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Gukesh vs. Ding, Game 8 Opening: Lightly trodden paths
Posted on December 4, 2024 BY Michael Ludwig
The eighth game of the 2024 Chess World Championship turned to an English Opening, as Ding Liren (White) chose 1. c4, and Gukesh (Black) replied with 1. …e5. The game is in unusual, but not unprecedented territory, most closely following Chopra-Theodorou (2023). Gukesh certainly knows what’s happening, as he has taken less than two minutes for nine moves, while Ding is almost down half an hour again within the first ten moves. It’s a funny comparison between Gukesh’s pawn structure and Ding’s faster development.
The first 9 moves of game 8 are given below. Follow the game live on Lichess, or on stream with commentary by Grandmasters Peter Leko and Daniel Naroditsky.
