Gukesh: a worthy world champion

In last week’s column we have already enjoyed the first two decisive games from this refreshingly gripping match . It pitched the impetuous aggressiveness of Gukesh against the best we have seen from the Ding for some considerable time : resolute in defence and positionally adept, as one might expect of any world champion.

Today we concentrate on the next two decisive games, rounds eleven and twelve. Beyond these, we will examine a missed win for Gukesh in the penultimate game before considering what happened in their final game of the match .

For all that there are those who will share our exasperation at the former unbeaten World Champion before Ding, Magnus Carlsen, walking away from his berth, there will be many who have been thrilled to see such an entertaining and competitive contest provided by these two great players. And so, on with the games.

Gukesh Dommaraju vs. Ding Liren

World Championship, Singapore, 27.11.24

Game Eleven, Reti, Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit  1-0

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 

Black’s most challenging response

3. b4

The eponymous gambit pawn.

3… c5 4. e3 Nf6 

In his after-game interview, Ding agreed that this had been a difficult game for him even at this stage, where he spent considerable time before committing to this move, that he wasn’t sure was correct. Black could, of course, accept the gambit challenge with 4…dxe3 5. fxe3 cxb4 at the cost of ceding White huge central control. 

5. a3!? 

This must have shocked, located as it is on the very periphery of theory, and after only five moves. Gukesh later revealed that his team had prepared this rare line for him.

5… Bg4!? TN

This new move is an alternative way of defending the d4-pawn. The normal continuation here is to play, 5… Nc6! Here, after 6. b5 Na5 7. d3 dxe3 8. Bxe3 b6 9. a4 Bb7, Black develops a different bishop attack on the f3-knight while also occupying the important h1-a8 diagonal.

6. exd4 cxd4 7. h3 Bxf3 

It can get quite frisky if, alternatively, Black prefers, 7… Bh5. One baseline continuation is to continue harassment of the d4-pawn by: 8. Bb2. After 8… e5 (stronger than 8… Bxf3 9. Qxf3 e5 10. Qxb7 Nbd7 11. Qa6) 9. g4 Bg6 10. Nxe5 Be4 (also possible is, 10… Qe7 11. Qe2 Be4 12. f3 Qxe5 13. fxe4) 11. Qe2 Bd6 (or 11… Qe7 12. f3 Qxe5 13. fxe4) 12. Bg2 Bxg2 13. Nc6+ Kd7 14. Nxd8 Re8 15. Rg1 Bf3 16. Qxe8+ Kxe8, the position is unbalanced with material asymmetry and roughly equal chances.

8. Qxf3 Qc7 9. d3 a5 10. b5 Nbd7 11. g3 

Too loose is 11. g4 Nc5 12. Bg2 h5 (12… e6 13. Nd2 h5 14. g5 Nfd7 15. O-O Ne5 16. Qf4 Rd8 transposes) 13. g5 Nfd7 14. O-O Ne5 15. Qf4 Rd8 16. Nd2 e6, when Black has a nice edge.

11… Nc5 12. Bg2 Nfd7 13. O-O Ne5 14. Qf4 Rd8

Of course, the immediate 14… Ncxd3 is well met with 15. Qe4! with advantage.

15. Rd1?! 

The d3-pawn is best protected by a counter-attack, for example: 15. Nd2 e6 16. Rb1 Qb8 17. b6 Nexd3 18. Qxb8 Rxb8 19. Nb3 Nxc1 20. Rfxc1 Nxb3 21. Rxb3 Bc5 22. Rb5, when White has some counterplay. 

15… g6?

“After g6, my bishop is clearly out of play, and I don’t think I had any chance after that ,” Ding was to comment later. Black should build upon his initiative with 15… e6 when after 16. b6 Qd6, he stands very well and with no weak points.

In complete contrast to Ding’s insight, Gukesh countered in his post-game interview that he thought he was worse after this move, and that he should just, ”… make some moves that didn’t lose on the spot.” 

16. a4 h5 17. b6!

After Black’s last, Gukesh revealed that he had spotted the text move over-the-board. The pawn is, of course, untouchable as the queen must maintain protection of the e5-knight. He had examined 17… Qd6 18. Ba3 Bh6 19. Bxc5 Qxc5 20. Qe4 Nc6 21. Na3 Rd7 22. Nc2, after which he realised that he had some chances to take over the game. After 25… Qxb6 26. Rab1 Qc7, with both players having fewer minutes remaining than moves to reach time control, it became, “… almost like a blitz game”, Gukesh accurately surmised. 

17… Qd6 

Also possible is 17… Qb8 18. Qd2 Nb3 19. Qe2 Nxa1 20. Bf4 f6 21. c5 Bh6 22. Bxh6 Rxh6 23. Na3 Nb3 24. Qc2 Nxc5 25. Qxc5, when White is completely equal. 

18. Ba3 Bh6 19. Bxc5 Qxc5 20. Qe4 Nc6 21. Na3 

Ding recognised what a difficult game he faced after White’sidea to sacrifice the b6-pawn, double on the b-file and play on the dark squares, when Black’s own dark-squared position is completely out of synch.

21… Rd7?

A miscalculation; Black should complete his development with 21… O-O, when after, 22. Rdb1 Nb4 23. Qxb7 Rb8 24. Qc7 Qxb6 25. Qxb6 Rxb6 26. c5 Rf6 27. Rxb4! axb4 28. Nc4, the passed pawns on the queenside are sufficient compensation for White’s exchange sacrifice.

22. Nc2!?

By this time it was becoming apparent to Black that something had gone wrong. Although the position is roughly level, time pressure becomes a telling factor in what follows, with Black having less than 30 seconds per move to complete his 40 moves before time control.

However, White could here have exerted more pressure with 22. Qe2 Qxb6 23. Rdb1 Qd8 24. Rxb7 Rxb7 25. Bxc6+, and despite the engine sharing no despondency with the material, Black inherits an unenviable position and a shortage of time in which to accurately calculate.

22… Qxb6 23. Rab1 Qc7 24. Rb5

Match commentators feared that this move accomplished little, with limited access along the fifth rank. But soon the pressure against b7 will become unbearable.

24… O-O 25. Na1!?

A horrible move psychologically to meet in time trouble. When it arrives on b3, it will doubly attack both the a5- and d4-pawns. 

25… Rb8?!

And rather than the text, Black should either overprotect the knight with 25… Rd6, or else prepare to challenge the queen with …f5 by playing first, 25… Kh7. Ding speculated whether he should have responded with 25… Nb4 26. Nb3 b6 but felt that after 27. c5! that it was still, “very, very difficult”. 

26. Nb3 e6? 

And with many more moves to find than minutes with which to find them, Black’s error gifts White a tempo with which to attack the b7-pawn.

27. Nc5 Re7 28. Rdb1?!

This is far from the best available to White, since  the b7-pawn capture requires no preparation and is available immediately: 28. Nxb7 Nb4 29. Qxd4 when White is much better after both:-

a) 29… Bg7 30. Qh4 Rd7 31. Qf4 Qxf4 (or 31… Na2 32. Qxc7 Rxc7 33. Nxa5 Rbc8 34. Rd2 Nc3 35. Rb3) 32. gxf4 Rc8 33. Nxa5 Na2 34. Rd2 Nc3 35. Nc6 Nxa4 36. d4; and

b) 29… Rd7 30. Qb6 Qxb6 31. Rxb6 h4 32. gxh4 Na2 33. c5 Nc3 34. c6 Rd4 35. Nd6 Ne2+ 36. Kf1 Rxb6 37. c7.

28… Qc8?? 

A dreadful blunder for anyone to commit, let alone a world champion. 

Black collapses under the pressure, even though he has near-equality available after White’s previous inaccuracy: 28… Nb4 allows White little better than either:- 

a) 29. Nxb7 Bf8 30. Ra1 (c5 e5 31. c6 Re6 32. Qe2 Kg7 33. Qd1 Nxc6 34. Bd5 Rf6 35. Bxc6 Rxc6 36. axb5 Re6) 30… f5 31. Qf3 Nc2 32. Rd1 Nb4 33. Qf4 e5 34. Qg5 Kh7 35. g4 Bh6 36. Qh4 e4, with chances for both sides; or

b) 29. Qh4 Bf8 30 Ne4 Bg7 31. Nf6+ Bxf6 32. Qxf6+ e5 33. Bd5 Nxd5 34. cxd5 Qd7 35. Re1 Rbe8 36. Kh2 Qd8, when White has activity sufficient enough to compensate for the pawn.

29. Qxc6  Black resigns 1-0

Winning on the spot as Black has nothing for the blundered c6-knight.

Ding Liren vs. Gukesh Dommaraju

World Championship, Singapore, 09.12.24

Game Twelve, English opening  1-0

1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 d4 

Signalling Gukesh’s aggressive intentions. 4… Be7 or dxc4 are more common responses.

5. O-O Nc6

Another precipitous development, with 5… c5 normally preferred.

6. e3 Be7 7. d3 dxe3 8. Bxe3 e5 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Re1 h6 

Until here, the moves were following a 2022 game, Postny – Parkhov, Jerusalem, which had continued with 10… Be6 11. d4 exd4, and after the exchanges, White had little to show. In other games, after 10… Be6, both 11. h3 and Bg5 had been tried; both drawn. However, this does not mean that 10… h6 is an improvement (or that it is bad). The boundless engine gives 10… Be6 as preferred move, and 11. Rc1, as its follow-up.

11. a3 a5 

This looks fine to both my eyes and that of my silicon companion. However, it allows White access to the b5 square, which will prove important in a few moves time.

12. h3 Be6 13. Kh2 Rb8?!

Black signals an intention to play …b5 himself, although this never actually transpires. The engine recommendation is for 13… Re8, although 13… a4 with the intention ..Na5-b3 is also worthy of attention. 

14. Qc2 

And Black cannot now execute  an intended 14… Nd4, as after 15. Bxd4 exd4, White has 16. Nb5 when White holds the whip hand.

14… Re8 15. Nb5 

As noted previously, this has the effect of overprotecting d4 and adding great impetus to the eventual push d3-d4, which will soon become key to the outcome.

15… Bf5 16. Rad1 Nd7 

Illustrating how uncoordinated Black’s pieces have imperceptibly become. The additional tempo in the previous move of Be6-f5, was partly to permit the cleric to fall back to g6 or h7 in the inevitable event of a knight landing on d4. This left the d7-square, free for this retreat, when perhaps, the bishop might have preferred it. The engine suggests 16… Bf8 releasing the rook.

17. Qd2!

The live commentators had over 30 minutes to detail the reasons why Gukesh was busted, after this seemingly mysterious move, threatening d4 against almost anything Black plays. Gukesh stated in the post-game press conference, that while feeling comfortable in the opening, after the text move, he, “… was really not sure what to do. (After) 17… Nc5 18. d4 Nd3 19. d5, it is quite tricky”.

However, the engine gives a best line for Black, which Gukesh will definitely have considere d (and rejected? ), which continues from the above, 19… Nxe1 20. Qxe1 Nd4 21. Nfxd4 exd4 22. Nxd4 Bh7 23. Qxa5 Bg5 24. Bxg5 hxg5. In this position, White has excellent compensation for the exchange, and Black struggles for a plan; but it’s not yet  losing.

17… Bg6?

“If after 18. d4 and I take, he has 19. Bf4, which I had missed.” Gukesh continued. “I couldn’t remember all the details, but I was aware of this position”, which demonstrates both the depth of his opening preparation, as well as how volatile such knowledge can prove.

18. d4 e4 19. Ng1 Nb6 20. Qc3

Another long think from Gukesh all but announces how hopeless he feels his position. He is facing making more than 20 moves in ten minutes.

20… Bf6 

20… f5 was certainly worth considering as an alternative.

21. Qc2 a4 22. Ne2 Bg5?

If Black is worse prior to this move, the engine concurs that after it, he is losing. Necessary were either, 22… Na5 or …Ne7, when the game continues and miracles can still happen.

23. Nf4 Bxf4 24. Bxf4 Rc8 25. Qc3 Nb8 26. d5

It was possible to play 26. Na7 to capture the c8-rook, but Ding plays positionally : in total control and with Black’s pieces poorly situated and exerting little influence. White now has the existential bombshell of 27. d6! with numerous unanswerable threats.

26… Qd7 27. d6 c5 28. Nc7 Rf8 29. Bxe4 Nc6 30. Bg2 Rcd8 31. Nd5 Nxd5 32. cxd5 Nb8 33. Qxc5 Rc8 34. Qd4 Na6 35. Re7 Qb5 36. d7 Rc4 37. Qe3 Rc2 38. Bd6 f6 39. Rxg7+ Black resigns 1-0

It is mate after 39… Kxg7 (39… Kh8?? 40. Qxh6+ Bh7 41. Qxh7 checkmate) 40. Bxf8+ Kxf8 41. d8=Q+ Qe8 42. Qxf6+ Qf7 43. Qee7+ Kg8 44. Qd8+ Qf8 45. Qxg6+ Kh8 46. Qxf8 checkmate.

 

Gukesh Dommaraju vs. Ding Liren

World Championship, Singapore, 11.12.24

Game Thirteen, French Defence

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e 5 Nfd7 5. Nce2 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. a3 Be7 8. Be3!?

A very new move!

8… Nb6

After playing this, Ding had already used about an hour on eight moves. Now let’s jump to the crucial position.

31. Ne4? 

Gukesh misses his chance. Probably winning was instead  31. Rxe8+ Qxe8 and only then 32. Ne4 threatening Nd6, but the game petered out to a draw after the following moves.

31… Rf8! 32. Nd6 Rc7 33. Qe5 Qf6 34. Qd5+ Kh8 35. Re5 Re7 36. Rfe1 Rxe5 37. Rxe5 h6  with a draw coming on move 68.

And now for the frightful dégringolade of the final game.  

Ding Liren vs. Gukesh Dommaraju

World Championship, Singapore, 12.12.24

Game Fourteen

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 e6 5. O-O cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nge7!?

A rare outing at this level, and obviously part of Gukesh’s excellent preparation.

7. c4 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Nc6!

Best move. White does well after 8… Nf5 9. Qd3 dxc4 10. Qxc4.

9. Qd1 

A natural move although Stockfish marginally favours 9. Qd3.

9… d4 10. e3 Bc5 

A novelty and machine-approved. Prior to this move, we had been following, knowingly or not we cannot yet tell, a 2003 game, Sarakauskas – Willow, Milton Keynes, ½-½, which had continued with the equally resilient 10… e5.

11. exd4 Bxd4

But not, 11… Nxd4 which is well met by 12. b4!

12. Nc3 O-O 13. Nb5 Bb6?!

Completely equalising is, 13… e5. The text offers White a slight initiative.

14. b3 

White eschews the advantage that arises after, 14. Qe2 e5 15. Rd1 Qf6 16. Be3 Nd4 17. Nxd4 exd4 18. Bf4 Be6 (18… Bf5 19. Qe5 Qxe5 20. Bxe5) 19. Rac1 Rac8 20. b3, with an edge.

14… a6 15. Nc3 Bd4 16. Bb2 e5 17. Qd2 Be6 18. Nd5 b5 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Nf4 exf4 21. Bxc6 Bxb2 22. Qxb2 Rb8 23. Rfd1 Qb6 24. Bf3 fxg3 25. hxg3 b4 26. a4?!

A surprise move after a lengthy deliberation. Pancho calculates that White could more easily equalise with many moves: 26. Rd3, Rd2, Bd5, but that the text gives Black a small edge.

26… bxa3 27. Rxa3 g6 28. Qd4 Qb5 29. b4 Qxb4 30. Qxb4 Rxb4 31. Ra8 Rxa8 32. Bxa8

With these exchanges, the game should be drawn, despite Black’s additional pawn. However, Gukesh is able to decide when this takes place. First, he is free to attempt to induce a mistake from the defending champion.

32… g5 33. Bd5 Bf5 34. Rc1 Kg7 35. Rc7 Bg6 36. Rc4 Rb1+ 37. Kg2 Re1 38. Rb4 h5 39. Ra4 Re5

And the players have arrived at time control in a dynamic but even endgame. The spice is the presence of the bishops, that stop this otherwise being a drawn standard rook and pawn endgame. That, and Black’s extra pawn … 

40. Bf3 Kh6 41. Kg1 Re6 42. Rc4 g4 43. Bd5 Rd6 44. Bb7 Kg5 45. f3

Up until now, White has not needed to commit his pawns to advancing, but Black has accomplished this through his assiduous pressure, in an otherwise fairly level position.  

45… f5 46. fxg4 hxg4 47. Rb4 Bf7 48. Kf2 Rd2+ 49. Kg1 Kf6 50. Rb6+ Kg5 51. Rb4 Be6 52. Ra4 Rb2 53. Ba8?!

Along with the h1-square, this is potentially the worst possible relocation for this bishop, as in some lines, it cannot escape in the event of Black playing …Bd5, challenging along this h1-a8 diagonal. Perfectly neutral and acceptable were 53. Bc6 or Bg2, or even Ra6.

53… Kf6 54. Rf4 Ke5

55. Rf2??

A game, a match, a world championship: forfeited.   White had many other moves that maintained full equality, notwithstanding Black’s additional pawn, such as 55. Ra4, Bg2, Rf1 and more besides.

55… Rxf2 56. Kxf2 Bd5! 

See note to White’s 53rd move.

57. Bxd5 Kxd5 58. Ke3 Ke5!  White resigns 0-1

And Black now has a winning king and pawn endgame. In fact, with correct play, mate inevitably follows in, at most, another 25 moves according to the engines.

So that’s that; the 2024 World Chess Champion is Gukesh Dommaraju. Well, not quite. 

In an astonishing display of bad grace, aimed at undermining Gukesh’s accomplishment and destroying Ding’s professional reputation, that great friend of chess, Andrei Filatov, President of the Russian Chess Federation, announced (conspicuously without any supporting evidence) that the match had been fixed.

He suggested, writing for the TASS news agency, “The actions of the Chinese player in the decisive segment are extremely suspicious”. Filatov said “… the defeat of the Chinese chess player in today’s game raises a lot of questions and looks like a deliberate one”, adding that it requires a “separate investigation by FID É ” (the International Chess Federation).

Asked about Filatov’s claims, the ( Russian) FI DÉ President Arkady Dvorkovich told The Straits Times on Dec 13: “I think this event was played at the highest level of fair play by both players. We have no doubts about that, so no investigation is needed. I saw the players, talked to them and I know how honest they are. No doubts about it.”

When asked about Filatov’s accusation, Ding said: “It’s nonsense. He [Filatov] may have overestimated me and thought that I wouldn’t make such a low-level mistake. But in fact, any mistake can happen without (proper) calculation.

“My current level is still a little far away from my best, but now the disparity is only magnified (because of this match). Yes, I still have obvious weaknesses, some calculation errors and some inaccurate judgments.”

In The Telegraph (India) online, other former world championship players, with the exception of the increasingly jaundiced commentator Vladimir Kramnik, did not agree that this was anything other than an awful blunder in the heat of battle in a contest at the highest level.

Kramnik was scathing in his critique, calling the match’s quality disappointing. He referred to Ding Liren’s critical blunder as a “childish” mistake and lamented on X (formerly Twitter), “Sad. End of chess as we know it.” Kramnik also expressed disbelief at how the title was decided, stating, “Never yet has a WC title been decided by such a childish one-move blunder.” Well, Vladimir, there always has to be a first time, and perhaps this was it.

Actually this assertion is not accurate, as can be seen from the catastrophe which overtook Chigorin in the final game of his 1892 world title challenge against Steinitz: 

Chigorin vs. Steinitz, 1892 WCC, rd. 23

White to play

32. Bb4??

We invite readers to spot the mate in two that follows. Perhaps Kramnik had forgotten this?

Reigning world number one Magnus Carlsen praised Gukesh’s ability in capitalizing on opportunities. “Winning this championship is a huge motivation for him,” Carlsen said during a stream. He speculated that Gukesh could soon challenge for the top global ranking.

The Indian former champion , Vishy Anand, noted. “I was literally watching history being made,” Anand said, adding that criticism is inevitable with success. This victory is the culmination of relentless hard work.” He also lauded Gukesh’s psychological depth, stating, “He wore down his opponent, proving his maturity and patience.”

But perhaps the most telling commentary came from the person many would describe as the most highly esteemed world champion of modern times.

Garry Kasparov, whose record as the youngest world champion was broken by Gukesh, applauded the feat and defended the match’s quality, pointing out that blunders are not uncommon in championship games. Calling this a defining moment for Indian chess, Kasparov said, “Gukesh’s victory caps a phenomenal year for India. The era of ‘Vishy’s children’ is truly upon us!”

No column next week, however, normal operations will resume on January 4 th , with my report on the 2024 London Classic — a triumph for the reigning British champion, Grandmaster Gawain Jones. 

 

Ray’s 206th book, “  Chess in the Year of the King  ”, written in collaboration with Adam Black, and his 207th, “  Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius  ” (which discusses their relationship with chess) can be ordered from both Amazon and Blackwells. His 208th, the world record for chess books, written jointly with chess playing artist Barry Martin,  Chess through the Looking Glass ,  will be available from Amazon before Christmas. 

 

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