No upset but not upset

Game 1 of the first round in the 2019 World Cup is done and dusted. At least in my pairing the result went according to rating, with Liren Ding beating me in 34 moves.
Based on his most recent games I had prepared lines in the Ruy Lopez, but it turned out he had been looking at my not so recent games, and had prepared some lines against the Closed Sicilian. I did not mind this as I figured I could play enough sensible moves to reach some kind of middlegame, but once I got there I started to play less sensible moves.
In his post match comments Ding thought that 21.Nb2 was better than 21.Re1, although GM Ian Rogers thought 14.Rb1 was unnecessary, and 18.b3 was where my troubles really started. For me both 17...Be6 and 19...Nd4 caused me a lot of trouble. I also did not expect 22...Ne3, but decided I had little choice but to take the offered pawn, knowing the open lines were bad for me.
Nonetheless I found it quite an enjoyable experience. I was incredibly nervous leading up to the game, but once the game started, it was about playing moves, even if they weren't the best ones.
Now I have to go back and do this again tomorrow, with the Black pieces. While this does not make it any easier, having played one World Cup game, I know what to expect for my second.


Press, Shaun - Ding, Liren [B26]
FIDE World Cup 2019, 2019.09.10

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. Be3 Rb8 7. Qd2 b5 8. Nge2 b4 9. Nd1 h5 10. h3 e6 11. O-O Nge7 12. f4 a5 13. Rb1 O-O 14. g4 hxg4 15. hxg4 f5 16. exf5 exf5 17. g5 Be6 18. b3 Nd5 19. Bf2 Nd4 20. Nxd4 cxd4 21. Re1 Bf7 22. Nb2 Ne3 23. Bxe3 dxe3 24. Qxe3 Re8 25. Qf2 Rxe1+ 26. Qxe1 Qb6+ 27. Kh2 Re8 28. Qf1 d5 29. Na4 Qd4 30. Kh1 Bf8 31. Rc1 Bd6 32. c3 bxc3 33. Nxc3 Bxf4 34. Rc2 Qh8+ 0-1