World Championship Game 10: The quietest draw so far

Little room for error

Find below expert video analysis by GM Daniel King

With only four classical games remaining, the World Chess Championship in Singapore remains tied. After the early excitement of wins in games 1 and 3, games 4-10 have all ended in draws. Saturday's game 10 was a cautious, 36-move encounter that offered little in the way of fireworks, leaving the overall score balanced as the match heads into its final stretch.

Ding Liren opened with his favoured 1.d4, prompting commentator David Howell to quip, "Pawn to Ding 4." The game quickly transitioned into a London System, marking the second time this structure has appeared in this match and the third time overall in a World Championship match. Both players rattled off their prepared moves until Gukesh D spent almost half an hour on 10...Nh5, a somewhat uncommon continuation in the position.

Although the knight move is not the most popular continuation, Gukesh noted it as a reasonable idea in this system. The position evolved with 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Ne4 Nf6 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6, and Ding chose to simplify further by trading queens with 14.Qxd8

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This sequence, while logical, significantly reduced the chances for either player to create meaningful imbalances.

Ding retained a slight edge, but he wisely avoided over-pressing against an opponent of Gukesh's calibre. Further simplifications led to a draw being agreed on move 36, with both players left with a bishop and six pawns each. While the game was not as thrilling as earlier encounters, it reflected the caution now dominating the match.

The significance of every move has grown with only four classical games remaining. Ding remarked in the press conference:

There’s not so much room to make mistakes. Every loss will result in a very bad situation. We need to be careful with every move.

Gukesh echoed this sentiment, saying:

Now the cost of one game is higher than before, but my approach and my goal is still the same – to play good games.

The action continues with games 11 and 12 scheduled for Sunday and Monday, followed by a final rest day on Tuesday. The fourteenth and potentially decisive classical game is set for Thursday, with a tiebreaker, if needed, to follow on Friday. By the end of the week, we will either see Ding Liren retaining his title or witness the crowning of the youngest world champion in chess history.

Gukesh D thinking in front of Ding Liren's empty chair | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

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World Championship memorabilia on display | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

World Championship memorabilia on display | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

Expert analysis

Commentary by GM Daniel King

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Games

Schedule

Links

• Official website
• Two Knights Talk: Who will win the World Chess Championship match 2024?
• Ding Liren, the chess king from China who defies the odds
• Gukesh: From a school in Chennai to the world title match in Singapore
• Ding Liren is the new world chess champion! (2023)