Usually a master of close finishes, Chinese Grandmaster and defending world chess champion, Ding Liren, succumbed to the pressure of a high-stakes game. The result meant Ding failed to defend his title, allowing his opponent, GM D Gukesh from India, to become the youngest-ever winner of the World Chess Championships. When it seemed that the final game was going to end in a draw and the tiebreaks were unavoidable, Ding, in a surprising turn of events, shot himself in the foot. Gukesh, however, didn’t disappoint.
It was an extraordinarily simple blunder from Ding, who had drawn Game 13 on Wednesday despite being in an even trickier situation. Throughout the 14-game series, Ding seemingly had the edge over Gukesh, especially when the clock was not in his favour.
But, Ding crumbled when it mattered the most, the all-important Game 14. To everyone’s surprise, he agreed to swap rooks apparently without noticing that Gukesh would also be able to force the bishops off too.
It took Ding some time to realise that he had given the winning king and pawn endgame to Gukesh, who was as surprised as anyone.
“I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder” Ding explained in the post-game press conference.
“At the first moment I didn’t see that I was winning. When I realised that I was winning it was the best moment of my life,” Gukesh told.
Ding Liren painfully acknowledge the loss: “I think I played my best tournament of the year. It could be better, but considering yesterday’s lucky survive it’s a fair result to lose in the end. I have no regrets.”
“Since I was seven, I have been living this moment, already for ten years. Every chess player wants to experiment this moment and doesn’t get the chance. I am living my dream”.
Final score: Gukesh 7.5-6.5 Ding Liren
(With FIDE Inputs)
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