[Event "FIDE World Championship Match 2024"] [Site "Singapore SGP"] [Date "2024.12.07"] [Round "10"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Gukesh D"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2728"] [BlackElo "2783"] [Annotator "WGM Tatev Abrahamyan"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D02"] [Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: London System"] [StudyName "2024 FIDE World Chess Championship"] [ChapterName "Ding, Liren - Gukesh D"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/3cE1DZN1/AmMZZRld"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by WGM Tatev Abrahamyan } 1. d4 { This was a rather uneventful game where both players seemed to be happy with a peaceful result. } 1... Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 { Again, Ding resorts to the London System. } 3... e6 4. e3 c5 5. Be2 (5. c3 Bd6 6. Bb5+ { was played in game 6 of the match. }) 5... Bd6 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. c4 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. Nc3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nh5 (10... Qxd1 11. Rfxd1 b6 { This happened in Rapport – Aronian in 2018 and, even though White went on to lose, he had a slight advantage after: } 12. Ng5 Be7 13. Nge4 Rd8 14. Bb5 Bb7 15. Nd6 Bxd6 16. Bxd6 $14 { before going on to lose in Rapport – Aronian, Caleta, 2018. }) 11. Bg5 (11. Ne4!? { was an important move to consider here. } 11... Nxf4 { but not } (11... Be7 12. Bd6 { as parking a piece on d6 is exactly what White wanted. }) 12. Qxd8 (12. Nxc5 Qe7! 13. exf4 Qxc5 14. Qe2 Bd7) 12... Rxd8 13. Nxc5 b6 14. Rfd1 Nd5 (14... bxc5 15. Rxd8+ Nxd8 16. exf4 Bb7 17. Ne5 Nc6 { Black has some pawn weaknesses but with so little material left on the board, he is quite OK. } 18. Rd1 Nxe5 19. fxe5 Kf8 20. Rd7 Rb8 21. b3 Bd5 22. Bxd5 exd5 23. Rxd5 c4!) 15. Ne4 Kf8) (11. Qe2 { This keeps more pieces on the board at the price of the bishop pair. } 11... Nxf4 12. exf4 Qc7 13. g3 b6 { Long term, White might get outplayed. }) (11. Qxd8 { This was seen in Portisch – Vaganian from back in 1991! } 11... Rxd8 12. Bc7 Rd7 13. Be5 Nf6 14. Bg3 a6 15. Rac1 Ba7 16. Be2 h6 { The game ended in a draw on move 42 in Portisch – Vaganian, Reggio Emilia, 1991. }) 11... Be7 12. Ne4 Nf6 13. Nxf6+ { White got more play in } (13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Qc2 Be7 15. Rfd1 Qa5 16. a3 Rd8 17. Rxd8+ (17. b4 Rxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Qxa3 19. Neg5 g6 20. b5 { This is messier but Black cannot develop the c8-bishop. }) 17... Qxd8 18. Rd1 Qc7 19. Neg5 g6 20. Qd3 Ne5 21. Nxe5 Qxe5 22. h4 Qxb2 23. Qe4 Qf6 24. a4 Qf5 25. Qd4 b6 26. g4 Qc5 27. Qf4 Bxg5 28. hxg5 Qf8 29. Qc7 Qc5 30. Rd8+ Kg7 31. Qf4 f5 32. gxf6+ Kf7 33. Rh8 { Black resigned here in Melkumyan – Saric, Bad Wiessee, 2016. }) 13... Bxf6 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Rfd1 { There is not much life left in the position and soon even more pieces came off. It was quite clear from here that the game was headed towards a draw. } 16... Bd7 17. Rac1 Be8 18. Rxd8 Rxd8 19. Kf1 Kg7 20. a3 f5 21. Ke1 Kf6 22. Be2 Ne7 23. g3 Rc8 24. Rxc8 Nxc8 25. Nd2 Nd6 26. Nc4 Nxc4 27. Bxc4 Bc6 28. f4 b6 29. Kd2 Ke7 30. Kc3 Kd6 31. b4 f6 32. Kd4 h6 33. Bb3 Bb7 34. Bc4 Bc6 35. Bb3 Bb7 36. Bc4 Bc6 { 1/2-1/2 wins. } 1/2-1/2