Could there be two crowns for two heads? Grandmasters Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju separated again in a draw on Wednesday, remaining tied throughout the first thirteen games before a final long game on Thursday. After 68 moves and more than five hours of play, neither player managed to gain an advantage over the other on Wednesday in Singapore, despite a slight advantage for the young Indian prodigy Gukesh, 18, still in the running to become the youngest world chess champion in history.
The final sprint is definitely underway since after having benefited from a day of rest on Tuesday, the two players will meet again on Thursday for a final long game. In the event of a tie, the fight will continue on Friday with a series of games in a faster format. “As the number of matches to be played decreases, the stakes are higher, that’s obvious. I came to fight, I felt fresh and confident”explained Gukesh after the match.
Minimal errors on both sides
Chinese title holder Ding Liren, 32, may seem in a better position, having White, who starts, in Thursday’s game, and having better credentials in faster games compared to his challenger. Above all, he already experienced this situation during his match against Ian Nepomniachtchi in April 2023, which he finished with victory.
But over the first 13 games, it was Gukesh who had the initiative and the best opportunities. In the 11th game, he took the lead and managed to win following a blunder by Ding Liren, who was running out of time. He lost his lead in the next game, strategically dominated for the first time in the duel.
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The reigning world champion was given the loser in the pre-match predictions, having first taken a break of several months from chess after winning his world title, then struggling to regain his best level. In the world rankings, he is only 22nd, compared to 5th for his challenger. The ranking is largely dominated by the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, but who surrendered his world title, tired of the format of extended games.
