Ding Liren v Dommaraju Gukesh Game 7

1. Nf3 {As played by Ding in game 4.} 1... d5 2. g3 g6 3. d4 {Only Ding has had this position before in a couple of games and in both cases he was White.} 3... Bg7 4. c4 c6 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 {Seen before but not at the very top level. Ding was not prepared for this line.} 7... dxc4 {Played after 28 minutes thought.} 8. e4 {A new position.} 8... Bg4 9. Nbd2 c5 {Played to get Gukesh out of his prep. It worked Gukesh had an 8 minute think before playing...} 10. d5 e6 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 exd5 13. exd5 {The whole of the middle game will now revolve around the d5 pawn. Is it strong or weak?} 13... Nbd7 14. Nxc4 b5 15. Na3 Qb6 16. Bf4 {Those two Bishop scare me, I wonder how Ding was feeling.} 16... Rfe8 {He too was nervous and spent 15 minutes on that move.} 17. Qd2 {With every move White's position is getting slightly better} 17... Rad8 {Eyeing the d5 pawn.} 18. Nc2 {Bringing the Knight back into the game.} 18... Nf8 {Gukesh had an 18 minute think before his next move.} 19. b4 {At last some action. White is ready to put his space advantage to work.} 19... c4 {It was either this or 14...cxb4 15.Nxb4 the decision took Ding 15 minutes.} 20. Be3 Qa6 21. Bd4 {The d-pawn is being held tactically. 21...Nxd5 22.Rxe8 etc.} 21... Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 {Offering Ding a very risky looking pawn.} 22... Qxa2 {The kind of pawn grab a computer would make. Game on and it looks very good for White.} 23. Ra1 Qb3 24. Ra3 Qb1+ 25. Kg2 {'The d-pawn is still safe 25...Nxd5 26.Bxg7 etc. Black is cramped and appears to be just hanging on.} 25... Rd7 26. Ra5 Qb3 27. Ra3 Qb1 28. Ra5 Qb3 {A three fold rep...surely not, just gaining time on the clock and messing about.} 29. Rxb5 Qd3 {It is Black's Queen v the whole White army.} 30. Qf4 {Keeping the Queens on must be right. White can drum up an attack from here.} 30... Qxc2 31. Bxf6 {31...Bxf6 32.Qxf6 then White has Rb8, Qd6 and Qd8 ideas.} 31... Qf5 {Black can see the danger and gets the Queens off.} 32. Qxf5 gxf5 33. Bxg7 Kxg7 34. Rc5 {This looks like a won ending for White and Ding was in serious time trouble now.} 34... Ng6 35. Rxc4 Ne5 36. Rd4 Nc6 {Black is using tactics to try and hold it all together.} 37. Rf4 Ne7 38. b5 {White is expecting 38...Nxd5 and does want to leave the b4 pawn hanging.} 38... Kf6 {38....Nxd5 was another way to go but holding the f5 pawn and activating the King seems OK.} 39. Rd4 h6 {Simply getting the pawn off a White square.} 40. Kf1 {If the White King can get in amongst the action Black would be in serious trouble.} 40... Ke5 {Played with just seconds left. This wins the d-pawn but White now gets a passed h-pawn.} 41. Rh4 Nxd5 {The players now have an extra 30 minutes to reach move 60 plus a 30 second increment.} 42. Rxh6 Nc3 43. Rc6 {43...Nxb5 44.Rc5+ was a trick White had to see a few moves ago.} 43... Ne4 {White will only give up that Bishop for the Knight when it is a 100% win.} 44. Ke1 f6 {After 22 minutes by Ding. Bring the pawn closer to the King,} 45. h4 {This pawn is a runner, but if everything is swapped off White has the wrong Bishop for the h-pawn.} 45... Rd3 46. Bd1 {In hindsight 46.Be2 was better. Black can now generate counter-play.} 46... f4 {An idea Gukesh has missed.} 47. gxf4+ {With the White pawns split Black now has good OTB drawing chances.} 47... Kxf4 {Now 48.Rc4 Rh3! 49.f3 Rh1+ is a perpetual. I'll show the mate if White tries to wriggle out of it,} 48. Bc2 {After 10 minutes by Gukesh who was the one getting into time trouble now.} 48... Rd5 49. Rc4 {Using this hit on the Knight to defend the b-pawn.} 49... f5 50. Rb4 Kf3 51. Bd1+ Kg2 52. Rb3 {All through this game tactics have been holding pawns 52...Nxf2 53,Bf3+} 52... Re5 {With Nxf2+ on the board. Black's activity is countermanding White's extra pawn.} 53. f4 Re7 54. Re3 Rh7 55. h5 Nf6 56. Re5 Nxh5 57. Rxf5 {Now the focus is on the White f-pawn.} 57... Ng3 58. Rf8 Rb7 59. Ba4 Kf3 60. f5 {Gukesh made this move with 2 seconds of increment left.} 60... Kf4 {The players now have any time remaining + 30 second increment for the rest of the game,} 61. f6 Ne4 62. Bc2 Nd6 63. Rd8 {The game is level. Black could kick it off again with 63...Nxb4 but sanity prevails.} 63... Ke5 64. Bb3 Nf7 {This time there are no tactical tricks to save the pawns.} 65. Rd5+ Kxf6 66. Kd2 Rb6 67. Bc4 Rd6 {Everything is coming off the board after this move.} 68. Kc3 Rxd5 69. Bxd5 Nd6 70. Kb4 Nxb5 71. Kxb5 a6+ 72. Kxa6 {A draw.}

[FEN "8/p7/2R2p2/1P6/4nk1P/3r4/5P2/3BK3 w - - 0 48"]
48. Rc4 {Instead of 48. Bc2} 48... Rh3 49. f3 Rh1+ 50. Ke2 Rh2+ 51. Kf1 Rh1+ {Kg2 Rxd1, Rxf4+ Kf5 is a drawn ending.} 52. Ke2 Rh2+ 53. Kd3 Rd2 {Excellent chess by Ding spotting that resource in the position.} 1/2-1/2