We have a new Chess World Champion 18 year old Gukesh D.
(I started off by following what everyone was calling him, Dommaraju Gukesh,
but Gukesh D. is on his FIDE card. I decided to stay with my original choice
throughout the rest of this coverage for uniformity but from on it is Gukesh D.)
Finally after 14 fascinating games Ding’s tepid nature with the White pieces
and his handing of the clock caught up with him. It looked like another draw,
a difficult draw, but a draw according to the evaluation bars on the computers.
Computers have no idea of the times left, the occasion and how some positions
can be difficult for a human to play. In short, a computer does not even know it
is playing a game. It is a machine and Chess players (bless them all) are human.
When the blunder came it was a horror story. A lesson, if we at RHP ever needed
reminding, that there is no such thing as an ‘easy’ draw. Gukesh played his part
skilfully and created just enough problems to tempt Ding’s patience and when
Ding saw a chance to trade Rooks, he quickly played his 55th move, a move that
will haunt him for a long time, though to be honest you could see it coming, if not
on move 55 then probably later And suddenly the 2024 Wold Championship was over.
Position after 55.Rf4-f2?
If Ding had played 55.Ra4 the game goes on and with best play, a draw.
Ding Liren - D. Gukesh Game 14, World Chess Championship 2024
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 {Ding heading for another reversed opening.} 2... c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 {A Grunfeld reversed.} 4... e6 5. O-O cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nge7 7. c4 {The standard Grunfeld move. Ding took 12 minutes to play it.} 7... Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qd1 d4 {A similar push to game 12 but in that game Black had swapped off the c-pawn.} 10. e3 {Same head on centre attack idea from game 12.} 10... Bc5 11. exd4 {Move 11 and an 18 minute move think by Ding. 11...Nxd5 12.Be3 is awkward for Black.} 11... Bxd4 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Nb5 {I was thinking Black can solve his c8 Bishop problem here with 13...e5} 13... Bb6 {Keeping the Bishop on the board is a better option. Now, are the Queens coming off...} 14. b3 {Ding wants Gukesh to trade them} 14... a6 {No and Ding cannot trade Queens. 15,Qxd8 Rxd8 16.Nc3 Bd4.} 15. Nc3 {Ding used 5 minutes on this move. Probably evaluating the Queen trade.} 15... Bd4 16. Bb2 e5 {And the c8 Bishop can join the game.} 17. Qd2 {Connecting the Rooks, holding the b2 Bishop.} 17... Be6 18. Nd5 b5 {That looks risky. That a8 will be shaking with fear.} 19. cxb5 {Another surprise and after 10 minutes. One main theme of this match is Ding's poor use of the clock.} 19... axb5 20. Nf4 exf4 21. Bxc6 Bxb2 22. Qxb2 Rb8 23. Rfd1 Qb6 24. Bf3 {All pretty much forced so far. 24. Bf3 to stop any Bg4 ideas.} 24... fxg3 25. hxg3 b4 {The last few moves were played fairly quickly. Times, Ding has approx 35 minutes for 14 moves. Gukesh one hour and 5 minutes.} 26. a4 bxa3 27. Rxa3 {It is looking very drawish.} 27... g6 {Luft.} 28. Qd4 {Offering the Queens and the b3 pawns falls.} 28... Qb5 {Gukesh not ready to trade Queens.} 29. b4 Qxb4 {Gukesh wants the trade on this square b4.} 30. Qxb4 Rxb4 31. Ra8 Rxa8 32. Bxa8 {Another two v three pawn structure, Ding held the last one easily. With the Bishops on it can be tricky for White.} 32... g5 {Although a book draw. Gukesh can make Ding suffer in this ending.} 33. Bd5 Bf5 {Avoiding exchanges Times. Ding 20 minutes for 7 moves. Gukesh 53 minutes.} 34. Rc1 Kg7 35. Rc7 Bg6 {Black plan will be to be play h5 and h4. Gukesh has the correct Bishop for the h1 square.} 36. Rc4 {Ding angling for Be4 and the same Rook ending as in Game 13.} 36... Rb1+ 37. Kg2 Re1 {To prevent 38.Be4} 38. Rb4 h5 39. Ra4 {Ding has to just keep passing but do it very carefully.} 39... Re5 40. Bf3 Kh6 {Both players have made time control. Ding has 30 minutes + 30 increment.. Gukesh has over an hour + 30 seconds.} 41. Kg1 Re6 42. Rc4 g4 {Ding cannot play 42.Bg2 Re1+ will put him under needless pressure.} 43. Bd5 Rd6 44. Bb7 Kg5 45. f3 {I did not expect that. I thought holding back pawn moves for White was a better plan.} 45... f5 46. fxg4 hxg4 47. Rb4 Bf7 {Gukesh manoeuvring for the idea placement of his pieces.} 48. Kf2 Rd2+ 49. Kg1 Kf6 {Is Black going to bring to his King to the Queenside.} 50. Rb6+ Kg5 {No. Just fishing, Gukesh will try another way.} 51. Rb4 Be6 {Black is coasting and hoping to pull out a blunder from Ding.} 52. Ra4 Rb2 {Where does your Bishop go.} 53. Ba8 {Around about here I posted on another forum that Gukesh will win this due to a Time Trouble approaching blunder from Ding.} 53... Kf6 54. Rf4 Ke5 {And Ding immediately played....} 55. Rf2 {The occasion, the clocks and being human....Ding blunders into a lost ending.} 55... Rxf2 56. Kxf2 Bd5 {The Bishops are forced off the board and this is a won ending for Black.} 57. Bxd5 Kxd5 58. Ke3 Ke5 {Ding resigned,}
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