[Event "Ding-Gukesh Singapore 2024 Game 12: Game 12"] [Site "Singapore SGP"] [Date "2024.12.9"] [Round "12"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Gukesh Dommaraju"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2728"] [BlackElo "2783"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A13"] [Opening "English Opening: Agincourt Defense"] [StudyName "Ding-Gukesh Singapore 2024 Game 12"] [ChapterName "Game 12"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/4qithyHE/LMCgBPfU"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/KlangenFarben"] [Orientation "white"] 1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 d4 { An unconventional responses reminiscent of Ding's early play in the previous game. More traditional approaches are } (4... Be7 5. d4 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7) (4... c6 5. O-O Be7 6. d4 O-O 7. Qc2 b6) 5. O-O Nc6 (5... c5 { Having the pawn come forward before it is blocked in by its own knight is standard practice and leads to few complications. } 6. d3 Nc6 7. e3 Bd6 8. exd4 cxd4 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bxf6 Qxf6 { and Black is fine. }) 6. e3 Be7 (6... e5 7. d3 Bc5! 8. b4! Bxb4 9. Nxe5! Nxe5 10. Qa4+ c6 (10... Nc6 11. Bxc6+ bxc6 12. Qxb4 dxe3 13. Re1! Be6 14. Rxe3 Ng4 15. Re2 Qxd3 16. Bg5 Qd6 17. Qc3 (17. Qxd6!? cxd6 18. Nd2 Kd7 19. Bf4! { Dealing with the threat of .. Ng4-e5 } 19... f6 20. c5 Ne5 21. cxd6 Nd3 22. Ne4 f5 23. Nc3 Nxf4?! 24. gxf4 Rab8 25. Rae1 Rhe8 26. Rd1 g6 27. Rd4) 17... O-O 18. Nd2 c5)) 7. d3 (7. exd4 Nxd4 8. b3 O-O 9. Bb2 Nxf3+ 10. Qxf3 Rb8! 11. Qe2 b6 12. d4 Bb7 13. Bxb7 Rxb7 14. Nd2 (14. Rd1 c6) 14... c5) 7... dxe3 8. Bxe3 e5 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Re1 h6 (10... Be6!? 11. a3 a5) 11. a3 a5 12. h3 (12. d4 exd4 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 Bg4 15. Ne2 Qd7 16. Bxb7 Rad8) 12... Be6 { Black's position is rock solid. } 13. Kh2 Rb8 { This seemingly- innocent inaccuracy winds up opening the door for future misfortune. Throughout the game Gukesh seems unwilling to undertake the common idea of bringing the king's rook to e8, the bishop back to f8 where it allows the rook to sweep down the e-file while defending the kingside and being available for play in the center should the occasion occur. } (13... Re8! 14. Nb5 Bf8! 15. Qe2 Bf5 16. Rad1 Qc8!! 17. Qf1 a4! { with full equality for Black. }) 14. Qc2 (14. Qd2! $14 Nh7 15. Rab1 Re8 16. Rbd1 Ng5 17. Ng1 Nd4 18. Bxd4 exd4 19. Nd5 Bxd5 (19... Bd6 20. Qxa5 { White's extra pawn is a serious advantage. }) 20. cxd5 Ra8 { Exposing the folly of moving the rook away from the a1 square in the first place. } 21. Rc1! { and Black has a difficult task ahead. }) 14... Re8 (14... Nd4!? 15. Bxd4 exd4 16. Nb5 c5 { where White has an edge but not a terribly troublesome one. }) 15. Nb5 Bf5 16. Rad1 Nd7 { White can now achieve a commanding superiority by force. Ding takes critical time here to ensure success. } (16... Bf8! 17. Qd2?! Qxd3!! { By forcing the White rook to d3, .. e5-e4 wins back the piece with a fine position. } 18. Qxd3 Bxd3 19. Rxd3 e4 20. Rdd1 exf3 21. Bxf3 Ne5 22. Be2 c6 23. Nc3 Ned7) 17. Qd2 { Now it's Gukesh's turn to think long, though in Black's case it's consideration of strictly difficult choices. } 17... Bg6 (17... a4?! 18. d4 e4 19. Ng1 Nb6 20. Qc2 Na5 21. c5 Nd5 22. Qxa4 $16 { and White is a solid pawn up. }) (17... Bh7?! 18. d4 e4 19. Ng1 Bf8 20. Ne2 { and the pawn on c7 is a desirable target: }) (17... Nc5 { Best. } 18. d4 Nd3 19. d5! Nxe1 20. Qxe1 Nd4 21. Nbxd4 exd4 22. Nxd4 Bg6 23. Qxa5 $16) 18. d4 e4 19. Ng1 Nb6 (19... Bf8!? 20. Bf4 Rc8 21. f3 Nf6 22. Nc3 exf3 23. Nxf3 Bd6 24. Rxe8+ Qxe8 25. c5 Bxf4 26. Qxf4 Nh5 27. Qd2 Nf6 $16 { but Black has some hope of holding the line. }) 20. Qc3 Bf6 (20... f5!? { fights harder: } 21. Bf4 Rc8 22. f3 Bf6 23. fxe4 fxe4 24. Qc2 $16) 21. Qc2 { White's edge is now decisive with rather straightforward play. Black on the other hand has one difficult and depressing decision after another. } 21... a4 (21... Qd7 22. Ne2 Bg5 23. Nf4 Bxf4 24. Bxf4 e3 25. Qc1 exf2 26. Rf1 Rbc8 27. Rxf2 a4 28. Qc3 f6 (28... Be4 29. Bf1 $18) 29. Bf1 Nd8 30. Qb4 $18) 22. Ne2 Bg5 23. Nf4 Bxf4 24. Bxf4 Rc8 25. Qc3 Nb8 26. d5 (26. Na7 { winning the trapped rook is simplest. }) 26... Qd7 27. d6 c5 28. Nc7 Rf8 29. Bxe4 Nc6 30. Bg2 { At this stage with 9 minutes to get through move 40, the object is not sever accuracy but getting to move 41 with a clearly dominant position. } 30... Rcd8 31. Nd5 Nxd5 32. cxd5 Nb8 33. Qxc5 Rc8 34. Qd4 Na6 35. Re7 Qb5 36. d7 Rc4 37. Qe3 Rc2 38. Bd6 f6 39. Rxg7+ { Black resigned in face of forced mate. } (39. Kxg7 Bxf8+ 40. Kxf8 d8=Q+ 41. Qe8 Qxf6+ 42. Qf7 Qxh6+ 43. Ke8 Qhh8+ 44. Qg8 Qxg8+ 45. Kd7 Qgd8#) 1-0