Games 10 and 11 of the 14-game match between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren have just been played in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The winner will be crowned as the new World Champion in classical chess, following Magnus Carlsen’s abdication of the title.

The schedule of games can be found here, with Lichess providing a live broadcast transmission of all games. Read below for detailed thoughts and annotations on the games from GM Harikrishna Pentala – one of the strongest players in the world (FIDE Rating: 2704, World Rank: 34) and a former world top 10 player with a peak rating of 2770, along with more general impressions on the tournament so far.

At a Glance

First time following the World Chess Championship match? Check this handy infographic to get to speed:

The more the graph is in the red, the greater the advantage Ding had. The more the graph is in the blue, the greater advantage Nepomniachtchi had. The numbers on the bottom of the graph, on the x-axis, correlate to the number of moves, and a +1 advantage on the side of the graph, on the y-axis, is roughly equivalent to converting the position to a win 50% of the time.

Game 10

The annotations by GM Harikrishna Pentala are provided in the embed below, with a direct link to the full study available here.

https://lichess.org/study/SkQqKSso/wbRPyQMY

Coming off two draws, Ding was a point behind and his turn with white potentially represents an opportunity to draw level again. 

As in Game 4, Ding opened with 1. c4, deciding to try the English opening against Nepomniachtchi again. Ding diverged from Game 4 – Nepomniactchi’s seconds have almost certainly analyzed it extensively by now – and seemed more hesitant with his opening than Nepomniachtchi.

(Photo - FIDE / Stev Bonhage)

The depth of Nepomniachtchi’s preparation was apparent at several key junctures where he remained confident in the best response to give. By even around move 19, it was likely Nepomniachtchi remained in prep. 

Even at this quite early stage of the game, the position appeared to be heading towards a draw with queens already traded off and the players down to rooks and some minor material. These were quietly traded off with no uncomfortable surprises for either player, and both players agreed to a draw.

Nepomniachtchi will be pleased with this result – as it keeps him in the lead and removes another opportunity for Ding to come back. 

Game 11

The annotations by GM Harikrishna Pentala are provided in the embed below, with a direct link to the full study available here.

https://lichess.org/study/SkQqKSso/oh9z5SOB

Nepomniachtchi has another chance with the white pieces – and opens with 1. e4, the main weapon he’s chosen in this match against Ding so far. Ding opted for a closed Ruy Lopez again, rather than a Berlin defense. 

The first real question for Ding came at move 15, with Nepomniachtchi being incredibly well prepared against seemingly every eventuality. Nepomniachtchi seemed to be gaining momentum in the position and generally had more attacking chances, but Ding found the best defense and Nepomniachtchi’s attack was successfully diverted. 

(Photo - FIDE / Stev Bonhage)

Pieces were quickly traded off, and again by move 25 or so it was clear that the most likely outcome for the game would be a draw – and indeed on move 39 a draw was agreed. 

Snap verdict

If Ding’s openings have been discovered by Nepomniachtchi’s team, this could explain why Ding has been playing more cautiously. Ding’s seconds may be trying to buy time while they prepare new lines and new openings for Ding to play. 

Meanwhile, Nepomniachtchi’s team – rumored to include 14th World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, 2004 Vice-World Champion Peter Leko, the 2021 Russian Champion Nikita Vitiugov, and former European Champion Vladimir Potkin – has clearly prepared Nepomniachtchi very well and in incredible depth. 

Yet even so, when Ding surprises him or the game progresses beyond what Nepomniachtchi has prepared with – Ding still seems to get good chances. The last few games represent the final few chances for Ding to score a victory and push to the tiebreaks. He is rapidly running out of games, but has two chances left with white to equalize. 

At the same time, this shouldn’t detract from Nepomniachtchi’s own skill and ability. Preparing so well is in itself a great skill and ability, and he has avoided any real wobbles in the opening. 

Lichess is regularly running World Championship Thematic Arenas on the days of the tournament - with positions taken from the games. Make sure you follow our social media to see when the next one will be!

(Title photo - FIDE / Stev Bonhage)