Gukesh Dommaraju – Ding Liren, World Chess Championship 2024, Singapore, round three, November 27, 2024, Queen’s Gambit
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 (This move order avoids sharp systems, such as the Volga Gambit after 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5.) 2…d5 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Sc3 c6 6.Dc2 (Gukesh initially prevents 6…Bf5.) 6…g6 7.h3! (This move, popularized by Kramnik, prepares g4.) 7…Bf5 8.Bb3 Bb6 9.g4 Bxb3 (In the quick game Kramnik–Nepomnjaschtschi, Amsterdam 2023, happened 9…Le6 10.Lg2 h5 11.g5 Sfd7 12.0-0 Ld6 13.e4 dxe4 14.Dxb6 Sxb6 15.Sxe4 Le7 16.Sc5 Lxc5 17.dxc5 +/=. ) 10.axb3 Lc2?! (10…Be6 11.Bf4 Nbd7 = was more solid. The Bc2 will no longer make a move and will be caught later.) 11.Lf4 h5 (After 11…Bxb3? 12.Nd2!, 12…Bc2? 13.Rc1 Be4 14.f3 +- loses the bishop, while 12…Bc4 13.Nxc4 dxc4 14.e3 b5? [14…Sbd7 15.Lxc4 +/-] to 15.Nxb5! cxb5? 16.Bg2 +- fails.) 12.Tg1 hxg4 13.hxg4 Sbd7! N (Both followed Kramnik–Erigaisi, World Rapid Chess Team Championship, Düsseldorf 2023. Erigaisi was clearly worse after 13…Bxb3? 14.Nd2! Bc4 15.Nxc4 dxc4 16.e3 Bb4 17.Bxc4 +/-. 14…b5? prohibits again because of 15.Nxb5! 16.Bg2 +-. Gukesh knew his compatriot’s game while his opponent had to think for himself, but after 33 minutes Ding found an improvement.) 14. Nd2! (Now there is a risk of catching Bc2 with 15.Rc1 Be4 16.f3.) 14…Tg8! (The champion saw this subtle replica at 13…Nbd7.) 15.g5?! (15.Rc1 g5! 16.Be3 Be4 reveals the point of the mysterious rook move.) 15…Sh5 16.Lh2 Th8! =/+ (Black is comfortable – déjà vu to the opening game?) 17.f3 Sg7 18.Lg3 Th5? (Ding saw the best move 18…Be7! [18…Se6 19.Tc1!]but misjudged the position created via 19.Rc1 Bf5 20.e4 Be6 21.exd5 Bxd5 22.Nxd5 cxd5 23.Rc7, because after 23…Ne6! 24.Rxb7 a6! his king could hunt down the trapped Rb7 with 25…Kd8 and 26…Kc8.) 19.e4! (Suddenly the Bc2 can no longer be saved.) 19…dxe4 20.fxe4 Se6 (20…Txg5? 21.Tc1 +-) 21.Tc1 Sxd4 22.Lf2 Lg7 23.Se2! (Gukesh finds the only winning continuation. Ding had only calculated 23.Rg2.) 23…Sxb3 (23…Sxe2 24.Lxe2 +-) 24.Txc2 Sxd2 25.Kxd2 Se5 26.Sd4 (26.Ke3! +-) 26.Td8 27.Ke2 Th2 28.Lg2 a6 29.b3 Td7 30.Tcc1 Ke7 31.Tcd1 Ke8 32.Lg3 Th5 33.Sf3 Sxf3 34.Kxf3 Ld4 (34…Rxg5 35.Rxd7 Kxd7 36.Rd1+ Ke6 [36…Ke7 37.Lh4 +-] 37.Lh3 +-) 35.Th1 Txg5 36.Lh3 f5 (36…Td8 37.Lh4 +-) 37.Lf4 Th5 38.Lxf5! (While Gukesh was executing this beautiful blow, Ding’s timeout was detected. It was over anyway: 38…Rxh1 39.Bxd7+ Kxd7 40.Rxh1 +-.) 1:0
