Pillar of Rock

Dommaraju Gukesh – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
World Chess Championship 2024; match game 7; Sentosa, December 3, 2024
Grünfeld Defence D78

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. c4 c6 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Re1 dxc4 8. e4 Bg4 9. Nbd2 c5 10. d5 e6 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 exd5 13. exd5 Nbd7 14. Nxc4 b5 15. Na3 Qb6 16. Bf4 Rfe8 17. Qd2 Rad8 18. Nc2 Nf8 19. b4 c4 20. Be3 Qa6!? 21. Bd4 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Qxa2!? A somewhat risky Pawn grab, but consistent with his 20th move.
23. Ra1

23. ... Qb3?! 23. ... c3! was a better justification for 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)’s materialism; for example: 24. Bxc3 (24. Qd3 Qb3 25. Ra3 Qb1+ 26. Kh2 Ng4+! 27. hxg4 Bxd4 28. Qxd4 Qxc2 29. Rxc3 Qb2∞) 24. ... Qc4 25. Bxf6 Bxf6 26. Rxa7 Ne6 with interesting compensation.
24. Ra3 Qb1+ 25. Kg2 Rd7 26. Ra5 Qb3 27. Ra3 Qb1 28. Ra5 Qb3 29. Rxb5 Qd3 30. Qf4 (30. Be3±)
40. ... Qxc2 31. Bxf6 Qf5 32. Qxf5 gxf5 33. Bxg7 Kxg7 34. Rc5 Ng6 35. Rxc4 Ne5 36. Rd4 Nc6! 37. Rf4 Ne7 38. b5 Kf6 39. Rd4 h6 40. Kf1

40. ... Ke5. The 40th move is often a “game changer”, and this one makes no exception. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) then suggested 40. ... Nc8! 41. Rh4 Kg7 42. Rc4 Nd6 43. Rc5 Rb7 44. Be2 Rd7 with a blockade.
41. Rh4 Nxd5 42. Rxh6 Nc3 43. Rc6 Ne4 44. Ke1 f6. More accurate seems 44. ... Rd5! 45. Be2 Rd4 46. Rc4 Rxc4 47. Bxc4 f4 48. g4 f5! with a holdable endgame in spite od the Pawn minus.
45. h4 Rd3 46. Bd1?! (46. Ke2 Rd5 47. b6 axb6 48. Rxb6±)

46. ... f4! 47. gxf4+ Kxf4 48. Bc2. Now, but too late, Gukesh noticed that Black could reply to 48. Rc4 with 48. ... Rh3! 49. f3 Rh1+ drawing by perpetual check.
48. ... Rd5 49. Rc4 f5 50. Rb4 Kf3 51. Bd1+ Kg2 52. Rb3 Re5 53. f4 Re7 54. Re3 Rh7 55. h5 Nf6 56. Re5 Nxh5 57. Rxf5 Ng3 58. Rf8 Rb7 59. Ba4 Kf3 60. f5 Kf4 61. f6 Ne4 62. Bc2 Nd6 63. Rd8 Ke5 64. Bb3 Nf7 65. Rd5+ Kxf6 66. Kd2 Rb6 67. Bc4 Rd6 68. Kc3 Rxd5 69. Bxd5 Nd6 70. Kb4 Nxb5 71. Kxb5 a6+ 72. Kxa6 ½–½.

Once again 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) proved to be a formidable defender. Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova.