[Event "2023 FIDE World Championship"] [Site "Astana KAZ"] [Date "2023.04.21"] [Round "9.1"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Ding Liren"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "FM Carsten Hansen"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C65"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/46lbOGuJ/fb7h8wCn"] [Orientation "white"] { Annotations by FM Carsten Hansen } 1. e4 e5 { At least for now, Ding's experiment with the French Defense, as he played in the previous game, is over. } 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 { The Berlin Defense. A choice that was widely applauded by the live commentators, including Fabiano Caruana. Of course, the Berlin has been played before, including by Ding against Nepo, and it was also the choice in one of the games in the alleged data leak of "Ding's preparation" that rocked the internet during the previous game. } 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 (5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. Nc4 { . } (7. Qe2 Re8 8. Nc4 Nd7 9. Bd2 Bf8 10. h4 b5 11. Ne3 Nc5 12. h5 a5 { and Black had a comfortable position in Nepomniachtchi – Ding, Chess24.com, 2020. }) 7... Re8 8. a4 a5 9. Bd2 b6 10. Bc3 Ng4 11. O-O f6 12. Bd2 g5? (12... f5 { the chances would have been about balanced }) 13. h3 Nh6 14. h4?! (14. Nh2!) 14... Nf7 15. hxg5 fxg5 16. Nh2 Re6 17. Ne3 Rg6 18. Nf5 Bxf5?! 19. exf5 Rf6 20. Qg4 h6?! 21. Qh3 Qd7?! 22. Ng4 Rxf5?? 23. Nf6+ { when, losing the queen, Ding resigned in Nepomniachtchi – Ding, Chess24.com, 2020. }) 5... O-O 6. O-O d5 (6... d6 { which has been used by countless top grandmasters, including Caruana, So, and some Norwegian called Carlsen. }) 7. Nbd2 dxe4 8. dxe4 a5 (8... Qe7 { has been tested by Ding, albeit only in an online blitz game: } 9. b4 Bd6 10. Bb2 a5 11. a3 Be6 12. Qc2 h6 13. Rac1 Rfd8 { and Black had just about equalized in Nakamura – Ding, Chess.com, 2021. }) 9. a4 Qe7 10. Qc2 Nb8! (10... Na7?! 11. Be2 Nc6 12. Nb3 Ba7 13. Bb5 Bg4 14. Bxc6! Bxf3 15. gxf3 bxc6 16. Nxa5 Qe6 17. Qe2 { and White had a clear advantage, which he eventually won, in Radjabov – Nakamura, Madrid, 2022. }) 11. Re1 (11. Bd3 h6 12. Nc4 Nc6 13. h3 Rd8 14. Re1 Nh5 15. Bf1 Qf6 16. Be3 { with a tiny edge for White in Carlsen – Kramnik, Leuven, 2017. }) (11. Be2 Nbd7 12. Nc4 b6 13. h3 Bb7 14. Bd3 Rfd8 15. Re1 h6 16. b3 Qe8 17. Be3 Bxe3 18. Rxe3 Qe6 { and Black had a comfortable position in So – Nakamura, Chess.com, 2022. }) 11... Rd8 (11... h6 12. h3 Be6 13. Bf1 Nbd7 14. Nc4 Rfd8 15. Ncxe5 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Bxh3 17. Nd3 Be6 18. Nxc5 Qxc5 19. Be3 { with a slight advantage for White in Villarreal – Barkov, ICCF email, 2015. }) 12. h3 h6 13. Nf1 c6 14. Bc4 Na6 15. Ng3 Qc7 16. Ba2 (16. Qe2 { had been tried in a correspondence game, although Black in this line too does not have any problems: } 16... Bf8 17. Be3 Nc5 18. b4 Ncxe4 19. Nxe4 Nxe4 20. Bb6 Qxb6 21. Qxe4 Re8 22. Nxe5 Be6 23. Bd3 f5 { with equal chances in De la Rosa Solorzano – Genga, ICCF email, 2021. }) 16... b5 17. Qe2 Rb8?! (17... Bf8! 18. Be3 (18. axb5 cxb5 19. Qxb5 { and Black gains more than sufficient compensation after } 19... Nc5 { when all of Black's pieces have come to life }) 18... bxa4 (18... Rb8!? { now that White's dark-squared bishop is no longer guarding the b2-pawn/square }) 19. Bc4 (19. Qc4 c5 20. Nd2 (20. Qxa4? Bd7 21. Qc4 Be6 22. Qe2 c4 { and Black has taken command of the game }) 20... a3 21. bxa3 Be6 { and Black has equalized. }) 19... a3 20. bxa3 Nc5 { , and Black has comfortable equality. }) 18. Nh4! { This strong knight leap is the first step in the attack on the kingside; an attack that White has been hoping for ever since the queen was put on e2 and the bishop was parked on a2. White's knights are dreaming of jumping to f5 and g6. } 18... Bf8 (18... Be6 19. Bxe6 fxe6 { is interesting, killing off White's bishop and taking the f5-square away from White's knights, but the long-term consequences for Black, having messed up his pawn structure, are difficult to assess, but the both the advantage and fun is decidedly on White's side. }) 19. Qf3!? (19. Ng6!? { possibly threatening to eliminate Black's darks-squared bishop but, more importantly, open up the box of tricks with a threat like f2-f4 as illustrated by } 19... Bd6 20. f4! exf4? 21. e5 Bc5+ 22. Kh1 Nd5 23. Nxf4 { and Black will probably not survive. }) 19... bxa4! { An ugly move that Black would rather not have played, but Black needs counterplay and he needs it pronto! Therefore, the a-file had to be opened. } (19... Qe7? { , e.g., } 20. Ngf5 { followed by Nf5xh6+ and White is already completely winning. }) 20. Bxh6 Nc5 (20... gxh6? 21. Qxf6 { is completely out of the question for Black. }) (20... Rxb2? 21. Bg5 { is a nightmare for Black. }) 21. Ng6?! (21. Bg5!? { is interesting, after which Black must play } 21... Rd3 { but after } 22. Qe2 Nh7 23. Be3 { , it is clear that Black's sufferings are far from over. }) 21... Rxb2 (21... Rd3 22. Re3 Rxe3 23. Qxe3 Qd6 24. Nxe5! Be6 (24... gxh6? 25. Nxf7 { is massively better for White }) 25. Bf4 { and White has an edge. }) 22. Nxf8 Rxf8 (22... Rd3?! 23. Be3 Nb3 24. Nh5!) (22... Nb3? 23. Bg5 { , Black's problems only seem to have gotten bigger. }) 23. Bg5?! (23. Bxg7? Kxg7 24. Qe3 { , it promptly backfires after } 24... Ne6 25. Nf5+ Kh8 26. Qh6+ Nh7 27. Bxe6 fxe6 { and White is a piece down with nothing to show for it. }) (23. Bc4!? Be6 24. Nf5 Bxf5 25. Qxf5 Qe7 26. Qg6 Ne8 27. Bc1 { and White has a reasonable advantage with bishop pair against knight pair plus the initiative in hand. }) 23... Nh7! 24. Bc1 Rb5?! (24... Rc2 25. Bc4!? (25. Ba3? Nb3! { and Black is clearly better }) 25... Nb3! 26. Rxa4 Nxc1 27. Qe3 Be6 28. Rxc1 (28. Bxe6 fxe6 29. Rxc1 Rfxf2! { and Black is better because White cannot capture on f2 with the queen: } 30. Qxf2 Rxf2 31. Kxf2 Qb6+ 32. Ke1 Qe3+ 33. Ne2 Ng5 { and Black is winning. }) 28... Rxc1+ 29. Qxc1 Bxc4 30. Rxc4 Ra8 { when Black has solved his problems. }) 25. Ba3 Re8 26. Bc4 Be6! { Ding was forced to sacrifice the exchange; fortunately it is rather good. } 27. Bxe6 (27. Bxb5 cxb5 28. Qe3 Nd7 { when Black seems to have reasonable compensation but his troubles are far from over. }) (27. Qe2! Bxc4 28. Qxc4 { which leaves Black with a long-term positional nightmare. }) 27... Nxe6 28. Nf5 c5 { Black has an extra pawn but the a4-pawn is bound to drop as soon as White is interested in capturing it. During the game, I thought White was still comfortably better thanks to his strong knight on f5 (which may leap via e3 to d5) and Black's light-squared weaknesses and loose queenside pawns. However, the engines are less convinced, only granting White a minimal edge. } 29. Qe2?! (29. Qg3 Nf6 30. Bc1 g6 31. Qh4 Qd8 32. Ne3 { This looks unpleasant for Black, but, once more, Stockfish and its friends remain unimpressed, claiming Black to be more or less okay. }) 29... Rb3 30. Qc4 Qc6?! (30... Reb8 { was cleaner, proclaiming all of Black's problems to be over, yet White's position still looks easier to play. }) 31. Bc1 Nf6 { This is the starting position of the annual Berlin woodchopping festival. } 32. Qxa4 Qxa4 33. Rxa4 Rxc3 34. Bb2 Rb3 35. Bxe5 Rb4 36. Rxa5 Rxe4 37. Rxe4 Nxe4 38. Ra4 Nd4! { A good practical choice which loses a pawn but takes the endgame into something that Black should not lose, especially for someone as strong as Ding. } (38... Nd2!? 39. Rg4 (39. Bc3 Nb3 40. Rg4 Nbd4 { and Black is okay }) 39... Nf4!! (39... g6 40. Bc3 { is still unpleasant for Black }) 40. Rxg7+ (40. Nh6+ Kh7 41. Nxf7 Ng6 42. Bc3 Re1+ 43. Kh2 Nf1+ 44. Kg1 Nd2+) 40... Kf8 41. Bxf4 Re1+ 42. Kh2 Nf1+ 43. Kg1 Nd2+ { with a draw by perpetual check. }) 39. Bxd4 cxd4 40. Rxd4 { White is a pawn up. It should end in a draw, but Nepo isn't just going to hand Ding a draw in this position. If he could convert this into a win, it could decide the match, breaking Ding once and for all. } 40... g6 41. Ne3 Kg7 42. Rb4 Ng3!? 43. Rb7 Nf5! { This is a gutsy move, but Ding knows his endgames and therefore knows this rook ending to be drawn; obviously, you don't offer such a trade unless you are 100% sure that it is a sound decision. } 44. Ng4 { Nepo played this almost instantaneously; he too knows his endgames. } 44... Re7 { All exchanges lighten Black's defensive burden. } 45. Rb5 { Nope, still not interested! } 45... Re1+ 46. Kh2 Re2 47. Rb7 Nd6 48. Ra7 Kf8 49. Kg3 f5!? { This pawn push is not the most logical choice as it makes Black's pawn a lot more vulnerable. However, Ding seemed relatively confident that it would work and possibly speed up the path toward the draw result he was angling for. } 50. Kf3 Re7 51. Ra8+ Re8 (51... Kg7 52. Ne3 Ne4 { was also entirely possible. }) 52. Rxe8+ Kxe8 53. Ne5 g5 54. h4 gxh4 55. Kf4 h3!? (55... Ke7 { and he may be right. For instance: } 56. Ng6+ Kf6 57. Nxh4 Ne4 58. f3 (58. Ke3 Ng5) 58... Nd6 { which should end in a draw, but White can carry on for a lot longer. }) 56. gxh3 Ke7 57. Nc6+ Kf6 58. Nd4 Ne4 59. f3 (59. Ke3 Kg5 60. f3 Nd6 61. Kf2 Kh4 62. Kg2 f4! 63. Ne6 Nf5 64. Nxf4 { (White wins a second pawn, but, unfortunately for him, they are of no use) } 64... Ne3+ 65. Kf2 (65. Kh2 Nf1+ 66. Kg1 Ne3 { is a draw }) 65... Nf5 { and White cannot make progress. }) 59... Nf2 60. h4 Nd3+ 61. Kg3 Kg6 { It is obvious that this endgame is drawn as White cannot make any worthwhile progress. Of course, that didn't stop Nepo from trying a bit longer. } 62. Ne6 Kf6 63. Nf4 Nb4 64. Kf2 Ke5 65. Ke3 Nc2+ 66. Kd2 Nd4 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 77. Kg1 Kg6 78. Kg2 Kh6 79. Nc1 Kh5 80. Kh3 Nd4 81. Nd3 Nxf3 82. Nxf4+ { And draw agreed. The longest game of the match so far and one filled with interesting ideas from both sides. } 1/2-1/2