World Championship: India’s D Gukesh treads courageous path in Sport 6 draw vs Ding
Bengaluru: Sport 6 of the FIDE World Championship has picked up a little bit of a status over time. Three years in the past, Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi slugged it out for near eight hours and 136 strikes, the longest in World Championship historical past, and Carlsen emerged with a win. It introduced a breakthrough – the primary decisive end result within the classical stage of a World Championship match, breaking a streak of 5 years and 19 consecutive attracts.
On Sunday, with the White items, reigning world champion Ding Liren blitzed out his preparation and appeared to be comfortably in management earlier than contemplating enjoying out a three-fold repetition, to some shock. Challenger Gukesh, dwelling as much as Sport 6 custom, selected drama and battle. In a barely inferior endgame, the Indian teen declined a three-fold repetition, rejecting an early draw supply and selected to bravely forge forward, pushing his Queen to the h4 sq. (as a substitute of Qe7) on transfer 26.
It was a bet. One that might have backfired. GM Peter Leko known as it a “big mistake” on the chess24 dwell broadcast stream, likening it to a unadorned man leaping on to a cactus. Gukesh defended properly, the worst by no means got here his manner and the sport resulted in a draw anyway after 46 strikes. The match is now tied at 3-3, heading into the second relaxation day on Monday.
A World Championship match the place you’re locked in a one-on-one battle is a lot about moving into the thoughts of your opponent. Your opponent is consistently in search of cues in your method and reactions, any data on how assured or hesitant you might be, can be utilized in opposition to you. In Sport 5, Ding determined to not go for the kill. He let Gukesh off the hook slightly simply, and later within the press convention mentioned that he didn’t fairly realise that he had a bonus and will press for a win. In Sport 6, Ding was “completely stunned” by Gukesh’s choice to play on and reject the three-fold repetition, and later mentioned that he virtually wrote down Qe7 (repeating transfer) on the scoresheet.
“I believed I is perhaps barely worse…I wasn’t even totally certain about it…I believed with information open in entrance of his King I at all times had counterplay and noticed no purpose to take repetition. Since he’s going for a repetition, I believed I’ll make a number of extra strikes and see what occurs. Clearly, I wasn’t enjoying for a win or something,” mentioned Gukesh, explaining his choice. “I similar to enjoying chess. I believed the place had extra play in it.”
For the primary time on this match, Ding selected the 1.d4 (queen pawn) opening and opted for the London system – a reprisal of Sport 6 in opposition to Nepomniachtchi, throughout the World Championship match final yr. Ding had received that sport to degree the match 3-3.
On Sunday, he spent barely seven minutes for the primary 20 strikes, indicating he was snug in his preparation whereas Gukesh fell behind on the clock by over 50 minutes. Gukesh’s 20. Qf5 transfer although – which isn’t the primary transfer advised by the engine – appeared to throw Ding off, and he settled into thought for 42 minutes.
“I knew the place until I performed 16…Rb8, however I by no means actually felt I used to be in peril,” mentioned Gukesh. “Perhaps I’m barely worse but it surely must be onerous to transform with White as a result of you’ll be able to’t actually push the Queenside pawns that simply and I’ll at all times have some play on his King, so I wasn’t actually frightened at any level.”
Forward of Sport 6, Ding’s technique had been to press with the Black items, slightly than White. On Sunday he selected to reach on the board with a plan to hunt initiative and push for a win, however he ended up being the primary to take a step again and supply a draw. He was requested slightly plainly within the press convention whether or not his choice to not ambitiously push for a win whereas having fun with a place of relative energy on the board was rooted in insecurity or well being points.
It should be mentioned that within the video games performed to this point, it’s been Ding who’s had a larger variety of alternatives to play for a win. In a match like this, it’s not simple to get as many probabilities and typically it may come all the way down to the pictures you don’t take.
“Generally I play with the White items like Black,” mentioned Ding. “This time I pushed ahead for a bonus,” he mentioned, earlier than lamenting letting a number of alternatives get away. “I really feel like I’m letting my benefit slip away at a essential second. I’ve to enhance this within the following video games.”
Gukesh provided that he thinks his personal play has room for enchancment. “Up to now, it’s an equal match. Contemplating I used to be trailing after the primary sport, I’m blissful to be right here.”
Off the board, Ding was thrown off by a query on the ‘Ding Chilling’ meme that’s been doing the rounds on this match. It’s rooted in a John Cena promo for the Quick and Livid films in China. Bing Qi Lin (seems like Bing Chilling) is ice cream in Mandarin and has discovered its manner into the social media chatter across the match as ‘Ding Chilling’.
“What’s the that means of chill?” Ding requested, because the press room roared in laughter. “I didn’t have ice cream right here.” The often stoic Gukesh was in peals.
