NEW DELHI: In a significant advancement towards potentially becoming the youngest world chess champion, Grandmaster D Gukesh of India defeated Ding Liren from China in the 11th Game of the World Chess Championship on Sunday.
This victory places Gukesh in the lead with a score of 6-5. This is the first time Gukesh has led in this match, with only three games remaining.
Historically, no challenger in modern chess has ever secured a win after being tied 5-5 after the 10th game, putting Gukesh in a favourable position.
For Liren, the only consolation could be his victory in the 12th game of the previous World Championship match against Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia.
As it Happened
The game began with Gukesh’s Knight move, which was met with a surprising reverse Benoni opening by Liren, suggesting an over-the-board decision rather than a planned one.
Gukesh quickly gained a significant time advantage on the clock, making it challenging for Liren to recover in such a crucial game.
Despite initial concerns about Liren’s opening, the Chinese player capitalized on Gukesh’s erroneous plan in the early middle game, temporarily turning the tables. However, Liren missed a simple manoeuvre that could have given him a slight advantage, and Gukesh responded with a spectacular pawn sacrifice on the queen side, creating space for his rooks.
As Gukesh doubled his rooks on the file, exerting pressure, Liren made a critical blunder, leaving him dejected and Gukesh with a winning move.
With two games remaining as White, Liren has the best chance to stage a comeback, while Gukesh needs only three draws to secure his maiden world championship title. The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to this high-stakes chess battle.
Agencies