Ding Liren takes down Gukesh in the first game of title match

Full report coming shortly

In an unexpected turn of events, Ding Liren defeated Gukesh D with the black pieces in the first game of the 2024 FIDE World Championship match in Singapore. Despite spending a lot of time at the beginning of the game, the Chinese Grandmaster found a way to nullify his opponent’s opening initiative and take advantage of White’s pawn weaknesses to break through with a decisive middlegame counterattack.

Although it seemed that Ding Liren was on the right track, by playing 27…fxe6 instead of the solid 27…Bxe6, he allowed Gukesh a chance to get off the hook.

However, the 18-year-old Indian faltered with 30.Qc2 instead of the principled 30.Bc5, which would have given him enormous tactical compensation and a real chance to muddy the waters.

In the postgame press conference, Ding Liren recognized that he had been a bit lucky as he had missed two tactics that, fortunately for him, didn’t work for his opponent. For his part, Gukesh admitted that he was quite nervous before the game, and although he was able to calm down, he commended Ding for his strong play.

For the first time since the 2010 Anand vs Topalov match, a decisive result has been recorded in the first game. Fourteen years ago, Indian superstar Vishy Anand also lost to Veselin Topalov but went on to claim the title.

The second game of the match will take place on Tuesday, November 26, at 5 PM local time in Singapore.

FACT SHEET, Game 1, FIDE World Championship 2024:

White: Gukesh D
Black: Ding Liren
Result:  0-1
Opening: French Defence, Steinitz variation
Game length: 42 moves
Opening: French Defence
Variation: Steinitz Variation
Match score: 1-0 (in favor of Ding Liren)

Official website:  worldchampionship.fide.com/

Full programme of side-events: https://worldchampionship.fide.com/events

Written by IM Michael Rahal (Singapore)

Photos: Eng Chin An and Maria Emelianova

About the event

Current World Champion Ding Liren, representing China, and challenger Gukesh D, from India, will face each other in a fourteen-game classical chess match. The player who scores 7.5 points or more will win the match, picking up the better part of the $2.5 million total prize fund.

The first of the fourteen scheduled games will take place on Monday, November 25 at 5 pm. Gukesh will open with White. The match will be hosted at the luxurious Resorts World Sentosa and will be broadcasted live with expert commentary on the FIDE YouTube Channel.