Calm before the storm - Game 10

In connection with the last game, this was perhaps also the game where the equilibrium was not disturbed at all, or rather even tried to! Ding perhaps got a very very slight edge or atleast a pleasant position from the opening. But he resolutely avoided creating any sort of imbalance and allowed the game to drift to a draw rather easily maintaining the deadlock in the scores!

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 e6 4. e3 c5 5. Be2!? Bd6 6. dxc5 Bxc57. c4!?

White has transposed the game from London to a Queen's Gambit Declined.

 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 

Gukesh played this quickly

8... dxc4 9. Bxc4 Qe7 Black and try and develop the knight on d7 is more typical of a Queens Gambit Accepted player.

 9. Nc3!  

White commits Nc3 only after Black does the same too.

 9...dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nh5 

After a long thought Gukesh typically tries to solve the position in a concrete fashion.

Clearly Gukesh did not like to defend a passive endgame after 10... Qxd1 11. Rfxd1 as it happened in a rapid game between Rapport and Aronian Gibraltar 2018

 11. Bg5 

 11. Qc2!? Nxf4 12. exf4 White could create an imbalance and play this structure like the famous Kramnik-Carlsen game 2010 though this is a better version of Black. 

11... Be7 12. Ne4 

12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Nd4 Nf6 (13... Nxd4 14. Qxh5 Nc6 also seems ok for black) 14. Nxc6 bxc6 Ding thought this position was fine for Black.

12... Nf6 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 15. Bxf6 

Ding decided to play it very safe and allowed Black to equalise easily. 

15... gxf6  

With only one theoretical weakness on f6, this was perhaps not even a hint of a try, and the game resulted in an easy draw after 36 moves.

games discussed here