Ding Liren managed to hold on for a high-stakes draw against India’s rising star, Gukesh Dommaraju, in the penultimate 13th game of their World Chess Championship match on Wednesday. The game, which lasted over five hours, ended in a threefold repetition, leaving the match tied at 6½-6½. With just one game remaining, the stage is set for a dramatic conclusion to the best-of-14-games title showdown.
The defending champion, Ding, appeared visibly rattled, particularly as the clock ticked down in the final moments. With less than five minutes remaining to make 10 moves before the time control kicked in, Ding was under immense pressure. Despite this, he showed incredible defensive skills, holding the position together before the game fizzled out to a draw. Gukesh, despite a few mistakes, could not convert his advantage in the endgame, and the two players agreed to share the point after 69 moves.
Gukesh showed no signs of nerves in his role as the challenger, even as he was presented with his final chance to press for victory with the white pieces. He opened with 1.e4 for the third time, and Ding responded once again with the French Defense. Gukesh played quickly through the opening, but it was his 8.Be3 that caught Ding’s attention. The move was nearly a novelty, prompting Ding to spend more than 37 minutes considering his response, which was 8…Nb6. This gave Gukesh a significant time advantage early in the game.
With the clock ticking, Gukesh pressed forward, applying pressure on Ding. On move 22, he played Bf4, a tricky move that forced Ding into a passive position. When Ding responded with 23…Rb7, he found himself in a dangerous squeeze. Gukesh, who had a strong advantage, opted for a material exchange with 25 Bxe7, leading to a release of tension. Although Ding had been in a difficult spot, the exchange opened the game, and Gukesh missed an opportunity to land a decisive blow.
The most critical moment came when Ding, under severe time pressure, found the resourceful move 31…Rf8, a move that saved him from a losing position. Gukesh could not find a way to capitalize on his advantage, and the game slowly drifted towards a draw. Both players navigated through a rook endgame where neither could make meaningful progress, and they agreed to the draw after 69 moves, with the game having lasted for over five hours.
Ding entered this World Championship title defense with a dismal record of 28 classical games without a win, a streak that had dropped him to 23rd in the world rankings. This led many to consider him the underdog against Gukesh, who had been in excellent form. Despite this, Ding shocked the chess world by winning Game 1 with black, ending his long winless streak in dramatic fashion. Gukesh responded with a victory in Game 3, and after a series of seven draws, Gukesh won again in Game 11. Ding fought back with a crucial win in Game 12, setting up the tie heading into the final game.
The championship continues on Thursday with the 14th and final classical game, where Ding will play as white. Either player can clinch the title with a win, but if the game ends in a draw, the match will be tied at 7-7, and the two will enter a series of tiebreak games with faster time controls on Friday. In recent World Championship matches, tiebreakers have been a common feature, and the possibility of a rapid or blitz finish looms large.
Ding’s underdog status has shifted over the course of the match, especially as the prospect of a tiebreak has become more likely. In fact, for the first time in the match, betting markets have started to favor Ding as the likely winner, especially if the contest is decided in faster time controls. Gukesh, who is aiming to become the youngest-ever undisputed World Chess Champion, is just 18 years old. He is looking to break the record set by Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he defeated Anatoly Karpov in 1985 to win the World Championship.
With one final game to go, the match is set for a thrilling climax, and chess fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the outcome of this epic World Championship battle.
