Game 1 of the 2023 World Chess Championship is now history, and it was a good game for an opener: a reasonably interesting and fresh opening, it was not destined for a draw the instant the player were out of prep, and while it finished in a draw there were moments when one of the players - in this case, Ian Nepomniachtchi - had fair winning chances.
Nepo went for the Ruy with White, as he did in his match with Magnus Carlsen, but this time around he went for the so-called Delayed Exchange Ruy Lopez Deferred (just trips off the tongue, doesn’t it?) rather than trying different versions of the Anti-Marshall. Ding Liren didn’t seem especially well prepared for the line, and rather than going for what is perhaps the most principled variation (which can get exceptionally sharp) he chose a stable option that left him slightly worse. It remained that way until Ding played 24…c5 and 25…c6, inviting White’s queen and bishop to penetrate on the dark squares in Black’s queenside. Nepo could have won a pawn, but may have felt that Black would be able to hold with the opposite-colored bishops. Perhaps, but it still would have been his best chance. He kept a small advantage after 29.Bd6 (instead of 29.Bc7), but it wasn’t enough, and although both sides made some minor inaccuracies a draw was already the likeliest outcome, and came to pass about half an hour after the first time control.
Tomorrow, it will be Ding’s turn with the white pieces. Will we see his beloved Catalan on the board, or are we in for a surprise? Stay tuned; meanwhile, here’s today’s game, with my annotations.