World Championship Game 4: Gukesh reacts well to Ding's opening surprise, draws

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
11/29/2024 – The World Chess Championship in Singapore remains tied after four games, with Gukesh D holding reigning champion Ding Liren to a draw in their latest encounter. Ding's creative opening, influenced by his second Richard Rapport, tested the young challenger, but Gukesh aptly navigated the complications to secure a solid result with the black pieces. | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

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"I believe in good moves"

Find below expert video analyses by GM Daniel King and IM Robert Ris.

The fifth game of the World Chess Championship in Singapore saw Gukesh D, the young challenger, comfortably handling Ding Liren's opening preparation with the black pieces. Despite Ding's efforts to create pressure, Gukesh navigated the complications adeptly, leading to a draw after 42 moves. This result means the score remains tied, keeping the match balanced as it approaches the halfway mark.

Ding opted for an unusual opening with 1.Nf3 and an early 5.Ba3, steering the game into less-explored territory. The creative choice highlighted the influence of Richard Rapport, Ding's second, who is renowned for his inventive style. Rapport, who also supported Ding in last year's championship, was seen accompanying him to the playing hall alongside Ni Hua, another member of Ding’s team. Their partnership appears to blend camaraderie and innovative preparation, crucial assets for the reigning champion.

After the game, Gukesh revealed he had been "playing over-the-board from very early on", displaying his comfort in navigating uncharted positions. Ding managed to gain a slight advantage but decided to simplify rather than push too hard, ultimately leading to a peaceful outcome. Reflecting on his strategy, Ding commented:

This round, I tried to play safe. It turns out I got a little bit of an advantage. The score is still balanced. There are more games to come.

A light-hearted moment occurred in the post-game press conference, where Gukesh was asked about numerology, referencing Garry Kasparov's belief in its significance. The question linked Gukesh's age and potential to become the 18th World Champion to Kasparov's 13th title. Gukesh, however, dismissed the notion with poise, citing Bobby Fischer's famous quote:

I believe in good moves. Yeah, I'm just trying to make good moves.

While Gukesh has drawn both games with black, his performances with white have been decisive so far. Saturday's game, the only one where Gukesh will play with the white pieces before the second rest day on Monday, promises to be another thrilling encounter. The young challenger is expected to press hard for a win as the tightly contested match continues to capture the chess world's attention.

Xie Jun

GM Xie Jun, four-time women's world champion, made the first move for Ding Liren | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

Vishy Anand

GM Viswanathan Anand, five-time world champion, made the first move for Gukesh D | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

Ding ½ - ½ Gukesh

Analysis by André Schulz

Ding, Liren2728½–½Gukesh Dommaraju2783
WCC Match 2024
Singapore29.11.2024[Schulz, A]
1.Nf3 So not this time 1.e4 which in game 2 led to a quick draw. 1...d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.b3 Bf5 4.Be2 h6 White is playing a Queen's Indian Defence with reversed colours, while Black is playing a London System with reversed colours. 4...Nbd7 5.Ba3 e5 6.Bxf8 Kxf8 7.d4 e4 8.Nfd2 1/2-1/2 (51) Rapport, R (2760) - Ding, L (2799), Lichess.org INT 2021 5.Ba3 This move is known from the Queen's Indian Defence, where the a6-bishop puts pressure on c4. Here, White aims to make e6 harder to achieve. After the exchange Bxf8, Black would lose castling rights. Nbd7 6.0-0 e6 7.Bxf8 Nxf8 This way, Black retains castling rights, but the manoeuvre costs some time. 8.c4 N8d7 The reference game for this opening variation is 8...c6 9.Nc3 N8d7 10.d4 0-0 11.Rc1 Qe7 12.Qd2 Ne4 1-0 (49) Fries Nielsen, J (2300) - Seirawan, Y (2400), Graz 1978 9.Nc3 0-0 10.cxd5 There was a prominent online predecessor here: 10.d4 a5 11.a3 Qe7 12.Qc1 c6 13.Qb2 Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Rfd8 16.Rfd1 Nb6 17.Be2 Nc8 18.c5 b5 19.b4 a4 20.f4 Ne4 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Kh2 g5 23.Rf1 f5 24.g4 Qf6 25.Qa2 Kh8 26.gxf5 exf5 27.fxg5 hxg5 28.Bg4 Ne7 29.Rxf5 Nxf5 30.Rf1 Rd5 0-1 (30) So, W (2778) - Giri, A (2777), chess24.com INT 2021 10...exd5=
11.b4 11.d4 Qe7 12.Qd2 c6 with a structure resembling the Exchange Variation of the Queen’s Gambit. Here, however, Black has managed to develop his light-squared bishop effectively. 11...c6 12.Nd4 Bh7 13.Qb3 The Mega 2025 database still shows the predecessor game 13.Nb3 Qe7 14.a3 Rfc8 15.Rc1 a5 16.Nxa5 b6 17.Nxc6 Rxc6 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Rxc6 Ne5 20.Rc1 Nd3 21.Rc6 Ne5 22.Rc1 Nd3 23.Ra1 Rd8 24.Bxd3 Bxd3 25.Re1 b5 26.Rc1 Nb6 27.Qh5 1/2-1/2 (27) Flores, D (2568) - Real de Azua, E (2448), Buenos Aires 2015 13...Ne5 The knight's destination is unclear. 14.a4 Rc8 Preparing c5. 15.a5 b6 White has achieved little from the opening. 16.Nf3 16.axb6 axb6 17.Ra7 c5 16...Nxf3+ 17.Bxf3 d4 18.Ne2 dxe3 19.dxe3 Be4 20.Rfd1 Qe7 21.Bxe4 Nxe4 After the exchange of both pairs of minor pieces, the game has levelled out. Black has a pawn majority on the queenside, while White has an outpost on d4. The endgame is entirely equal, with a draw being the most likely outcome. 22.axb6 axb6 23.Nc3 Rfd8 24.Nxe4 Qxe4 25.h3 c5 26.Rxd8+ Rxd8 27.bxc5 bxc5 28.Rc1 Qe5 29.Qc2 Rd5
There is nothing happening here anymore. The game is heading towards a draw. 30.g3 f5 31.Kg2 Kh7 32.Qc4 Qd6 33.e4 Re5 34.exf5 Rxf5 35.Qe4 Qd5 36.Qxd5 Rxd5 37.Kf3 Kg6 38.Ke4 Rd4+ 39.Ke3 Rd5 40.Ke4 Rd4+ 41.Ke3 Rd5 42.Ke4 Rd4+ And a draw by threefold repetition.
½–½

Ding Liren

Ding Liren | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

Dommaraju Gukesh

Gukesh D | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An


Expert analyses

Commentary by GM Daniel King

Commentary by IM Robert Ris


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1.e4 4 e6 15 2.d4 9 d5 6 3.Nc3 9 Nf6 19 4.e5 6 Nfd7 6 5.f4 6 c5 14 6.Nce2 8 Nc6 2:17 7.c3 6 a5 27:42 7...Be7 is becoming the main line. C11: French: Classical System: 4 e5 and 4 Bg5 dxe4. 8.Nf3 10 a4 2:47 9.Be3 9 Be7 46 10.g4N 22 Predecessor: 10.Qd2 0-0 11.h4 b5 12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.Bxc5 Bxc5 14.Ned4 Nxd4 15.cxd4 Be7 16.Kf2 1-0 Duda,J (2743)-Caruana,F (2823) Chess.com Speed blitz 2020 (1.19) 10...Qa5 14:17 11.Bg2 20:25 a3 12:44 12.b3 39 cxd4 4 13.b4 5:24 Qc7 1:16 14.Nexd4 22 Nb6 17:58 15.0-0 9:15 Nc4 3 16.Bf2 45 Bd7 2:38 17.Qe2 33:41 Nxd4 48 18.Nxd4 6:22 Nb2 41 19.Qe3 2:54 Rc8 1:39 20.Rac1 4:04 Qc4 28 21.f5 4:35 Qd3 50 21...Qxa2?! 22.Ra1 Qc4 23.Rxa3 22.Qe1 3:31 22.Rc2 22...Bg5-+ 2:01 22...exf5? 23.e6 23.Bxd5 Qa6± 23...fxe6 24.Nxe6+- 23.Rc2 2:17 Rc4 10 23...exf5 24.e6 Bf6 24...fxe6? 25.Nxe6 Qxc2 26.Nxg5+ Kf8 27.Ne6+ Kf7 28.Bxd5+- 25.Rd2 25.exd7+ Kxd7 26.Qb1 Qa6+- 25.Bxd5 0-0+- 25...fxe6 26.Rxd3 26.Nxe6 Qxc3 27.Nf4+ Kf8+- 26.Bxd5 0-0+- 26.gxf5 Qxc3 27.Nxe6 Rc4+- 26...Nxd3 27.Qe3 Rxc3 28.gxf5+- 28.Nxe6 Nxf2 29.Qxf2 Bxe6+- 23...Ba4 24.fxe6 fxe6 24...Bxc2? 25.exf7+ Kxf7 26.e6+ Ke8 27.Qe5+- 25.Nxe6 25.Re2? Bd1-+ 24.h4 7:40 Bf4 4 25.Qb1 1:39 Rxc3 7:13 26.Rxc3 1:58 Qxc3 5 27.fxe6 47 fxe6 4:34 27...Bxe6-+ aiming for ...0-0. 28.Nf5 Bxe5 28.Ne2 14 Qxe5 53 29.Nxf4 1:23 Qxf4 5 30.Qc2 6:09 30.Bc5 was called for. Qxg4 31.Qxh7 Qd4+ 31...Qxh4 32.Qxh4 Rxh4 33.Rf8# 31...Qxg2+ 32.Kxg2 Kd8 33.Bb6+ Ke7 34.Qxh8 Be8 35.Qxg7+ 32.Bxd4 Rxh7 33.Bc5 30...Qc4!-+ 6:08 30...Qxb4 31.Qc7 0-0 31...Qxg4 32.Bb6 31...Rf8 32.Qb8+ 32.Qxd7 Qxg4 33.Kh2 31.Qd2 48 31.Qxc4 Nxc4 32.Bd4 31...0-0-+ 3:48 31...Qxa2? 32.Qg5 Na4 32...0-0 33.Bd4 Rxf1+ 34.Bxf1 e5 35.Qxe5 Kf8 36.Qxg7+ Ke8 37.Bf6 Be6 38.Qe7# 33.Bd4+- 33.Qxg7 Rf8+- 31...Qxg4 32.Bc5 b6 32...Qxh4 33.Qc3= 33.Bxb6 32.Bd4 1
32...Nd3! 29 32...Qxa2 33.Qg5 Rxf1+ 34.Bxf1 e5 35.Qxe5 35.Qd8+ Kf7 36.Qxd7+ Kf6 37.Bc5 Qb1 38.Qe7+ Kg6 39.Qe6# 35...Kf8 36.Qxg7+ Ke8 37.Bf6 Be6 38.Qe7# 33.Qe3 2:53 Rxf1+ 3:13 33...Nxb4 34.Rxf8+ Kxf8 35.Bf1± 34.Bxf1 1 e5! 2 35.Bxe5 1 Qxg4+ 8 36.Bg2? 0 36.Bg3 Nxb4 37.Qxa3 36...Bf5-+ 27 36...Nxb4? 37.Qxa3 Bc6 37...Qxh4 38.Bc3= 38.Qb3-+ 37.Bg3 19 Be4 13 Inferior is 37...Nxb4 38.Qe8# 38.Kh2 4 h6 14 Resist 38...Nxb4 39.Bxe4 Qxe4 40.Qxa3-+ 39.Bh3? 16 39.b5 39...Qd1-+ 8 40.Bd6 0 Qc2+ 0 41.Kg3 4 Qxa2 3:37 42.Be6+ 5:46 Kh8 55
0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gukesh Dommaraju2783Ding,L27280–12024C11WCC Match 20241.1
Ding,L2728Gukesh Dommaraju2783½–½2024C50WCC Match 20242.1
Gukesh Dommaraju2783Ding,L27281–02024D35WCC Match 20243.1
Ding,L2728Gukesh Dommaraju2783½–½2024A06WCC Match 20244.1
Gukesh Dommaraju2783Ding,L2728½–½2024B22WCC Match 20245.1
Ding,L2728Gukesh Dommaraju2783½–½2024D02WCC Match 20246.1
Gukesh Dommaraju2783Ding,L2728½–½2024D78WCC Match 20247.1
Ding,L2728Gukesh Dommaraju2783½–½2024A21WCC Match 20248.1
Gukesh Dommaraju2783Ding,L2728½–½2024E11WCC Match 20249.1
Ding,L2728Gukesh Dommaraju2783½–½2024D37WCC Match 202410.1
Gukesh Dommaraju2783Ding,L27281–02024A09WCC Match 202411.1
Ding,L2728Gukesh Dommaraju27831–02024A13WCC Match 202412.1
Gukesh Dommaraju2783Ding,L2728½–½2024C11WCC Match 202413.1
Ding,L2728Gukesh Dommaraju27830–12024D02WCC Match 202414.1

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World Chess Championship 2024

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.

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