World Chess Championship: How D Gukesh defeated Ding Liren in Sport 11 to maneuver into the lead for the primary time

For the primary time in over every week, the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore didn’t witness reigning champion Ding Liren of China and his challenger, India’s D Gukesh, play out a draw. The Championship, which acquired underway on 25 November and is being performed in a best-of-14-games format, was off to an thrilling begin with Ding and Gukesh accumulating a victory every within the first three video games.

Neither participant, nevertheless, was prepared to present an inch within the days that adopted with the subsequent seven video games ending in a stalemate, ensuing within the two gamers sitting degree on 5 factors every after 10 video games. Not all of the attracts have been the results of intense battles although as Gukesh and Ding shook fingers after 23 and 36 strikes in Video games 2 and 10 respectively. Video games 7 to 9 nevertheless, lasted greater than 50 strikes every with the seventh recreation turning out to be an exhilarating 72-move affair.

On Sunday, Gukesh determined to finish the lengthy succession of attracts with a complete victory over the 32-year-old who had grow to be the primary Chinese language Grandmaster to be topped chess world champion final 12 months. And he did so in some method as
his twenty ninth transfer was sufficient to persuade Ding to throw within the towel.

In the end although, it was one transfer by Gukesh and one blunder by Ding that modified the complexion of Sport 11 and helped the previous transfer into the lead for the primary time within the ongoing championship.

The place Ding misplaced the sport in opposition to Gukesh on Sunday

Gukesh determined to liven issues up on Sunday with a Reti Opening, by which he pulled out his kingside knight to f3 as an alternative of beginning with a pawn. The weird opening appeared to have caught Ding abruptly as he ended up consuming an hour for his first 5 strikes, which pushed him on the back-foot and allowed Gukesh to maneuver into the driving seat within the first half of the sport.

The Indian GM too would discover himself struggling throughout the center recreation, consuming an hour for his eleventh transfer as each gamers discovered themselves going through mounting time stress. In direction of the top, Ding had somewhat over eight minutes to make 16 strikes whereas Gukesh wanted to finish 15 strikes in slightly below quarter-hour.

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D Gukesh says Sport 11 in opposition to Ding Liren may have ’simply gone the opposite approach’

What mattered ultimately, nevertheless, was the participant who was capable of deal with his nerves higher. And on this case, Ding served Sport 11 to Gukesh on a platter after his blunder in his twenty eighth transfer, by which he responded to Gukesh’s 28… Rdb1 with Qc8.

The finals moments of Sport 11! #DingGukesh

Gukesh D takes Qxc6 and Ding Liren resigns! pic.twitter.com/jlfMl6K3SV

— Worldwide Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 8, 2024

The Chinese language GM realised his mistake nearly instantly, nevertheless it was too late by then as Gukesh promptly captured his remaining knight on c6 along with his queen to maneuver into the lead for the primary time within the World Championship.

Whereas Ding faces a must-win state of affairs in every of the final three video games if he’s to efficiently defend his title, all Gukesh must do within the enterprise finish of the World Championship is to keep away from a defeat in any respect prices.