World Chess Championship: Ding Liren Triumphs Over Gukesh, Scores Tied at 6-6
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Singapore, Dec 9 (NationPress) Current Champion China's Ding Liren made a remarkable comeback after his prior defeat, securing a stunning victory against India's Dommaraju Gukesh in Game 12, leveling the scores in their FIDE World Chess Championship Match at Resort World Sentosa on Monday.
With his back against the wall following a blunder that led to his loss in Game 11, the 32-year-old Ding devised an exceptional strategy, leveraging his positional advantage and converting it into dominating pressure with a brilliant queen move to even the score at 6-6 in the 14-game series.
There seems to be a pattern with Ding Liren and Game 12 of a match. In his World Championship Match against Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2023, Ding was also under pressure, trailing by a point. He managed to turn the tables and level the scores before ultimately winning the match in a rapid tiebreaker, marking him as the first Chinese World Champion.
On this occasion, the same Ding Liren of 2023 showcased his skills in Singapore, applying pressure right from the opening moves and gradually enhancing his position, pushing for victory in situations where he had previously played conservatively.
Ding approached the game with positivity and vigor, once again opting for the English Opening. He gained a slight positional advantage, which he meticulously built upon as Gukesh took considerable time, ultimately slipping into a disadvantageous position. Ding allowed Gukesh to simplify the game and took advantage of a poor rook move made by the 18-year-old Indian.
As Gukesh grappled with time management, Ding executed all the right moves, gained an extra pawn, and posed a checkmate threat, prompting Gukesh to resign.
While Gukesh did not perform poorly, it was Ding who exhibited a higher level of play in Game 12, avoiding the mistakes that led him into time trouble in earlier games. He maintained his composure and effectively managed his time to recover and equalize the scores.
Despite the defeat, Gukesh remained optimistic but likely regrets his inability to capitalize on earlier opportunities in the match.
The players will take a rest day on Tuesday before returning for Game 13 on Wednesday.
If the scores remain tied after 14 games, the match will proceed to a tiebreak consisting of shorter games to determine the champion.
