World Chess Championship 2023 Game 10 As It Happened: Ding Liren draws with Ian Nepomniachtchi, still trails by a point

"My team took a look (at the games that leaked online), but I wouldn't say it should be as hyped as it is," said Ian Nepomniachtchi on the Team Ding training games between public accounts that were discovered by a Reditt user. 

At the poress conference, Ding Liren says: "He defended quite well. So, I didn't have many chances in this game."

Nepo and Ding share a quick smile before their handshake ?

Game 10 ends in a draw with just the kings left on the board! #NepoDing pic.twitter.com/SD2V1CJCsM

— Chess.com (@chesscom) April 23, 2023

Ding Liren confesses that Nepo's 9...Bc5 "came as a total surprise to me!"

Grandmaster Denes Boros says: "This draw is quite important, as Nepo has been suffering in the previous black games."

A good solid draw by Nepo, but Ding still has 4 games left and the tension remains.@FIDE_chess #NepoDing

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) April 23, 2023

A flurry of captures since the 33rd move. They exchange all the pieces and pawns on the booard in a flurry of captures. After the 45th move, just the two kings left standing on the battle field. It is a draw. Did Ding waste an ooportunity?

See the moves from 33 to 45:

33 R7e5 Rxe5
34 Rxe5 Bb3
35 Bxb3 Rxc3+
36 Kh4 Rxb3
37 Rb5 Ra3
38 Rxb6 Rxa4
39 Kxh3 f5
40 gxf5 Rf4
41 Rb5 Kf6
42 Kg3 Rxf5
43 Rxf5+ Kxf5
44 h4 Kg6
45 h5+ Kxh5

In the blink of an eye, Ding has easily beaten time control. He made the last eight moves in nearly three minutes.

"and that settles it. after 32...Rhc6 no way hold on to c3," tweets Viswanathan Anand. 

Ding now falling behind on time. He has about 17 minutes to make 8 moves. Will we see another time scramble on his part?

30...Bd7 looked good to me, but 30...Rc5 still ok for Black@FIDE_chess #NepoDing

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) April 23, 2023

Ding Liren, as has been the pattern in almost all games, is now falling back on the clock again. He has just over 30 minutes to make 12 moves. His Russian opponent has just under an hour to make the same number of moves. So Nepo has a near half hour more time.

Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay will be analysing all games of the 2023 World Chess Championship for The Indian Express. 

You can read his insightful columns from previous games: 

Game 1
Ian Nepomniachtchi made it clear by the 8th move he was playing impotent and unambitious position

Game 2
Ian Nepomniachtchi vs Ding Liren: Game 2 was the worst game played in the history of World Championships

Game 3
GM Pravin Thipsay writes: Ding Liren now seems like proper contender to be world champion, Game 3 indicates he won’t go down easily

Game 4
GM Pravin Thipsay writes: Finally, it looks like a World Championship match

Game 5
Pravin Thipsay writes: Ding Liren forgot the basic purpose of chess in Game 5

Game 6 
GM Pravin Thipsay writes: In Game 6, Ding Liren won battle of errors against Ian Nepomniachtchi

Game 7
Pravin Thipsay writes: Strange yet spectacular Game 7 shows this is a ‘classic’ World Championship

Game 8
Pravin Thipsay writes: We’re witnessing the most spirited World Championships since early 19th century

Game 9

Pravin Thipsay writes: Fireworks of earlier games missing from Game 9, but no mistakes either

1 c4 Nf6
2 Nc3 e5
3 Nf3 Nc6
4 e4 Bc5
5 Nxe5 Nxe5
6 d4 Bb4
7 dxe5 Nxe4
8 Qf3 Nxc3
9 bxc3 Bc5
10 Qg3 Kf8
11 Be2 d6
12 Bf4 Qe7
13 Rd1 h5
14 O-O h4
15 Qd3 g5
16 exd6 cxd6
17 Bxd6 Qxd6
18 Qxd6+ Bxd6
19 Rxd6 Be6
20 f4 Ke7
21 Rd4 gxf4
22 Rfxf4 h3
23 g4 Rac8
24 Kf2 Rc5
25 a4 Ra5

As both Nepo and Ding complete Move 25, the Chinese GM is up a pawn. But he has a doubled pawn on the c file. Both have the two rooks and a bishop each on the board. Ding is not every much behind on time.

As Ding makes his 23rd move, commentator Irina Krush remarks that the position is looking "pretty decent for white". GM Daniil Dubov adds: "It doesn't look like we neeed to accept a draw at least."

For once, Ding Liren is not falling behind way too much on time. He has one hour five minutes after 23 moves. Nepo, with one less move made, has 1:15. 

Here are all the 20 moves so far... 

1 c4 Nf6
2 Nc3 e5
3 Nf3 Nc6
4 e4 Bc5
5 Nxe5 Nxe5
6 d4 Bb4
7 dxe5 Nxe4
8 Qf3 Nxc3
9 bxc3 Bc5
10 Qg3 Kf8
11 Be2 d6
12 Bf4 Qe7
13 Rd1 h5
14 O-O h4
15 Qd3 g5
16 exd6 cxd6
17 Bxd6 Qxd6
18 Qxd6+ Bxd6
19 Rxd6 Be6
20 f4 Ke7

Fabiano Caruana says on Chess.com that Ding Liren has 'a 30 percent chance to win this endgame'. 

"I can play (from this position) for a long time. It's not a dead draw. It's playable," says GM Daniil Dubov in commentary. 

1 c4 Nf6
2 Nc3 e5
3 Nf3 Nc6
4 e4 Bc5
5 Nxe5 Nxe5
6 d4 Bb4
7 dxe5 Nxe4
8 Qf3 Nxc3
9 bxc3 Bc5
10 Qg3 Kf8
11 Be2 d6
12 Bf4 Qe7
13 Rd1 h5
14 O-O h4
15 Qd3 g5
16 exd6 cxd6

"Not sure if this has been said already, but Game 10 today really reminds me of the Carlsen-Nepo Petroff from Game 8 of the 2021 match. Black king on f8, pawn on h5, all knights off the board, etc. And we all know how that turned out," tweets GM David Howell. 

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand tweets: "Ding still following Nepo's own game (admittedly a random blitz game) doesnt sound very hopeful, does it? But Ding would know that, so what is going on?"

So far if you have Stockfish vs Stockfish, you will practically get the #NepoDing game. So this is a good time to download and install @stockfishchess if you do not have it on your home computer

— Chessdom (@chessdom) April 23, 2023

'Definitely an unusual-looking position for someone who has not previousely seen these kind of positions. The King's on f8 and black is not being castled and pushing the pawn to h5,' says eight-time US Women’s Champion Irina Krush in FIDE commentary.

To this, GM Daniil Dubov replies: 'The idea is quite concrete. Black basically wants to play h4 and chasing the white queen away. And the pawn on e5 will start the attack.' 

Ding's opening choices with White are very modern. I spent very little time on any of his choices in this match before my own.@FIDE_chess #NepoDing

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) April 23, 2023

Here are the first 11 moves of the game: 

1 c4 Nf6
2 Nc3 e5
3 Nf3 Nc6
4 e4 Bc5
5 Nxe5 Nxe5
6 d4 Bb4
7 dxe5 Nxe4
8 Qf3 Nxc3
9 bxc3 Bc5
10 Qg3 Kf8
11 Be2 d6

So after a long, hard think, Ding finally moves his queen to g3. Nepo waltzes onto the stage from his lounge and in the next seven seconds takes his seat, notes down Ding's move, moves his king to f8. Clock's back on for the Chinese GM. The Russian pours himself some of his mystery elixir, and walks away again leaving his opponent by himself on the stage. 

Here are all the first nine moves: 

Ding and Nepo play 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 .. the four knights are out..4. e4 Bc5  5. Nxe5 Nxe5 6. d4 Bb4 7. dxe5 Nxe4 .. already Nepo with black seems to be exploring routes less travelled. Ding is thinking more.They continue 8. Qf3 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bc5 

1 c4 Nf6
2 Nc3 e5
3 Nf3 Nc6
4 e4 Bc5
5 Nxe5 Nxe5
6 d4 Bb4
7 dxe5 Nxe4
8 Qf3 Nxc3
9 bxc3 Bc5

Ding is playing with white pieces. He has to go on the offensive as he is down a point. There are only four more games after this one. What's Ding's opening move? It's 1.c4... The English Opening again.

Nepo is leading 5-4. But his Chinese opponent has three games left to play with white while the Russian has two. 

One can be mistaken for thinking that the World Chess Championship games being played between Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi are boring. We can say that because we now have the smartest engines to predict the best moves.

At the board, inside that dome at St Regis in Astana, Kazakhstan, they don’t have access to anything. Even before the middlegame, they are reaching scenarios that haven’t been played before and hence, they have to work out the best possible move by themselves, with the clock ticking. (READ MORE)

Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the 2023 World Chess Championship. Ian Nepomniachtchi leads 5:4 going into the final five games of the match, but Ding Liren still has three games with the white pieces to turn it around. Will the Chinese GM hold his nerves to turn things around? Stay tuned for all the live updates!