[Event "FIDE World Championship Match 2024"] [Site "Singapore SGP"] [Date "2024.11.30"] [Round "3"] [White "Gukesh Dommaraju"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Result "*"] [WhiteElo "2783"] [BlackElo "2728"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C01"] [Opening "French Defense: Exchange Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/KlangenFarben"] [StudyName "Ding-Gukesh Singapore 2024 Game 5"] [ChapterName "Game 5"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/6zBpxPiR/iTS7hNo4"] [Orientation "black"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 { The French Exchange has a drawish reputation. Both sides have reasonable piece activity and are free of tangible weakness. } 3... exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 c4 7. Bc2 Bd6 8. Qe2+ (8. O-O O-O 9. h3 Nc6 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 b5 12. Re1 a5 13. Ne5 Ra6 14. Nd2 Bc7 15. Qf3 Ne7 16. b3 a4 17. bxa4 bxa4 18. Nf1 a3 { and White's attack prevailed in this year's Nakamura-Abasov Candidates Tournament match. }) 8... Qe7 9. Qxe7+ Kxe7 10. O-O Re8 11. Re1+ Kf8 12. Rxe8+ Kxe8 { The exchanges leave little room for further progress. } 13. Bg5 Nbd7 14. Nbd2 h6 15. Bh4 Nh5 16. Re1+ Kf8 17. g4 Nf4 18. Bg3 Nb6 19. g5 hxg5 20. Nxg5 Bd7 21. Ngf3 Re8 22. Ne5 Bxe5 23. dxe5? (23. Rxe5 { was imperative: } 23... Rxe5 24. dxe5 Ba4 25. Bxa4 Ne2+ 26. Kf1 Nxg3+ 27. fxg3 Nxa4 28. Ke2 Nxb2 29. Ke3 Nd1+ 30. Kd4 Ke7 31. Nf3 Ke6 32. Ng5+ Ke7 33. Nh3 f6 34. exf6+ Kxf6 35. Nf4 Kf5 36. Nxd5 Kg4 37. Kxc4 Kh3 38. Nf4+ Kxh2 39. g4 Kg3 40. Nh5+ Kxg4 41. Nxg7 { with a draw. }) 23... Nd3! 24. Bxd3 cxd3 25. f3 Nc4 26. Nxc4 dxc4 27. Re4 Bc6?! (27... Rc8! { was the best way to retain the pawn: } 28. Rd4 Be6 29. Bf2 Kg8 30. Be3 Kh7 31. Kf2 Kg6 32. Kg3 Rc5 33. Kf4 Ra5 34. a3 Rb5 35. Bc1 Kh5 { and Black's prospects are quite strong. }) 28. Rd4 Bxf3 29. Kf2 Bc6? { Losing all hope for a win. } (29... Bh5!! 30. Ke3 b5 31. b3 Rc8 32. Rh4 g6 33. Rd4 g5 34. h4 { where Black's hopes of converting his extra pawn are mitigated by the presence of bishops on opposite color squares. }) 30. Rxc4 Rd8 31. Rd4 Rxd4 32. cxd4 Bd5 33. b3 Ke7 34. Ke3 Ke6 35. Kxd3 g6 { With the bishops unable to come into conflict there is no forward progress to be had. } 36. Kc3 a6 37. Kd3 Kf5 38. Ke3 Ke6 39. Kd3 Kf5 40. Ke3 Ke6 { Draw by threefold repetition of the position. } *