India’s youth chess prodigy D Gukesh won Round 11 to take a 6-5 lead against Ding Liren. But all his good work went down the drain when the reigning World Champion starked a massive comeback in Round 12 to level the tally. Both the players are now tied 6-6 with 2 more rounds left to play.
Gukesh falters at the last moment
Ding Liren had to play for a win after resigning yesterday against 18-year-old Indian chess grandmaster D Gukesh. But today, the tie was turned. It was the Indian star who was left heartbroken after the result. Liren showcased his prowess and mastery in controlling the game.
The Indian star was left frantic in the last 7 minutes where he had to make 15 moves in his last dash. But eventually, it came to nothing as the defending champion reigned supreme. And now with this win, Liren has tied the tally 6-6. With Round 12 done and dusted, just 2 more matches are left before the winner would be decided.
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“Just by chance. Yesterday was a difficult game to deal with since I was much better at one point and I just spent too little time on critical moments and spoilt a very good position. I continued my normal routine. had dinner, slept earlier and got refreshed for today’s game,” Ding Liren said after the game.
“In second half of the match, I had chances in many of the games. Today was a bad game. Bad games happen. If you look at the second half overall, we’re both playing better than the first half. I think I had more chances in second half,” said a dejected Gukesh.
D Gukesh vs Ding Liren: Complete results list
- Round 1: Liren started his title defence with a strong performance, defeating Gukesh with black pieces in the opening round.
- Round 2: Gukesh and Ding played a lacklustre draw in the second round.
- Round 3: Gukesh bounced back, securing a win with white pieces to level the score.
- Rounds 4, 5, 6: The next three rounds ended in draws, with both players adopting a cautious approach.
- Round 7: Despite Gukesh having a notable time advantage early on, Ding rallied to stop the Indian Grand Master from taking the lead.
- Round 8: Gukesh pulled off a draw to keep the scores tied. Despite being in an uncomfortable position, Ding Liren pulled off a draw after 51 moves.
- Rounds 9, 10: Like the last rounds, the rounds ended in draws in 54 and 36 moves respectively.
- Round 11: Gukesh sealed a stunning win in just 29 moves. Liren had no answer to the Indian star and resigned.
