 Rd1+ 39. Re1 {½-½ Nepomniachtchi,I (2784)-Carlsen,M (2862) Skilling op KO chess24.com INT rapid 2020 (2.23)}) 11... O-O {The most common move, but varying from one of his earlier games.} (11... c4 12. Nd2 O-O 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 e4 16. Rb1 exd3 17. cxd3 c3 18. bxc3 Bxc3 19. Ne4 Bd4 20. Qd2 Nb7 21. a4 Nc5 22. axb5 axb5 23. Rxb5 Nxe4 24. dxe4 Qf6 25. Bb1 Rfb8 26. Bd3 Rxb5 27. Bxb5 Bc5 28. g3 g6 29. Kg2 Ra3 30. Bd3 Kg7 31. Rd1 Rb3 32. Rb1 Ra3 33. Rd1 Rb3 34. Rb1 Ra3 {½-½ Anand,V (2803)-Ding,L (2782) Grand Slam Final 8th Bilbao 2015 (2)}) 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Nd5 (13. Bd5 $6 {is only clever if one knows that Black will (very wrongly) capture on d5.} Rc8 $15) 13... g6 (13... Nc6 {has been more common.}) (13... c4 $146 {is playable as well, as seen above and again below.}) 14. Qd2 (14. b4 {has been more usual, though not more successful, at the GM level.} Nc6 15. c3 Bg7 $11) 14... Bg7 $146 (14... Nc6 15. c3 Bg7 16. Ng5 {has been tried in a few games.}) 15. Ng5 c4 $6 {Now Black is ready to take on d5.} (15... Nc6 {is a reasonable alternative.}) (15... Bd7 {is playable too, even though it seems rather cooperative. White can play} 16. f4 {, intending f5, so Black plays} exf4 17. Qxf4 {and now} Be6 {. Black is okay here, but instead of going ...Be6-d7-e6, it makes sense to do something more constructive.}) 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Ne3 $14 Bh6 {Activating the bishop and preparing a possible ...d5.} 18. Rad1 (18. Qe2 {may improve. At some point White may capture on c4, and when that happens he may need to put a rook on b1 to cover b2. In that case, it makes more sense to wait before developing the a1-rook. If the b-file stays closed, then the rook can come to d1, and in the meantime White should play whatever other useful moves he can find.}) 18... Rb8 $1 19. dxc4 {After this, the game quickly peters out to a dead drawn ending. Nepo thought he'd have a little plus, but Ding's accurate play demonstrates that there's absolutely nothing for White.} (19. Qe2 {doesn't give White much, but it keeps the game going.} Bxe3 20. Qxe3 (20. fxe3 $5) 20... Kg7 21. dxc4 (21. Qa7+ Rf7 22. Qxa6 $4 {is not the way to play for a win:} Ra8 23. Qxb5 Rb7 24. Qa4 Rxb2 25. Ra1 Nb3 26. Bxb3 Rxa4 27. Bxa4 Qa5 28. Bd7 d5 $19) (21. h4 $5) (21. Qd2) 21... bxc4 22. Qc3 $11 {/? White's bishop will get unstuck with b4 (or b3) whenever he wants it. Black has several slightly loose pawns, and while they're going to be safe for the foreseeable future, they give White some long-term hopes.}) (19. Rfe1) (19. Qc3) 19... Nxc4 20. Bxc4 bxc4 21. Qxd6 Qxd6 22. Rxd6 Bxe3 23. fxe3 Rxf1+ 24. Kxf1 Rxb2 25. Rxe6 Rxc2 26. Rxa6 {15 straight captures!} Ra2 27. Rc6 Rxa3 28. Rxc4 Rxe3 29. Kf2 Ra3 30. Rc5 {White wins a pawn, but he can't keep it and avoid a repetition. First things first: Black chases White's king to the h-file.} Ra2+ 31. Kf3 Ra3+ 32. Kg4 Ra2 33. Kh3 {And now the last part of the drawing mechanism is set up:} Re2 34. Rxe5 Kf7 35. Kg3 Kf6 36. Re8 (36. Kf3 {is not a winning try, as} Kxe5 37. Kxe2 Kxe4 {is still a draw, and if anyone is going to win this it's Black.}) 36... Kf7 37. Re5 Kf6 38. Re8 Kf7 39. Re5 {An easy day at the office for Ding, but at this stage of the match it's getting dangerous to put all his hopes on his white games.} 1/2-1/2