Bengaluru: There are specific days when as a chess fan you miss what Magnus Carlsen dropped at a World Championship. Sport 5 of the World Championship match between reigning champion Ding Liren and Indian challenger D Gukesh on Saturday was one such.
India’s D Gukesh and China’s Ding Liren shake arms after the fifth recreation of their World Chess Championship ended was drawn in Singapore on Saturday. (PTI)
By the way, it was the birthday of the Norwegian world No.1 and five-time world champion, who walked away from the World Championship two years in the past. With the Black items, Ding had an advantageous place with virtually no threat however was content material to conform to a fast draw after 40 strikes.
Carlsen, in Ding’s place, would have grinded it out till his opponent pleaded for expensive life. It’s what a battle for chess’ final prize is meant to be – ruthless, sparing no strikes and a combat to the demise. Gukesh was solely relieved with the draw and took half some extent for it. The match stays tied at 2.5-2.5 factors with 9 classical video games remaining.
Within the press convention that adopted, Ding, to some shock, revealed that he didn’t realise that he had a bonus. “I just tried to play my best, but somehow settled for a draw.”
With the White items, Gukesh returned to the king pawn opening (1.e4) and Ding repeated the French Protection, from Sport 1, which he had received. Then got here the shock – Gukesh went for the Alternate French variation, which carries the fame of being drawish. Stylistically, it appeared a departure from what the Indian has been doing on this match to this point with White – sharp, bold play. Gukesh’s personal response to it was that it’s “just a good opening which is quite topical these days…I guess I did not pose too many problems to him this time.” The Alternate French, it seems, was solely performed for the second time in a World Championship match. The one different occasion was throughout the 1927 match between Jose Raul Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine.
In Sport 5, after the pawn captures within the centre proper on the outset, the Queens got here off the board as early as transfer 9. Gukesh went for the dangerous 17.g4 pawn push, which allowed Black’s knight a fairly outpost on the f4 sq.. On transfer 23, Gukesh made the terrible mistake of capturing Black’s bishop on e5 together with his pawn moderately than his rook. Ding wasted no time in galloping his knight to the g3 sq. in response – and White’s rook on e1 and pawn on b2 had been instantly within the line of fireside. Black was clearly higher instantly, with no dangers, and Ding was immediately enjoying for 2 outcomes – a draw or a win. Gukesh sat there, a troubled look on his face, questioning how issues had turned out the way in which they did.
“I was very worried about my position after the manoeuvre 27…Be6 followed by 28…Rc8. I was quite relieved when my opponent played 27…Bc6, as I thought it would be a draw,” Gukesh stated.
Ding admitted he missed the 28…Rc8 thought, which may have made Black’s path to a draw a battle. “I was thinking of moving the king to the kingside, like some kind of Berlin pawn structure. I didn’t realise that it was a big advantage for me,” stated the reigning world champion.
Ultimately, the rooks had been traded off, opposite-coloured bishops had been left on the board, white was a pawn up, and a draw was imminent. It’s for the primary time within the match that Gukesh’s recreation with the White items resulted in a draw. Ding could have the White items for Sport 6 on Sunday, forward of the remainder day.
In final 12 months’s match in opposition to Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ding had received Sport 6 to stage the match, and in 2021, Sport 6 between Magnus Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi turned out to be the longest in World Championship historical past, lasting 136 strikes.
Ding is just not too happy with the even scores within the match, given the alternatives he has had. “The results are not ideal because I had some chances in some games to lead by some points,” he stated later. “Today, I had an advantage which I didn’t realise. So, there is something to improve (for the rounds ahead).”