Ding held, scores tied 3-3
1st December, 2024 by R R Vasudevan from Singapore
World Championship Challenger Gukesh Dommaraju (India), with black pieces, survived a dicey position holding World Champion Ding Liren (China) to a draw in the sixth game of the FIDE World Chess Championship 2024, presented by Google, at the Equarius Hotel Sentosa, Singapore here today. The scores remained 3-3 each, with eight games remaining.
The sentimental value of the sixth game in the world championship had everyone guessing whether Ding would throw a surprise. Throw he did, with the time tested London system, which saw him defeat Ian Nepomniachtchi in the sixth game of the previous World Championship at Astana, Kazakhstan last year. This time around, Ding blitzed out the moves out of the opening and built up a sizable lead in time. But, Ding spending 42 minutes for 21.Qxc6 saw the time advantage vanish in thin air.
Leading the position into a queen and double rook ending saw Ding making a subtle draw offer repeating queen moves on the 23rd turn. Looking for a draw after making just three moves on completion of preparation, would surely raise the eye-brows of chess pundits. Not to be out done, Gukesh side stepped the threefold repetition taking the game into risky waters. In a double rook and pawn ending Ding repeated the moves for the second time and the Chennai based Grandmaster wisely accepted the threefold repetition this time, signing peace on the 46th move. Players go into the second rest day with an even score.
Gukesh’s confidence, akin to a child playing with fire, keeps the world championship alive. “I just like playing Chess” answered the Challenger in the post match press conference on his flirting with danger on the board. Danish Grandmaster Peter Heine Nielsen, second of two former World Champions viz., Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen summed up the match scenario precisely in X (formerly Twitter), “Gukesh pushes too hard, Ding too little. A very reasonable strategy by both, but if one of them changes gear, so should the other!”
After a day of rest, the seventh game begins at 5 PM Singapore time on Tuesday 3rd December, 2024. The player who scores 7.5 points or more will win this 14 game match, picking up the better part of the US$2.5 million total prize fund. The match presented by Google, will be broadcast LIVE with expert commentary on the FIDE YouTube Channel.
GM Ding Liren (2728) – GM Gukesh Dommaraju (2783) 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Nf3 c5 5. c3 Bd6 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. Bxd6 Qxd6 9. Qa4 O-O 10. Qa3 Ne4 11. Nfd2 e5 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qxc5 Qg6 14. Nd2 Qxg2 15. O-O-O Qxf2 16. dxe5 Rb8 17. Nc4 Be6 18. Rd2 Qf3 19. Re1 Bxc4 20. Qxc4 Qf5 21. Qxc6 Qxe5 22. Qd5 Qe7 23. Qd6 Qg5 24. Qd5 Qe7 25. Qd6 Qg5 26. Qd5 Qh4 27. Red1 g6 28. Qe5 Rbe8 29. Qg3 Qh5 30. Qf4 Qa5 31. a3 Qb5 32. Rd4 Qe2 33. R1d2 Qf3 34. Kc2 Qxf4 35. exf4 f5 36. h4 e3 37. Re2 Re7 38. Kd3 Rfe8 39. h5 gxh5 40. Rd5 h4 41. Rxf5 Rd7+ 42. Kc2 Kg7 43. Rg2+ Kh8 44. Re2 Kg7 45. Rg2+ Kh8 46. Re2 Kg7 Game Drawn.
Photo Courtesy: FIDE (International Chess Federation)
