(12) Ding,Liren (2728) - Gukesh D (2783)
Ding - Gukesh World Championship Match Singapore SIN (12.1), 09.12.2024

1.c4 In the penultimate game with the white pieces, Ding returns to the English Opening. After all, the variation that Gukesh used in game 8, 1...e6 Gukesh wisely changes his choice, going for the more solid Queen’s Gambit Declined set-ups, ideal when a draw is the desired result. Or at least this was the impression I got after seeing the first move... [1...e5 is susceptible to more testing preparation. 2.Nc3 Bb4 ] 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 d4 This move confused me, as somehow it went in the opposite direction of 1...e6. The move is an ambitious one, but leading to more complex positions than the alternatives like 4...Be7 or 4...dxc4. This was clearly Gukesh’s preparation for the match, showing his trust in it. However, some flexibility might have been better suited for a ’must-not-lose and safety-first’ scenario so late in the match. It’s worth pointing out that a mix of solidity and ambition can often lead to confusion in the mindset. 5.0-0 Nc6 This set-up was popularised by Carlsen, who used it in his match against Nepomniachtchi. The alternative 5...c5 leads to reversed Benoni positions, ideal for a must-win situation for White. 6.e3 Be7 7.d3 dxe3 8.Bxe3 e5 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Re1 The position is balanced, but it’s less common than others that can arise in the closed openings. Unless a player is excellently prepared and knows how to play exactly, it’s not too easy to come up with a plan over the board. 10...h6

A new move, but "looks too slow" - Ding. [10...Be6 has been played so far. 11.h3 and this could have led to a transposition;; 10...Bf5 is a more direct way, targeting the pawn on d3. After 11.Qb3 Bxd3 12.Rad1 White has serious compensation. It looks very dangerous for Black to go for this line without definite knowledge of the lines. For example, now Black has the only move not to lose: 12...Na5 and after 13.Qb5 c6 14.Qxe5 Nxc4 15.Qd4 Nxb2 is another only move for Black. 16.Rd2 Ba3 another only move. 17.Nd1! Bg6 18.Qc3 Nd5 19.Qxa3 Nc4 20.Qb3 Nxd2 21.Bxd2 with a messy position where White’s chances would be preferable as the two light pieces can develop more activity than the rook with the two pawns;; 10...Ng4 is another direct attempt. 11.Bd2! is the correct move. (11.Bc1 Bc5! this is strong, as after (11...Nb4?! 12.Bf1 with an advantage, was a line given by Ding at the press conference.) 12.Ne4 Bb4! 13.Rf1 f5 the position is quite is murky.) 11...Qxd3 (11...Bc5?! 12.Ne4 works great for White now as there is no ...Bb4 as in the line above.) 12.h3 Nf6 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Nxe5 Qd6 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Qe2 Be6 18.Bf4 Qb4 19.Rac1 with a stable initiative, but Black certainly has drawing chances.] 11.a3 Since direct play in the centre didn’t work, Ding had to adopt a slower approach. [Ding calculated 11.d4 exd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 c6 and thought Black can defend after 14.Qxd8 Bxd8 (but not 14...Rxd8? 15.Bxh6! as he pointed out.) 15.Bc5 Re8 16.Rxe8+ Nxe8 17.Rd1 was "nothing for White."] 11...a5 It weakens the b5–square, but Black is OK for now. 12.h3 A useful move, covering the g4– square and ensuring safety for the bishop on e3. [12.Nb5 Ng4! 13.Bc1 Bc5 was the reason why Ding didn’t play the immediate 12.Nb5.] 12...Be6 [12...Bf5 13.d4 exd4 14.Nxd4 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 c6 16.Na4 White targets the weakened dark squares on Black’s queenside, though after 16...Be6 17.Rc1 Nd7 Black is very compact.] 13.Kh2 Carlsen called it "already unpleasant" for Black, but objectively Black is perfectly fine. This is a nice insight as the human perception and the objective reality (as presented by the engine) can, and often will, differ. 13...Rb8 Rather vague and a surprise for Ding. It appears that the move is a preparation for the knight jump ...Nd4, so the rook defends the pawn on b7 in advance, but Gukesh doesn’t follow through on the next move. [13...Qd7 was more straight-forward and what Ding expected. Black wants to play ..Rad8 and then possibly ...Qc8. 14.Qb3 was Ding’s intended line, but here Black has the strong (After 14.Nb5 Rad8 15.Rc1 Qxd3 here 15...Qc8 is also possible, but the concrete capture works. 16.Qxd3 Rxd3 17.Nxc7 Rc8 and the endgame is fine for Black;; 14.Qd2!? is likely the best. 14...Rad8 (14...a4! is the refutation of Ding’s intended plan, with the idea 15.Nxa4? (15.Qc2 Rfd8 and with ...Nd4 next Black successfully grabbed space on the queenside and in the centre.) 15...Nd4! 16.Bxd4 exd4 and the knight on a4 is trapped;) 15.Rad1 Qc8 16.Qc1 Rfe8 17.Nb5 and the maneuvering continues.) 14...Rad8 was the move Ding showed, wondering if he could take on b7 and thinking that if Black puts the queen on c8 he would be fine. 15.Qxb7 (15.Rad1! is stronger. After 15...Qc8 16.Nb5 White is better as his queen is better placed on b3 than on c1 as in the analogous line after 14.Qd2.) 15...Rb8 16.Qa6 Rxb2 and Ding stopped with his calculations, without a clear idea if White is better or not. The position is in fact unclear.; 13...Re8 and the knight on a4 is trapped;] 14.Qc2 Re8 [14...Nd4 would have made sense in connection to Black’s last move, as the rook defends the pawn on b7. 15.Bxd4 exd4 16.Nb5! (16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Rxe4 c5 18.Rae1 and Ding thought maybe it’s easier to play for White.) 16...c5 17.Re2 and the doubling of the rooks on the e-file in connection with the strong knight on b5, White has a serious initiative.] 15.Nb5 Ding was "very optimistic" about his chances after this move. 15...Bf5 16.Rad1 16...Nd7?! With the ide of ...Nc5 and/ or ...Bf6. Gukesh believed he was comfortable, but after White’s next move, he was left without a clear plan. Ding said this move was a surprise for him. [16...Bf8 17.Qc3 Qc8 White has many moves and ideas to maneuver in this slightly better position. 18.Nd2 with the idea of Ne4. (18.Qc1; 18.b3; even 18.d4 exd4 19.Nfxd4 Ne4 20.Qc1 puts Black under pressure in an open position.)] 17.Qd2! Ding was deciding where to put the queen, on d2 or c3. Eventually he chose the stronger option. [17.Qc3 Bf6 18.d4 exd4 19.Nfxd4 Bg6 White is still better, but his advantage is smaller compared to the game.] 17...Bg6 Gukesh called this a mistake, he tried to stop d4, but missed 18...exd4 19.Bf4!. However, the position is already difficult. Carlsen called this decision an "admission of failure of his whole plan." [17...Nc5 was the principled move, and the idea behind 16...Nd7, but it doesn’t quite work. 18.d4! is the idea. 18...Nd3 (18...e4 19.dxc5 exf3 20.Bxf3 and White is a pawn up.) 19.d5 "was tricky for me" - Gukesh. (or 19.Nxe5 which is a good alternative. 19...Ncxe5 (19...Nxe1 with a stable advantage. 20.Qxe1 Qc8 21.Nd3 with a stable advantage.) 20.dxe5 c6 (20...Nxe1? 21.Qxe1 Qc8 22.Qxa5 White has two pawns for the exchange and a dominating position.) 21.Nd6 Bxd6 22.exd6 Qxd6 23.Qxa5 with an extra pawn and a pair of bishops.) 19...Nxe1 (19...e4 Ding called this "very complicated, but maybe just better for White" after 20.dxc6 exf3 21.Bxf3 the engine says White is just winning here.) 20.Qxe1 Nd4 21.Nfxd4 exd4 22.Nxd4 Bh7 23.Qxa5 with two pawns for the exchange and a strong central presence White is close to winning.;; 17...Bf6 18.d4 e4 19.Ng1 was a line shown by Ding, "something similar to the game."] 18.d4! White steamrolls ahead now. 18...e4 [18...exd4 19.Bf4! is the move Gukesh missed. 19...Rc8 20.Nfxd4 Nxd4 21.Qxd4 and the difference in activity of both armies is quite apparent, with a winning advantage for White.] 19.Ng1 "Already very difficult" - Gukesh. 19...Nb6 [19...Bf8 20.Ne2 is similar to the game, when White can improve his position while Black doesn’t have an active plan.] 20.Qc3 Ding was deciding where to put the queen, here or on c2. He decided on c3 so that in some lines after d5–d6 the queen would be better placed, but he missed Black’s next move. [20.Qc2 was also good.] 20...Bf6 [20...f5 21.Bf4 Rc8 22.f3 undermines Black’s centre.] 21.Qc2 Ding was very happy to find this. [21.Ne2 Ne7 with the idea of ...c6 was what Ding mentioned, being worried about his knight on b5 not having squares, but White has 22.Bf4! Rc8 23.Be5 with a winning advantage.] 21...a4 [21...Ne7 22.d5 Nf5 23.Bxb6 cxb6 24.Bxe4 is crushing, a line shown by Ding.] 22.Ne2 Bg5 [22...Na5 was the logical continuation of Black’s idea with ...Nb6 and ...a4, but again it’s not good: 23.c5 Nbc4 24.Nf4 and the black knights are misplaced while the pawn on a4 is hanging.] 23.Nf4 The only move to obtain decisive advantage. Ding thought that his position was "much, much better." [23.c5 Nd5 24.Nec3 Nxe3 25.fxe3 is "only" better for White.;; 23.h4? was Ding’s first intention, but he said "it was a very bad move" as 23...Bxe3 24.fxe3 f5 gives Black stability in the centre.] 23...Bxf4 [23...Bh7 24.c5 Nd7 25.Qxa4 White has an extra pawn and is dominating.] 24.Bxf4 Rc8 [24...e3 25.Qc3 exf2 26.Rf1 and White will pick up the pawn on f2.] 25.Qc3 Controlling the e5–square and preparing d5, thus not allowing ...Ne5, even though that was winning, too. 25...Nb8 26.d5 This wins, too. Upon seeing this move Gukesh started shaking his head in disbelief that his opponent didn’t play Na7. [26.Na7 was the simplest, picking up the exchange, but Ding admitted that he missed it! This is very hard to understand, but it happened.] 26...Qd7 [Ding was happy to see this move, expecting 26...Na6 instead. 27.d6! (27.Be3 ) 27...c6 28.Nc7! instead.] 27.d6 c5 28.Nc7 Rf8 29.Bxe4 Nc6 [29...Bxe4 "a last chance" - Ding, but he showed 30.Rxe4 Nc6 31.Bxh6! f6 (31...f5 32.Re7! ) 32.Bxg7! Kxg7 33.Ne6+ "is crushing" - Ding.] 30.Bg2 "No counterplay for Black" - Ding. 30...Rcd8 [30...Nd4 31.Re7 Qf5 32.Rxd4 cxd4 33.Qxd4 is the line Ding showed.] 31.Nd5 Nxd5 32.cxd5 Nb8 [32...Nd4 33.Qxc5 ] 33.Qxc5 Rc8 34.Qd4 White’s position is so dominating that Black can hardly move. 34...Na6 35.Re7 Qb5 36.d7 Rc4 37.Qe3 Rc2 38.Bd6 f6 [38...Nc7 39.Bxc7 Rxc7 40.d8Q Rxd8 41.Rxc7 wins a full rook.] 39.Rxg7+! Played instantly for a crushing comeback in the match! 1-0