[Event "WCh 2023"] [Site "Astana KAZ"] [Date "2023.04.21"] [Round "9.1"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C65"] [WhiteElo "2795"] [BlackElo "2788"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "163"] [EventDate "2023.04.09"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 {The first (and hopefully last) Berlin of the match.} 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. O-O d5 7. Nbd2 dxe4 8. dxe4 a5 ({Ding tried} 8... Qe7 {against Nakamura a couple of years ago, allowing White to play} 9. b4 {. This seems to be fine as well:} Bd6 10. Bb2 a5 11. a3 Be6 $11 {½-½ Nakamura,H (2736)-Ding,L (2799) Speed Chess Chess.com INT blitz 2021 (3.65490)}) 9. a4 Qe7 10. Qc2 Nb8 {Black's results here have been very good: three wins (all in rapid online games), seven draws, and no losses.} 11. Re1 Rd8 12. h3 $146 {A novelty, but one that transposed to another set of games.} h6 $146 {Again transposing to other games. There has been a lot of that in the foregoing moves.} (12... Nbd7) 13. Nf1 c6 14. Bc4 Na6 15. Ng3 Qc7 $11 16. Ba2 $146 {Finally, the players are on their own (or at least not following previous games, whether knowingly or not).} b5 {Black is likely to continue with ...Bf8 and ...Nc5, when the knight threatens to jump into d3 and attacks the a-pawn as well.} ({That said, there was nothing wrong with implementing the ...Bf8, ...Nc5 plan immediately.} 16... Bf8 $11) 17. Qe2 $1 {Attacking b5 while preparing a kingside attack with Nh4 and Qf3.} Rb8 $6 {Losing an important tempo in the race.} (17... Bf8 $1 18. axb5 cxb5 19. Qxb5 Nc5 {is an effective sac. The threat is ...Ba6, winning the queen, and even aside from this one-mover it's clear that Black's pieces will enjoy lots of activity. For example:} 20. b4 Nd3 21. Rd1 Ba6 22. Qxa5 Qxc3 23. Bd2 Qc2 {and here White's best may be to force a draw with} 24. Rdc1 Nxc1 25. Rxc1 Qb2 26. Rb1 Qc2 27. Rc1 $11) 18. Nh4 $14 Bf8 19. Qf3 (19. Ng6 Nc5 20. Nxf8 Kxf8 21. Be3 $1 Nxa4 (21... Ncxe4 $2 22. Nxe4 Nxe4 23. Qf3 Nf6 (23... Nd6 24. Bc5 Kg8 25. Rxe5 $18) (23... Nd2 24. Bxd2 Rxd2 25. Rxe5 $18 Qxe5 $2 26. Qxf7#) 24. Bxh6 $18) (21... Nd3 22. Red1 Nf4 23. Rxd8+ Qxd8 24. Qf3 Qc7 25. Rd1 Kg8 26. Bxf4 exf4 27. Ne2 Be6 $1 28. Bxe6 fxe6 29. Nxf4 bxa4 30. Nxe6 Qe5 31. Qf5 Qxf5 32. exf5 Rxb2 33. Ra1 Rb5 34. g4 $16) 22. Bb3 Kg8 23. Bxa4 bxa4 24. Rxa4 Be6 25. Rea1 Rb5 26. Qf3 Rxb2 27. Bxh6 Ra8 28. Bg5 $14) 19... bxa4 (19... Nc5 20. Bxh6 Nh7 21. Be3 (21. Bc1 bxa4 22. Ngf5 Be6 23. Qg3 Bxa2 24. Rxa2 Nf6 25. Nh6+ Kh7 26. Ng4 Nxg4 27. Qxg4 a3 $1 28. bxa3 Rb1 $11) 21... bxa4 22. Bc4 Be6 23. Bxe6 Nxe6 24. Qe2 Bc5 25. Rxa4 Bxe3 26. fxe3 g6 $14) 20. Bxh6 Nc5 $1 (20... Rxb2 $2 21. Bg5 Be7 22. Nhf5 Bxf5 23. Nxf5 Nc5 24. Qg3 $1 Rxa2 (24... Ncxe4 25. Rxe4 Nxe4 26. Nxe7+ Qxe7 (26... Kf8 27. Ng6+ $1 fxg6 28. Qf3+ Nf6 29. Bxf6 gxf6 30. Qxf6+ Ke8 31. Qxg6+ Kf8 (31... Kd7 32. Qe6# {illustrates one reason for Black to get rid of White's bishop (24...Rxa2).}) 32. Qg8+ Ke7 33. Qe6+ Kf8 34. Re1 $1 $18) 27. Bxe7 Nxg3 28. Bxd8 Ne2+ 29. Kf1 Nxc3 30. Bc4 Rb4 31. Ba6 $18 {Black has three pawns for the piece, but not for long.}) 25. Rxa2 Rd3 26. Be3 Bf8 27. Nh6+ Kh8 (27... Kh7 28. Qh4 $1 gxh6 29. Qxf6 $18) 28. Qxe5 $1 Bd6 29. Qf5 Ncxe4 30. Rxa4 Rd5 31. Qf3 gxh6 32. Rxe4 Nxe4 33. c4 $1 $18) 21. Ng6 $1 Rxb2 22. Nxf8 Rxf8 23. Bg5 $6 {After this, Ding is okay.} (23. Bc4 $1 {kept the pressure on. Black can still survive, but it won't be easy:} Be6 24. Nf5 $1 Bxf5 (24... Bxc4 $4 25. Bxg7 Qd8 26. Bh6 Ne6 27. Qg3+ Kh7 28. Qh4 Rh8 29. Bg7+ Kg6 30. Bxh8 $18) 25. Qxf5 Qe7 26. Qg6 Ne8 27. Bc1 a3 $1 28. Qxc6 $1 (28. Bxb2 axb2 29. Rxa5 (29. Rab1 $2 a4 $1 $17 30. Rxb2 $2 Nd3 $1 $19 {is a nice fork.}) 29... Nd6 30. Ba2 Nd3 31. Rb1 $8 Nb5 32. Qxc6 Qg5 33. Rxb5 Qc1+ 34. Kh2 Qf4+ $11) 28... Qd6 $1 29. Qd5 $1 $14) 23... Nh7 $11 24. Bc1 Rb5 $6 (24... Rc2 $1 {was correct, scary though it is to self-trap one's rook in the heart of the enemy camp.} 25. Bc4 (25. Qd1 Rxc1 26. Rxc1 (26. Qxc1 Nd3 27. Qe3 Nxe1 28. Qxe1 Rd8 $11) 26... Rd8 27. Qc2 Nd3 $11) 25... Nb3 26. Rxa4 $1 Nxc1 27. Qe3 Be6 $1 28. Rxc1 (28. Bxe6 $6 fxe6 29. Rxc1 Rfxf2 30. Rxc2 Rxc2 $15) 28... Rxc1+ 29. Qxc1 Bxc4 30. Rxc4 Ra8 $11) 25. Ba3 $14 Re8 (25... Rd8 $142 $1 26. Bc4 Be6 $1 27. Bxb5 cxb5 28. Rad1 Rc8 $1 $14) 26. Bc4 $1 $14 {/?} Be6 $1 27. Bxe6 (27. Bxb5 $1 cxb5 28. Qe3 Nd7 29. Rab1 Bb3 30. Nf5 $14 {/? was best, taking advantage of the Black bishop's inability to be on b3 (restricting White's rooks) and e6 (to restrict White's knight) at the same time.}) 27... Nxe6 28. Nf5 $14 c5 $1 {Neutralizing White's bishop (and gaining space) outweighs worries about the potential hole on d5.} 29. Qe2 (29. Bc1 $142 $1 Nf6 30. Rxa4 c4 $1 $11 {/?}) 29... Rb3 $11 30. Qc4 Qc6 31. Bc1 Nf6 {I hope you enjoyed the middlegame, because now the players hoover up most of the pieces and all of the queenside.} 32. Qxa4 Qxa4 33. Rxa4 Rxc3 (33... Nd7 $1 $11) 34. Bb2 $1 Rb3 35. Bxe5 Rb4 36. Rxa5 Rxe4 37. Rxe4 Nxe4 38. Ra4 Nd4 $5 39. Bxd4 cxd4 40. Rxd4 g6 {After a mad flurry of exchanges, the players have reached the time control and both have something to feel good about. For Ding, he survived a middlegame with a vulnerable king and several weak pawns to reach an ending a pawn down with all the pawns on one side of the board. Better still, White's extra pawn is the h-pawn rather than an f-pawn (as would be the case if Black's f7-pawn were on h7). This ending is objectively drawn, and shouldn't be a huge stretch as a practical matter, either. Nepo has less to be happy about, but he can play forever with no risk at all, and with an extra pawn and not just one but two pairs of pieces on the board his chances, though small, go beyond hoping Ding has a heart attack, falls asleep, gets tripped by the arbiter, etc.} 41. Ne3 Kg7 42. Rb4 Ng3 {The swap of knights would result in a dead draw.} 43. Rb7 Nf5 44. Ng4 (44. Nxf5+ gxf5 {is still an easy draw - the h-pawn is not an effective passer.}) 44... Re7 45. Rb5 (45. Rxe7 Nxe7 {Knight and four pawns (typically e-, f-, g-, and h-pawns) vs. knight and three pawns (typically f-, g-, and h-pawns) is generally a win, while knight and three vs. knight and two is generally a draw, though not always, and with some struggle. But that's when the side with less material has g- and h-pawns vs. f-, g-, and h-pawns. Here the extra is the h-pawn, and that reduces White's winning chances.}) 45... Re1+ 46. Kh2 Re2 47. Rb7 Nd6 48. Ra7 Kf8 49. Kg3 f5 $1 {Normally this would be weakening, but because knight moves allow ...Ne4+ White is forced to swap pieces, either the knights or the rooks, and in either case Black is still well within the bounds of a draw.} 50. Kf3 Re7 51. Ra8+ Re8 52. Rxe8+ Kxe8 53. Ne5 g5 {Black would prefer not to play this with his king so far back, but he is still alive.} 54. h4 $1 {The only chance to make something happen.} gxh4 55. Kf4 h3 $1 (55... Ke7 56. Ng6+ Kf6 57. Nxh4 {is also drawn after} Ne4 58. f3 Nd6 59. g3 Ke6 {, but it's unpleasant.}) 56. gxh3 Ke7 57. Nc6+ (57. Kg5 Ne4+ $11) (57. f3 Kf6 $11) 57... Kf6 58. Nd4 Ne4 59. f3 Nf2 $1 {Not the only drawing move, but chasing White's king away from f4 makes life easier.} 60. h4 Nd3+ 61. Kg3 Kg6 62. Ne6 Kf6 63. Nf4 Nb4 64. Kf2 Ke5 65. Ke3 Nc2+ 66. Kd2 Nd4 (66... Kxf4 {is possible.} 67. Kxc2 Kxf3 68. h5 Kg2 69. h6 f4 70. h7 f3 71. h8=Q f2 {and White's king is one square too far away for him to win.} 72. Qg7+ Kh2 73. Qf6 Kg2 74. Qg5+ Kh2 75. Qf4+ Kg2 76. Qg4+ Kh2 77. Qf3 Kg1 78. Qg3+ Kh1 {is the basic drawing idea, for those who haven't seen this ending before.} 79. Qxf2 $11) 67. Nd3+ Kf6 68. Ke3 Nc2+ 69. Kf4 Nd4 70. Kg3 Ne2+ 71. Kf2 Nd4 72. Nf4 Ke5 73. Ne2 Ne6 74. Kg3 Kf6 75. Kg2 Kg7 76. Kf2 f4 {A firm way of ensuring that the king will not return to f4 any time soon.} 77. Kg1 Kg6 78. Kg2 Kh6 ({Of course, not} 78... Kh5 $4 79. Kh3 {, when Black is in zugzwang. In fact this position is a mutual zugzwang, so Black doesn't mind reaching it when it's White to move.}) 79. Nc1 {Allowing Black to force the draw.} (79. Kh3 Kh5 $11) 79... Kh5 80. Kh3 Nd4 81. Nd3 (81. Kg2 Nxf3 82. Kxf3 Kxh4 $11) 81... Nxf3 82. Nxf4+ ({After} 82. Nxf4+ Kh6 83. h5 {(else ...Nxh4), Black has many ways to draw. Here's one:} Kg5 84. Kg3 Nd4 85. Kf2 Ne6 $1 $11 {This is not forced, but it's effective. White's h-pawn is leaving the board in a move or two.} (85... Kxf4 $4 86. h6 $18)) 1/2-1/2