World Chess Championship: Ding Crafts a Masterful Victory Over Gukesh, Equalizes Scores at 6-6 (Ld)

Singapore, Dec 9 (NationPress) Defending Champion China's Ding Liren bounced back from his loss in the previous match and delivered an impressive win against India's Dommaraju Gukesh in Game 12, leveling the scores in their FIDE World Chess Championship Match at Resort World Sentosa here on Monday.

Under pressure after his blunder that cost him Game 11, the 32-year-old Ding executed a brilliant strategy to exploit his positional advantage, generating significant pressure with a remarkable queen move to equalize the scores at 6-6 in the 14-game match.

Ding Liren has a knack for performing exceptionally well in Game 12 of matches. In his 2023 World Championship encounter against Ian Nepomniachtchi, he was trailing by a point but managed to produce an outstanding game to level the scores, ultimately winning in the rapid tiebreaker and becoming the first Chinese World Champion.

On Monday, the same Ding Liren from 2023 showcased his talent in Singapore, applying pressure right from the opening and gradually enhancing his position as he pushed for victory in scenarios where he had previously opted for a more cautious approach.

Ding chose the English Opening, and Gukesh responded with the Agincourt Defence. Although initially surprised by Gukesh's opening strategy, Ding skillfully navigated the game, crafting what could be considered a chess masterpiece, perhaps one of the finest performances of his career.

Following the match, Ding Liren reflected on his recovery during the postgame press conference: “Yesterday was a challenging game, but I aimed to stick to my usual routine and refresh myself for this crucial game. This morning, I enjoyed a cup of coffee before the match, which energized me, and I also had snacks to keep my energy up for critical moments. I believe I played exceptionally well and discovered some excellent moves.”

Ding approached the game with a positive and energetic mindset. He established a slight positional advantage and built on it as Gukesh took considerable time, slipping into a disadvantageous position. Ding maintained an accuracy rate of 95 percent, preventing Gukesh from simplifying the position and capitalizing on a suboptimal rook move by the 18-year-old Indian to construct his masterpiece.

As Gukesh struggled against the clock, Ding executed all the right moves, gained an extra pawn, and was poised to checkmate when Gukesh resigned on the 39th move.

While Gukesh did not perform poorly in this match, it was Ding who demonstrated a higher level of play, avoiding the time troubles that plagued him in earlier games. He carefully monitored his time and remained composed, successfully bouncing back to equalize the scores. Conversely, it was Gukesh who faced difficulties against the ticking clock.

Despite facing a significant setback, Gukesh took it in stride. “While I didn’t recall all the details, I was aware of the opening position. I felt quite comfortable after the opening but became uncertain about my next moves,” he explained after the game.

Though Gukesh remained optimistic post-defeat, he must be lamenting his missed opportunities in earlier matches where he failed to convert solid positions into victories.

The players will take a rest day on Tuesday before reconvening for Game 13 on Wednesday.

If the scores remain tied after 14 games, the match will proceed to a tiebreaker involving shorter games to determine the victor.