India Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh clinched his first win over defending champion Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship, outplaying the Chinese on time control in the third round to draw level on points here on Wednesday.
Having lost the first game rather badly with black pieces, Gukesh struck gold thanks to his preparation that gave him a huge advantage on the clock as Ding spent a lot of time mulling his moves in the first phase of the game.
Both players now have 1.5 points each after the second game ended in a draw on Tuesday.
“It feels great. The last two days I was happy with my play. My play today (Wednesday) was even better, I feel good at the board and today I just managed to outplay my opponent which is always nice,” Gukesh, who played with white, said in the post-game press conference.
By move 13th, the 18-year-old had a lead of one hour on the clock as he had spent just four minutes compared to Ding’s one hour and six minutes.
With 40 moves to make in the first 120 allotted minutes without any increment, the complicated middle game had the desired impact on Liren and Gukesh was relentless in finding out some difficult yet perfect moves to increase the pressure.
The players followed a much less-played variation in the topical Queen’s Gambit declined and Gukesh followed an idea played by former world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in a rapid game against the highest-rated Indian Arjun Erigaisi.
While that game had ended in a draw after Erigaisi survived a real scare, Gukesh delved deeper in the position and capitalised on some unforced errors by Liren.
The 32-year-old Ding had his light square Bishop under the scanner after the Queens were traded early leading to a queen-less middle game. With imaginative manoeuvres, Gukesh trapped the bishop parting with just two pawns in the process.
If Ding thought there was still counter-play, Gukesh disagreed completely as he put his pieces around the centre to keep his position intact and gave no chances whatsoever in the resulting position.
Adding to the Chinese’ woes was the clock as he barely had two minutes to make the last nine moves. Gukesh was at the top of his game and went for some tactical complications threatening to trap the black king or to win more material.
Ding fell further on the clock and was just left with less than 10 seconds for the last six moves.
It was a hopeless situation when Ding ran out of time after 37 moves, giving Gukesh his first victory in the showpiece.
Gukesh is aiming to become the first Indian after Viswanthan Anand to claim the coveted crown. Anand won the World Championship five times in his glorious career and has been a mentor to Gukesh.
An elated Gukesh said it is “always very nice” to outplay an opponent the way he did in the third game.
While the victory ahead of the first rest day was important for Gukesh, it was some important decision-making and opening choice that paved the way for him.
Speaking about his preparation, Gukesh said, “I was prepared until the 13th move, I guess he was trying to remember something but maybe he mixed up I thought the way he reacted was not the most precise way and then I think I just got a very nice position.”
It was on the 18th turn when Ding played a huge positional error when he could have been just fine.
“I think I underestimated that move and thought I should be good, now that I am seeing it, it all looks a bit shaky,” admitted Gukesh.
Ding conceded that he had completely missed white’s 23rd move.
Asked if Ding’s time pressure had any impact, Gukesh said he wanted to just win the game cleanly but there was excitement as Ding had very little time left.
“I wasn’t playing for time. I just like to finish it off clean,” the Indian said when asked about the long time he took to make his moves closer to the end.
Thursday will be a rest day and the battle will resume on Friday when Liren will have the white pieces.
The 32-year-old Chinese admitted that his mind would not be completely at peace during the short break. “…the result of the game will maybe influence my emotions during the rest day,” he said.
Gukesh, in contrast, plans to relax.
“I thought since tomorrow (Thursday) is a rest day, I will pit all my energy into this game and then I can rest, so It didn’t make much of a difference, but it was nice to know that after today’s game I can just go and rest,” stated the Chennai lad.
Gukesh also reiterated that his opening loss was just a case of nerves taking over.
“…even (former world champion) Magnus (Carlsen). In his first World Championship, he wasn’t at his best at the start. I think it is a very normal reaction, and I was okay with that.”