World Chess Championship 2023 | Ding Liren vs Ian Nepomniachtchi | Game 12

[@PowerPlayChess]

The more I think about the game, the stranger it seems that Nepo played ...b4, giving up the c-pawn, without thinking through the consequences. Instead ...a6 just held everything together.

[@hugovaz777]

I think he panicked at the discovered check and wanted to block it even if that means sacking a pawn… strange

[@vinozarazzi5633]

GM Daniel King is by far the best chess commentator 🎉

[@triscuit5103]

I think using the words "by far" is unfair to some of the other great commentators we are lucky to have, but I do agree that Mr. King is the best indeed.

[@heidil3622]

You are right, he is fantastic. The pace, detail, and passion is just the perfect mix and balance. The best IMHO.

[@vinozarazzi5633]

@@heidil3622 Indeed - easy to understand - covers relevant lines and info. Moreover he is calm and sincere. A true teacher of chess

[@hunorgered6069]

He's a LEGEND!

[@vinozarazzi5633]

@@triscuit5103- Another great commentator is GM Yasser Seirawan from St.Louis Chess Club. GM Irina Krush' way of commenting seems almost inspired by him?

[@knightdance8377]

This is a World Championship match in which both sides are trying to knock each others head off when they have the white pieces and are taken an insane amount of risk. I knew both Ding and Nepo were aggressive players but the respect I have for them has actually gone up over the course of this match. Thank them for the drama and spectacle.

[@shouldersofgiants4649]

Such an extraordinary match! People shouting "blunder" should try to watch without any assistance and come up with refutations on their own. I felt both players stumbled under pressure but Ding's consolidation maneuver Bc2-e4-g2 securing the king as well as Qc3 craftily keeping d5+ in reserve, which added psychological pressure on Nepo, were the difference makers!

[@RangeWilson]

Not sure what you are saying here. There are plenty of moves that do not lose the game instantly for Black, and it's easy to find Rxe6 (not sure why White would seriously consider any other move). So... I'm shouting "blunder!"

[@rhysgriffiths9675]

I’m sorry.. but this is the world chess championship.. it’s reasonable to expect precise and accurate play, not quick moves made without proper calculations. These players are fighting for the title of the best chess player in the world, after all. Funny to have Fabi casting this game, he probably would have not made such blunders himself.

[@grimborn9949]

@@rhysgriffiths9675 Yes, Nepo's attitude in this game doesn't look professional, as should be expected in a WM.

[@thomsonjohnson9160]

@@rhysgriffiths9675 Honestly I feel bad for Fabi, he could have easily beat both the guys. Nepo is good for one to one game but long championship it's clear he and Ding Liren both cannot handle pressure.

[@ghostapostle7225]

One thing is not finding moves wich requires deep calculation, the other thing is blundering moves wich instantly loses the game. lol

[@anonanon6764]

In the variation with Qh6 Rh2+ Kg1 Rg8+ Kf1 Qc4+ Re2, we have mate in 1 on h1 if I'm not mistaken. Rxf2+ is playing with your food!

[@csarmii]

Hah. Yep.

[@yanair2091]

I've noticed it too. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@anonanon6764]

It's nice to have real human analysis and thoughts on the game, which means analysis will not always be perfect engine lines. Even GMs are human too, as we seeing in this chaotic back and forth match.

[@perpetualchesspodcast9143]

Fantastic analysis Daniel, thank you. I needed some help with this one!

[@allippincott]

Have enormously appreciated having these recap videos as the match has played out. My go-to!

[@phillipscudder5821]

Thank you for breaking this game down in such an instructive and easy to understand manner! I look forward to the remaining 2 games. Cheers!

[@theguardian308]

Great analysis, really enjoy watching your recap after each game

[@nickjackson6962]

Powerplay to 100k!!!

[@Forest_Knight]

Fabi said that by playing Bd7 Ian mixed up his prep. There's Bd7 (top line) after Nc6, Qc2. The idea is that you can play Rc8 and if Bd3, you can play Nb4 forking Q and B. And the Bishop on d7 guards against the check Bb5+.

[@JPCPSeto]

Nepo never changes. I can't feel bad for him any more. If he insists on blitzing for no reason, and throwing games away because of it, go ahead. Just don't complain about losing afterwards.

[@ashvalkyriee]

to be fair ive never heard him complain but you are right with the rest. it must be frustrating to lose a won game like that though. i thought he wanted to cry at the end there

[@embeleco2342]

Thanks mr. King! About the strange bishop moves in the opening, Dubov in his live commentary was also quite puzzled , he thought it might have to do with preventing some Bb5 variations.

[@wzdew]

This game got razor sharp, but Nepo managed to really hold it together and put Ding on a back foot. c4 was resourceful by Ding. Reminds me a little bit of Frank Marshall trying to swindle his way back into a game. Ding definitely looking like he has the psychological edge going into game 13. Super excited for tomorrow's game! Thanks for great analysis as always. :)

[@stoutlager6325]

Ian must be beside himself right now. To just go frazzle brained and collapse like that is something he's done before in important games and it must bother him. Stuff of worst nightmares.

[@joachimleppert6172]

Thanks a lot, Daniel! Best commentator ever!

[@davidhughes7174]

What an incredible turn of events. The pressure of the Match is a great leveller. Well done to both players, they have my respect and admiration.

[@davidcopson5800]

Thorough analysis without resorting to sensationalism. What a turnaround! All to play for. Keep up the good work Daniel.

[@chuckrivers280]

Love these videos, Sir King. You’re awesome and greatly appreciate you sharing these analysis videos.

[@philipstevenson5166]

the nepo meltdown we've been hoping for or fearing. the match has an atmosphere of a penalty shoot out.

[@davidhughes7174]

beautiful analogy.

[@akademor]

Greetings from Gdynia, Poland.

[@otherguylb5629]

Great match! Finally we have a match that spectators can enjoy. And obviously most of us are waiting for excellent recap from Mr. Daniel King. :) These players are taking risks, that's what makes chess fun. Playing safe, ultra-solid chess and hoping for winning tie-breaks is just awful and I am glad those days are gone. World Chess Championship is a great, classic event, and it doesn't necessarily exist solely to determine the best player in the world - there were times in history when world #1 was not world champion. Even Kasparov, who retired as world number #1 in 2005, had been world #1 for 6 years after he lost time to Kramnik. Also, it's obvious that Carlsen does not own world championship, if he refused to fight, others will take the title. That's same in every sport. We don't annule the event if the champion does not want to play.

[@frednimzowi9852]

Actually about half of the years in our history the world champion is not the number 1 player in the world.

[@otherguylb5629]

@@frednimzowi9852 I guess the stats you provided is correct. Fischer was world #1 for like 10 years, and he had never defeated Spassky before their match. And he never won a tournament ahead of Spassky. If he wasn't lucky enough to get a spot in the interzonal, because another American just gave him spot for free, he would have never been world champion. Why on earth, suddenly now, people are so upset that world #1 is not a world champion... Kasparov himself also said that Brostein was stronger than Botvinnik, but he could not defeat Botvinnik in the match.

[@infernal314]

@@otherguylb5629 There is a difference between not succeeding (to win/defend the title) and not willing to. When Fischer refused to defend his title against Karpov, he quit from playing chess completely which is fair enough.

[@otherguylb5629]

@@infernal314 In every normal sport, you go through qualifying each time. In football(soccer), you have to play in World Cup from group stages even if you won the previous addition. I think in Tennis too, did Federer start immediately in the final when he won previous year's tournament? And if champion refuses to defend his title, it's his own decision.

[@infernal314]

@@otherguylb5629 Of course it is. I'm just not delighted of it, since the significance of the chess crown has been devalued. If Carlsen lost the match, while still keeping the highest rating, the prestige of the title would remain much higher.

[@szabicsapi7459]

3:52 Nepo wanted to know if Ding will castle kingside or not and only after put the bishop to g4.

[@romualdgardes1461]

Thanks for your analysis!

[@alexf0101]

thanks

[@allykid4720]

I have no nerves left to watch this WCC, don't know how I would be playing there.

[@kakanhejsan]

insane wcc! 🔥🔥im happy for Ding and the rest of the match now being equal but watching Nepo at the board at the end was hard, thanks for the great recaps king!🔥🔥

[@bobsinclair8990]

Thank you, Daniel!

[@bendixperschk5349]

Thank you for the excellent analysis

[@duilioalba4395]

Great explanation Daniel!!!

[@henkschmitz6768]

Thanks. (In that variation with ..Qc4+ in the opening, ..Rh1+ is Mate immediately.)

[@AroundWayOther]

my heart sank multiple times during this video but pheeeeeew Ding managed to capitalize! excellent recap mr king!

[@Sukuun]

This game needs to go down in chess history as one of the most famous comeback wins of all time. I have never seen someone snatch victory from the jaws of defeat like this in a world chess championship, ever. Then again, I've only been watching world chess championship matches since 2010.

[@landilevanaj3499]

Thank you Daniel for the great analysis as always, n congratulations to Ding for this game but, the game 6 was amazing

[@SteveSmith-tm4up]

The most entertaining world chess final in years! Attacking, blunders, they are human, not computers! At least not long drawn out theory and continuous draws!

[@scottscottman8141]

Exciting!!

[@DG-ss2zd]

So quick I love it!

[@exhactly]

Thrilling!

[@Straight_Talk]

You missed a mate in 1 around 9:20 by Rh1.

[@PowerPlayChess]

Just to keep you on your toes.

[@saulgutierrez4249]

never give up!

[@paulgreen7906]

I said before the match started Ding would win and be World Champion. It looks like the winner will be the guy who makes fewest blunders and holds his nerves. Easier said than done under the pressure. As always excellent analysis Daniel. This is going to an exciting end to the match.

[@italgong]

great stuff Daniel!

[@joseraulcapablanca8564]

The fast and dynamic play by Nepo has created pressure, which has at times caused Ding to crack, but also he has stabbed himself with that sharp play at times like this, a wonderful cahmpionships where anything is still possible. thanks Daniel.

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

it was almost as though Nepo couldn't decide whether to play for a win or a draw and consequently ended up with neither Great championship this has been! Who knows what's going to happen next!

[@chessguru900]

I'm surprised you have not been commentating live on these games.

[@zalannemeth7957]

Wow I'm surprised the title of this video isn't Nepo on tilt 2.0

[@andraspongracz5996]

At 9:11, I believe Rh1# is a mate in 1. (Right after the white rook blocked the queen check.)

[@RangeWilson]

The Titled Tuesday World Championship continues! The move ...f5 must be one of the most suicidal ever played in a World Championship, especially because even beginners realize how risky it can be to advance one's f-pawn. Nepo must have simply hallucinated under pressure.

[@csarmii]

Well, he does have some serious threats there too. It would be interesting to ask him what he overlooked there exactly. Maybe it's just that after Rxe6 he has no defenders suddenly. Maybe he just blanked out the move itself. But it's also possible that he thought that f3 and fxg4 were bigger threats. He just didn't spend enough time on the move though.

[@davidfranklin5426]

At 9:12 there's a bit of ...Rh1# as well :)

[@oliverkruger5364]

100000 subscribers is close

[@rafikkifl5345]

I take my previous comment back; this game is a good example of the complications of Modern Dynamic Chess!

[@JMyepes]

Great comments! I like it very much!!! I think tha Nepo is somehow stressed and tired and his concentration was weak in this game. As my brother Luis told me, there is already a winner: all the public that is enjoying this match!

[@andrewhaldenby4949]

Wonderful Daniel ty. Wow Nepo will be hurting, he would have thought he had won the match. I hope he can recover. Both sides missing wins, an even and exciting struggle

[@mikebennett109]

In some respects I’m grateful to Magnus for giving up his crown, as it has produced a wonderfully entertaining championship match. Certainly more entertaining than the draw fest in 2018 (ok there was another match in between, but that was more of a blunderfest)!

[@keithtomlinson1280]

This is turning into a real Ding Dong battle. 😂 (I’m sorry…it’s The Sun headline writer coming out in me) But it is wonderful to see both players going for it again after a few recent dry draws. Very entertaining and exciting. And Daniel really is the King of commentators. 😬 (okay I’m going now)

[@sunnyc8900]

Did you mean King Kong of commentators? :)

[@TessaTestarossa]

What a rollercoaster has today been. I got to tune in for a bit, opening looked quite nice for Ding, then I went out for just a few moves and when I came back, Ding was under pressure and two moves later outright lost. I went for my nap very sad, then I come for Danny King's analysis and get a load of this. :D I must say, I've been a little angry at some of the disrespect thrown at the match about bad the players are, not only from fans, even Daniil Dubov had some strong words about it, but I must admit this game was really not up to a very championly standard. As for Bb7, I wonder if the entire intent behind it was to throw Ding off.

[@irrationalpie3143]

I think the idea behind "losing a tempo" is to ensure that e7-e6 is not played too early blocking out the bishop. Additionally, it is possible to delay casting to decide whether to go K-side or Q-side.

[@michaelorsini9695]

Love this match! I watched it live as well. So much sharp play with so many surprises! I thought Ding's g4 pawn play was losing on the spot. But Ian is proving to be human as well...and despite the relevance of the chess engines, that's what chess is all about. Cheers!

[@fundhund62]

Very brave play by Ding! It´s well deserved that it payed off like this, and also great for us spectators that it´s a tie going into the final rounds.

[@tonysu8860]

I would have covered the opening a bit differently pointing out that both players by their move order and choices passed on certain ideas but the later middlegame fireworks seem to be covered pretty well. The match is entertaining by its swings and exhibit the fighting spirit of both players but illustrate both players as quite human and md make human mistakes. In this game, IMO Nepo displayed a trait that likely also betrayed him in the critical game of the last Calsen-Nepo match, a lack of recognition of the most critical point in the game and to play moves that are less than the best when the best are needed. I'm also a bit surprised by Ding's play this entire match... Although I don't follow his games, it's been my impression that Ding is supposed to be unparalleled in his experience and deep knowledge playing White QP openings and so should always be able to either obtain an advantage with White out of the opening or at least to arrive at a position he should understand better than Nepo and then grind away a victory. Instead, we've seen Ding make opening choices that don't emphasize deep understanding of QP theory and engage in the open position tactics that Nepo is supposed to excel in.

[@Sunshine920]

Give this man 100k subs already, dammit so close! 😊

[@owencrawford5984]

About the curious Bd7 move, it seems to be inaccurate so maybe a memory slip by Nepo related to taking the sting out of Bb5 after Nc6.

[@Narrowcros]

That line with Knight f3, queen c6 is such a computer line, very hard for a human to see all that even at the GM level, maybe Kasparov could he has such deep calculation abilities in the middlegame (maybe) but wow that would be impressive.

[@csarmii]

You can certainly spot it, if you do spend the time. It's just that you may think it's a wasted effort to continue calculating it (or starting it in the first place). This Nf3 or Bxg6 moves are there all the time, and with subtle differences of the position, sometimes they work. And you have to find the right time to invest 20 minutes.

[@Narrowcros]

@@csarmii Your thinking of one continution, assuming the other side goes into that line (calculate 2 to 4 other first moves, and each has various lines) from my experince thats not a move a human can find given the number of possiblities

[@eljanrimsa5843]

Real chess game with real nerves. Ding was tough, holding the position together after his initial attack went nowhere. Nepo tried to pour everything into his attack on the the edge of the board, but calm judgment and a smooth improvement of all his pieces showed Ding was the more complete player today.

[@andyalvarico6139]

at 09:12 isnt Rook h2 to Rh1 checkmate?

[@GaaikeEuwema]

If you see a quick mate, look for a longer one

[@TonyKelly]

I always thought his name was pronounced “colley”. Horowitz and Reinfeld covered this opening in their book "How to think ahead in Chess". This was one of my first chess books many years ago now.

[@SupersnakeLivesTo100]

How to Think Ahead in Chess by Horowitz and Reinfeld is a classic and great chess book. However, it did not cover the Colle System. The book covered the Stonewall Attack for playing with the White pieces.

[@DrZygote214]

To be fair, it's easier for Magnus mentality just because he's won this WCC like 4 or 5 times now, to say nothing of this skill and talent. All other mortals will feel the insane pressure. Just thinking about not choking in a feedback loop can make you choke. But i will say this is still really Nepo's fault. You start blitzing moves, you lose. You have to learn that lesson the first time in the previous WCC.

[@Evilanious]

He's had an entire career to learn that. I doubt he'll change in that regard.

[@sheldonkupa9120]

Its not ez to understand, but i think its Nepos strength not to overthink, look at his results. But he is not able to find the right balance. I got the feeling that the given time rules are not ideal, Ding would produce more accurate and genius play with say half an hour plus and maybe increment. He adopted to Nepos quick play and therefore overlooks moves he normally would find...

[@tonysu8860]

I wouldn't agree. I'd don't know what the reasons might be but both players appear to have approached this WCC differently than practically all others before with less preparation. Some speculate it's to avoid computer generated theory. Maybe. Maybe not enough time? Maybe lack of recent games of record due to the Covid shutdown? Lack of a large enough team with enough time for cohesion and work to prepare? Whatever the reasons might be, the usual theoretical fights you see in WCC where teams compete to spring innovations or ways to deny what the opponent is known to prefer is completely absent and instead by the 3rd move or so each player is already trying to steer free of any theoretical preparation.

[@DrZygote214]

@@sheldonkupa9120 I feel the same way, or rather, i have the same question. Why did they change the classical time controls for this WCC? Was that Magnus' idea, done just to try to entice him back? It does feel like Ding couldn't adjust to the new time controls, while Nepo had no trouble at all. Ding almost always getting into time trouble even in this game 12.

[@sheldonkupa9120]

@@DrZygote214 yeah, exactly. Ding is (inter alia) a wonderful calculator, and he can find computerlike moves given enough time. Nepo finds his moves more by experience and intuition. Both players are very respectable.

[@fredcurts9219]

@PowerPlayChess As explained elsewhere, Nepo likely mixed up his lines. There’s a line where Black answers an early Qc2 with …Bd7 followed by …Rc8 (threatening …Nb4) and after Qb1 goes …Bg4. Also, the idea behind …Qc7 is to avoid …Nc6 Bb5 followed by c2-c4, and perhaps Nepo didn’t realize that after c2-c3, there’s no longer any reason to avoid …Nc6 Bb5.

[@noenuguit440]

What is mean by tilt

[@davidcopson5800]

Scott Walker album.

[@vibovitold]

getting unbalanced and entering a losing streak, when the player gets frustrated by his blunders, and this happens to induce more blunders, creating a vicious circle of sorts.

[@northsorrow4699]

..in the analyze after qc4 re2 not rxf2 rh1#

[@kaynthomas7357]

Go powerplay

[@bonghunezhou5051]

6:05 the first part towards the much-needed win by Ding L; I am still inclined to believe that "Nepo" will eventually win the event - even if by slogging through tie-breaks ~

[@bferi]

I wonder how much Rapport's "hand" is in this game. Really interesting psychological aspect as to why Ding chose Rapport as his 2nd. Great game and great analysis as always from Mr. King!

[@damiangilz]

I believe Bd7 prepared two things: 1. Close the position with e6 and 2. prevent an exchangeable pin on f6 as he seemed keeping the knight preferable, but soon later changed his plan.

[@emregeylani]

Daniel did you just suggest taking own bishop at 16:36? :)

[@DaveGeelen88]

Hahaha i didnt notice during watching. So funny

[@itshitime]

f5 reminds me of last year where nepo trapped the bishop and the anger giri had

[@vezquex]

Great defense with the white pieces. A scary looking attack with the black pieces ended up just anti-positional.

[@Gamatov]

9:11 Rh1 mate looks simple enough 😊

[@Zeitgeistpionier]

❤️‍🔥

[@loulasher]

I feel like Nepo plays quickly for psycological reasons. Matching Ding when he sped up feeling time trouble might have just been a way of trying to induce a mistake. Did Tal talk about doing that?

[@frednimzowi9852]

I don't know about Tal, but in this match they both give a game away because of bad time management: in game 7 Ding was too slow and in game 12 Nepo played too harshly. For Nepo, it could be both psychological reasons (and the nice reminiscence of game 7), or fatigue: the game was complicated and Nepo had to spend a lot of energy to get his winning position. He understood he was winning,and most chess players experience that their mind relaxes in such situations. So in some way this might be both fatigue and psychology playing a role,but the psychological aspects not only the way you meant it.

[@loulasher]

@@frednimzowi9852 Yes, those are all valid points. In the candidates match Nepo very often kept his opponents' clocks ticking and that worked out well for him. Ding's time trouble in a couple of games here, I think, also led him to move too quickly in some games-- which is too easy for me to say unfairly because he's the doing the calulating, not me-- and I think Nepo is trying to use that. Nepo is an instictual player, which Tal also was, psycology and a sense of what puts the opponent in a bad situation is always in their approach.

[@ex0duzz]

Yeah the whole match nepo has played fast, or at least faster than ding usually. He has tried to keep ding under maximum time pressure for the whole match and he won a game or two as a result.

[@sportsjefe]

@@ex0duzz It's the blessing and the curse, and in this match we've seen it work both ways.

[@RoyGazoff]

I would agree again if someone said 'it just was not his day'

[@Gadgetify]

strategic blunder by Nepo. He loves chess fans so much, he decided to prolong the match. Seriously though, Ding needed this. He got half a point out of two games he could have won. It'd been cruel if the match effectively ended today

[@pbezunartea]

Go Ding, go! Great recap, as always!

[@matahari1576]

This was a game with extraordinary complications. I could spend half a week analyzing without the help of a PC. I get some nostalgic feelings remembering the old times of Club Chess, where half of the team analyzed a certain position. That created some team spirit. This is gone. Very sad. Still I suggest to every starter to try to develop a deeper understanding through study. F. buy the Middlegame books of Judit Polgars father. Very benefiting. Thanks Daniel for your great comments. But you might agree, that 99 percent of GMs might not find d5 sitting over the board, or would refuse to play it, since it is so complicate to calculate. Maybe after 2-3 Vodkas you play it in a second, or in a Blitz game, but not in a WCc match with all this pressure, like the challenge to score a penalty in ansoccer WCC final. In training,they score 19 from 20 shots, in the final missing to find the goal.

[@rafaelq.8506]

this looks like one of my games

[@dordiwesterlund2528]

All very entertaining, but not sure about the level. In my opinion, Carlsen won have won this with Black 100 times out of 100. Very, very strange WC.

[@laskerscentury6507]

Here's my explanation for 6...Bd7: Given that White would have already been much better after 7.Kne5!, Nepo musthave definitely mixed something up when playing 6. ...Bd7. There are lines in the Exchange Caro-Kann where Bd7 makes sense after White has put the Queen on c2, because it allows Black to make use of the c-file with a quick Rc8 and the threat of Knb4. In the game, there is a similar motive: Imagine Black had played the natural 6....Knc6 instead of 6....Bd7. Then, if White had played 7.Qc2 (a somewhat unusual, but not completely illogical move) , 7....Bd7! would have been strong, e.g. 8.Bd3 Rc8 with the threat of Knb4, giving Black a very quick development.

[@robinesperoza]

Nepo's speed is his greatest ally and foe simultaneously.

[@sacundim]

Somebody called this the "world's slowest blitz match" in jest but it's true

[@maxschmidt666]

IDK, I think this will go into history as a good example on how to not play a world championship game...

[@HunterBelkiran]

Imagine if Ding had found yet another brilliant d5! move

[@tonimuellerDD]

Nepo got defeated nicely by Ian, here.

[@kenspencer9895]

OOPS! Mate in 1 missed at the 9:11 mark (Rh1#).

[@The_Angry_BeEconomist]

I'm really hoping Ding takes it

[@eastyzable]

Bc8 to d7 to g4 is a case of triangulation by the bishop

[@davidblue819]

Looking back on this, my opinion of Ding Liren's play has gone up, because if he had played "good, correct" chess the result would likely have been a draw and a lost match. A scramble is what Ding Liren needed, and a scramble is what happened.

[@djgresearch]

If I were Ding, I'd play ultra-solid in game 13, something like the Petrov or Rubinstein French.

[@vibovitold]

Is he the favorite if it comes to tiebreaks? I think it would be silly to waste a chance when he plays white in this last game.

[@jonbaker2102]

Would you allow any of these Nepo opening moves from your students GM King?

[@PowerPlayChess]

Nope.

[@pelicans456]

Handshake meme: "Playing too fast and losing all my pieces" Me (1700ELO) Ian Nepomniachtchi (~300000 ELO)

[@edwarda9403]

Daniel, the point of Qc7, Bd7 and Bg4 is that black doesn't want to allow the exchange of White's light squared bishop for his knight as white would have more dark squared pieces and would have Ne5. However Nepo learned from his loss and doesn't want to commit to playing an early a6 because of a4-a5 similar to his loss earlier in the match. So he starts with Qc7 which is a very normal move in this structure, they've transposed to an exchange caro. Bd7 is played because Ding delayed the move of his light squared bishop and black doesn't want the knight to be pinned and subsequently captured without white giving a tempo. So now after Bd3 Nc6 and Bg4 can be played without black letting white easily occupy e5 or creating a slight potential weakness with a6 This is "computer approved" but the normal moves from black are also fine. This plan from Black is more of a human treatment of the position that stops the typical plans for white, namely occupying the e5 square and the a4-a5 ideas. Ding spots this instantly however even though he's not in preparation.

[@PowerPlayChess]

I’m sorry, but I find that rationale just too much.

[@edwarda9403]

@@PowerPlayChess short version: Black wants to prevent Bxc6 from white to indirectly stop the typical plan of Ne5 without playing a6 After 6. c3 Black doesn't want to play: e6 - blocks the bishop a6 - could be vulnerable to a4-a5 at some point Nc6 - is met by Bb5-Bxc6 and white strengthens control over e5 Bg4 - met by h3 which will knock the bishop off the c8-h3 diagonal and Bb5 can be played to exchange pieces Bf5 - Nh4 objectively fine but maybe Nepo didn't like it So you're only left with Bd7 Of course the irony is that white could have immediately played 7. Ne5 so Nepo might have mixed something up but I think that was his thought process. Otherwise I don't understand Bd7

[@fredcurts9219]

It’s not an exchange Caro, and Nepo likely mixed up his lines (see my main comment).

[@phiggins54]

The worst move is not on the board but leaving the board!