 "World Chess Championship: Gukesh enters unchartered territory riding high on good form but don't write off Liren")
There’s a sense of excitement, nervousness, and maybe a little tension among the Indian chess fraternity as India’s Dommaraju Gukesh faces his biggest challenge yet — A World Chess Championship match against defending champion Ding Liren , of China, in Singapore. No Indian, barring the legendary Viswanathan Anand, has won the prestigious tournament before, and this presents a golden opportunity for the Chennai teenager, to etch his name in the history books.
And there is no better time for achieving that than now. The year 2024 has been quite the memorable one for Indian chess, with both the Open and Women’s teams winning gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Hungary in September. But, Gukesh has had quite an extraordinary year.
Exclusive | Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan on D Gukesh's chances vs Ding Liren
Not to forget, Gukesh’s historic win at the 2024 Candidates tournament in Canada’s Toronto was arguably the turning point of his career. Gukesh, then 17 years old, had become the youngest-ever to win the Candidates tournament, and also the youngest challenger to the World Chess Championship title.
The first handshake! #DingGukesh pic.twitter.com/PcdKD3g0rf
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) November 23, 2024
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Candidates’ success in April 2024 was just the beginning. A historic campaign for India at the 45th Olympiad in Hungary in September followed, and if there’s anything that has set Gukesh apart from his Indian teammates, or even Ding Liren, it’s the kind of dominance and strategic brilliance the youngster from Chennai has shown.
D. Gukesh vs Ding Liren | Match date, head-to-head, prize money, all you need to know
Gukesh had lost his only match of the Candidates, to French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja in the seventh game, but that was after a slow start to the tournament. However, the youngster never let his guard down and was determined to give it his 100 percent. Gukesh is after all Viswanathan Anand’s protégé, so when you learn from some of the best Grandmasters in world chess, you can expect nothing less.
Life has not been the same for Liren
For Ding Liren, on the other hand, life has not been the same since his historic World Championship triumph in April 2023 in Kazakhstan, where he beat Ian Nepomniachtchi. Soon after the highs of winning the World Championship, came Liren’s personal struggles, battling mental health and depression. Liren was once one of the most dominant Grandmasters, from August 2017 to November 2018, the Chinese had gone 100 classical games unbeaten.
Question: To what extent can a chess player detach themselves from their personal problems in such an important competition?
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) November 23, 2024
🇨🇳 Ding: "Normally, I can handle quite well. When playing chess, I do not consider other things. Maybe last year I didn't play so well, but I think when… pic.twitter.com/Vhp7AJkrSL
However, the overwhelming World Championship win has taken a mental toll on Liren. At one stage, Liren’s FIDE rating has come down to 2728 from a peak of 2811and he is ranked 23rd in the world among active players. Ding’s last win in classical chess came at the 2024 Tata Steel Masters tournament in January, where he beat Max Warmerdam of the Netherlands.
World Chess Championship | History and past winners before D Gukesh faces Ding Liren
It was in the same tournament that he last defeated Gukesh. The two met in the Sinquefield Cup in August, where they played out a draw. In the Olympiad at Budapest, Liren drew seven matches and lost one. He, however, did not face against as China rested him for that clash .
His inability to win matches consistently and focus on his game has affected Ding big time, so much so that the 32-year-old is “worried about losing badly” to Gukesh. “I’m worried about losing very badly. Hopefully, it won’t happen… Gukesh is in top form recently. He’s the best player in the Olympiad. I hope I can become a totally different player (by the world championship). At least to fight, to slow down his pace, to have some winning chances,” Ding said earlier this year.
On Saturday, however, Liren seemed more confident. “I feel at peace with a lot of energy. I hope that both of us can perform our best, but I know that he will not be easy to beat,” he said at the pre-tournament press conference in Singapore.
From Vishy Anand to global Grandmasters like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, Gukesh has a lot of backing going into the 14-game contest, with tie-breaks if needed. However, what might give Ding Liren a slight psychological advantage over Gukesh is that the Chinese have experience playing in the World Championships.
D Gukesh | Indian teenage prodigy from Chennai set for World Chess Championship clash with Ding Liren
This means Ding can upset the popular opinion. But for that to happen, Ding should remain in the right frame of mind, and doing that in the next three weeks or so is in itself going to be an uphill task for the player from China.
Gukesh enters unchartered territory
Gukesh, on the other hand, is entering an unchartered territory. Gukesh, however, always has a clear mindset before going into a match or a big tournament, and he was pretty clear about facing Ding while speaking at the pre-tournament press conference on Saturday. “For me, it’s pretty clear who I’m going to face. I’m going to face Ding Liren, who has been one of the best players in the world for more than a decade.”
“My job is also pretty clear—just go into every game as the best version of myself and play the best moves in the position. If I do that, if I keep playing good chess and stay in the right spirits, even with his recent form dip or even at his best, I don’t think it really matters. If I do the right things, I’m confident I have all the chances in the world,” added Gukesh.
🇮🇳 Gukesh D about the balance between playing for a win and keeping his cool: "In any situation, it is all about how I react to it. I have prepared my best for all kinds of scenarios. I am just here to perform and do my best in any kind of situation."
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) November 23, 2024
Watch the live broadcast… pic.twitter.com/VYCCA7ud1p
One must also remember that Gukesh is yet to beat Liren in the classical format , having lost twice and drawn one match. However, it is at this point where both players must forget the past, more so for Liren due to the struggles he has faced both in front of the chess board and off it. Because all eyes are going to be on the 14 (Or more?) games of chess that will determine the 2024 World Champion. No matter the outcome, fans will hope to witness a World Chess Championship match for the ages as two Asian players face off for the first time.
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