[Event "WCh 2024"] [White "Gukesh, Dommaraju"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Site "Singapore SIN"] [Round "9.1"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2024.12.05"] [ECO "E11"] [WhiteElo "2783"] [BlackElo "2728"] [PlyCount "107"] [GameId "2119657314443284"] [EventDate "2024.11.25"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 {Nine games, eight different openings! We could get used to that.} Bb4+ (3... d5 {is the main move, but Ding's 3...Bb4+ can (and in this case, does) transpose.}) 4. Bd2 Be7 5. Bg2 d5 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Rd1 b6 (9... a5 {is also common, as played by Gukesh at least half a dozen times.}) 10. Bc3 {Far less common than 10.Bf4. The main idea, I think, is to have the bishop on what will be a nice diagonal once Black plays ...c5.} Bb7 (10... Ne4 {and}) (10... Ba6 {are reasonable alternatives that should also equalize.}) 11. Nbd2 Qc7 {Only played once before, but it's the best move.} ({The immediate} 11... c5 {isn't bad, though White may be a tiny bit better after} 12. dxc5 bxc5 13. cxd5 exd5 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Qb6 16. Qb3 {.}) (11... Rc8 {is logical, preparing ...c5. The drawback is that it allows White to play} 12. e4 {, after which Black must play precisely to equalize.} c5 $1 13. exd5 exd5 14. Nf1 Ne4 $1 15. Ne3 Ndf6 $1 16. Ne5 cxd4 17. Bxd4 Qc7 $1 18. Rac1 Bd6 $11) 12. Rac1 Rfd8 $146 ({The stereotyped} 12... Rac8 $11 {1-0 L'Ami,E (2644)-Fedorchuk,S (2611) Bundesliga 1819 Germany 2018 (6.4) , intending ...c5 (almost always Black's aim in the Catalan), is also good.}) 13. b4 {If Black doesn't hurry, White will clamp down with c4-c5.} c5 14. bxc5 bxc5 15. Qb2 (15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. cxd5 Bxd5 17. Ng5 (17. Bxf6 gxf6 $11 {isn't dangerous for Black - how is White going to attack Black's king? There's no dark-squared bishop, no knight is going to g5, etc.}) 17... Bxg2 $8 18. Kxg2 (18. Bxf6 $6 Bxf6 19. Qxh7+ Kf8 20. Nge4 $1 Bxe4 21. Nxe4 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Nxe4 23. Qh8+ Ke7 24. Qxa8 Nc3 25. Rd2 Nd5 $15) 18... Ncd7 19. Ngf3 Nd5 $11) (15. cxd5 Nxd5 16. Ba1 Rac8 17. dxc5 Nxc5 18. h4 h6 19. Ne5 Ba6 20. Bf3 Bf6 21. Nc6 $5 {is cute, but even if Black "cooperates" by taking he can still retain equality.} Bxe2 $1 22. Bxf6 Nxf6 $8 23. Nxd8 Bxd1 24. Nxe6 Nxe6 25. Qxc7 Rxc7 26. Rxc7 Nxc7 27. Bxd1 Kf8 $11 {is the more professional way for Black to keep the balance.}) 15... Nb6 $5 {An entertaining way to handle the position. Everything's equal, though.} (15... Rab8 {and}) (15... Rac8 $11 {are also equal.}) 16. Ba5 $1 dxc4 17. Nxc4 Bxf3 $6 {There's no need for Black to give up this bishop.} (17... Nxc4 $142 18. Rxc4 (18. Bxc7 $4 Nxb2 19. Bxd8 Rxd8 $19) 18... Qxa5 19. Qxb7 {is a little tricky for Black. One way to maintain equality is} Nd7 $1 20. dxc5 Nxc5 21. Rxd8+ Qxd8 $11) 18. Bxb6 $1 axb6 19. Bxf3 $14 Ra6 {Another inaccuracy, after which White could have had a meaningful advantage.} (19... Ra7 $142 {was best. Black can hold after either capture on b6 and is only marginally worse after 20.e3 Nd5. The key difference between 19...Ra7 and 19...Ra6 can be seen in the following variation:} 20. Ne5 Nd5 21. e4 (21. Qb3 $11 {/?}) 21... Nb4 22. dxc5 (22. Qxb4 $4 {wins when the rook is on a6, but here it loses.} cxb4 23. Rxc7 Rxc7 $19) 22... Rxd1+ 23. Bxd1 bxc5 24. a3 Na6 25. Nc4 Nb8 $11 {followed by ...Nc6 equalizes.}) 20. Qb5 $6 (20. Ne5 $14 {, intending 21.Nc6, gives White a nagging advantage.} Nd5 $6 21. e4 $16 Nb4 $4 (21... Nf6 22. Be2 $1 Ra5 23. Bb5 $1 Nxe4 24. Nc6 $16) 22. Qxb4 {wins, but wouldn't if Black's rook were on a7 instead.} Qxe5 23. Qb5 Qf6 24. Qxa6 Qxf3 25. Qxb6 $18) 20... Rxa2 $11 21. Nxb6 Qa7 $1 22. Qb1 (22. dxc5 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Ra5 $1 $11 {regains the pawn.}) 22... Rb8 23. dxc5 Ra6 24. Qb5 Bxc5 {Reestablishing material equality. The position is equal, and the draw will soon be obvious.} 25. Qxc5 Qxb6 26. Qxb6 (26. Qc8+ {Mating? Almost, but no.} Ne8 $1 $11) 26... Raxb6 {The rest is unnecessary.} 27. Rc6 Rxc6 28. Bxc6 g5 29. Kg2 Rb2 30. Kf1 (30. e3 $4 Ng4 $19) 30... Kg7 31. h3 h5 32. Ra1 Rc2 33. Bb5 Rc5 34. Bd3 Nd7 35. f4 gxf4 36. gxf4 Rc3 37. Kf2 Nc5 38. Ke3 Nxd3 39. exd3 Rc2 40. Kf3 Rd2 41. Ra3 Kg6 42. Rb3 f6 43. Ra3 Kf5 44. Ra5+ e5 45. fxe5 Rxd3+ 46. Ke2 Rxh3 47. exf6+ Kxf6 48. Kf2 h4 49. Kg2 Rg3+ 50. Kh2 Kg6 51. Rb5 Rg5 52. Rxg5+ Kxg5 53. Kh3 Kf6 54. Kxh4 1/2-1/2