World Championship 2024 diaries Game 9

by Sundararajan Kidambi - 08/12/2024

Only four Classical games are remaining at FIDE World Championship Match 2024 presented by Google. D Gukesh opted for the Catalan opening in the ninth game. GM Sundararajan Kidambi analyzes Game 9 in detail. He also takes a look at a few interesting moments of the game. Check out the dissection by Kidambi of the ninth game and enrich your understanding of it. If you like his explanations, do mention it in the comments, so that it inspires Kidambi to share more from his fountain of knowledge. Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Catalan solidity

Gukesh surprised Ding with the Catalan, a mainstream line that Ding himself is an expert on with White. Despite a slightly lesser played idea in the Catalan, avoiding b2-b3. But there were only a couple of interesting moments in the game.

Sundararajan Kidambi analyzes FIDE World Championship Match 2024 Game 9 | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

Gukesh - Ding Liren, Game 9

Position after 11...Qc7

In this position after Black's eleventh move, White went for

12.Rac1 Rfd8 13.b4!?

instead of 13.b3

13...c5!

This came after a lot of thought, but clearly the most critical move, and an easy one for Ding

14.bxc5 bxc5 15.Qb2!?

Position after 15.Qb2!?

15...Nb6

Hikaru suggested that 15...Qb6 was the easiest way to equalise. 16.Nb3 dxc4 17.Ba5 Qb5 18.Bxd8 Rxd8 19.dxc5 Bxc5

16.Ba5 dxc4 17.Nxc4

Position after 17.Nxc4

Bxf3!?

After deep thought Ding chooses a position which might be a trifle worse, but is nevertheless solid. He did not choose a line that concretely lead to equality, as he missed a particular move on the 19th turn.

17...Nxc4 18.Rxc4 Qxa5 19.Qxb7 Nd7! was the slightly awkward move one had to foresee to force the equality. Ding admitted that he missed this move 20.dxc5 Rab8 21.Qc6 Rbc8.

18.Bxb6 axb6 19.Bxf3 Ra6

Position after 19...Ra6

This was the last interesting moment of the game. White went for a forcing approach with

20.Qb5?!

The forcing move gives up the advantage, perhaps White could keep the pressure with a very minute advantage with 20.Ne5 Bf8 21.Kg2 or 21.e3 or even 20.e3!?

20...Rxa2 21.Nxb6 Qa7! admittedly Gukesh missed this idea after which Ding equalizes

22.Qb1 Rb8 23.dxc5 Ra6=

Ding completely equalised and the game was drawn after 54 moves.

D Gukesh vs Ding Liren, Game 9 | Photo: FIDE/Maria Emelianova

About the author

GM Sundararajan Kidambi is considered by many Indian players as the one with impeccable knowledge of chess classics | Photo: Shahid Ahmed

ChessBase India is happy to see GM Sundararajan Kidambi writing his sixth game review of World Championship Match 2024 in his blog "Musings on Chess". Knowing what an encyclopedic knowledge the grandmaster from Chennai possesses, I think we are in for a treat! He is likely to write more about the ongoing World Championship Match. We will keep reminding him about it! We are awaiting to read his next post of the year and be enriched.