On the night time of his crushing Sport 11 loss to D Gukesh, Ding Liren’s Hungarian second Richard Rapport despatched him a file titled ‘strike back’. Ding made the phrases come alive on the board in Sport 12, on Monday.
Ding Liren defeated D Gukesh in Sport 12 of the World Chess Championship in Singapore. (PTI)
A day after the reigning world champion crumbled, blundered, misplaced and fell behind within the match, he performed a flawless recreation to equalise the World Championship rating 6-6, forward of the ultimate two classical video games.
At this level two questions stay a thriller – the place this World Championship is headed and which model of Ding will present up for the remaining two video games. Each gamers could have one recreation every with the White items. Tuesday is a relaxation day.
Ding, taking part in White, opened with 1.c4 in Sport 12, and Gukesh appeared to change up his opening and slid his king’s pawn by one sq. (1.e6) as a substitute of two (1.e5). The Indian went for a barely extra formidable arrange with Black placing a pawn on d4 as early as transfer 4. Ding performed a few considerate strikes like 10…Re1 and 12…h3 and the prophylactic 13…Kh2 that improved White’s place little by little. Gukesh appeared to dither, not sure of a concrete plan to enhance his items and to stop White from breaking open the centre.
Ding managed to build up his benefit properly and his ready strikes turned out to be glorious decisions. Of the 2 gamers, Gukesh has seemed to be the one with the deeper, extra thorough preparation on this match. The Indian spoke of his group banking on “out-preparing” Ding in a double-edged place after his Sport 11 win, and the world champion himself has touched upon being shocked by the Indian typically within the opening.
The Ding who confirmed up on Monday performed with such computer-like precision that although Gukesh made no apparent blunders, his place simply fell aside.
By transfer 17, it appeared virtually near misplaced for Black whereas White had each nice management over squares and a stupendous pawn construction. With the tactical oversight of twenty-two.Bg5 Gukesh appeared to make an already unhealthy place even worse. Ding bolted away with it. Ding’s strikes all through the sport had been like poetry in movement, and by the top of 25 strikes he had the higher centre and extra lively items whereas Gukesh was watching a hopeless place with no selection however to resign. He performed on for 19 extra strikes earlier than he stopped the clock and prolonged his hand in resignation.
This was solely Ding’s second win within the match, having gained Sport 1. That it got here after a horrible loss makes it much more unbelievable. Grandmasters who’ve identified and performed in opposition to Ding for years are nonetheless making an attempt to wrap their heads across the enigma that’s the 32-year-old world champion, who can seem each robust and weak on the similar time.
“I have followed chess for so long, I have played so many tournaments but Ding is such a mystery to me,” GM Anish Giri provided on the chess24 broadcast because the world champion tightened the noose round Gukesh. “Ding seemed so completely broken (in Game 11) and now he plays just an incredible game.”
It’s not the primary time Ding has pulled off one thing like this. In the course of the World Championship match final yr in opposition to Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ding had a comeback win in Sport 12. “My mother told me that I did it last time and gave me confidence that I can do it again,” he stated.
After his win, Ding was greeted by his seconds Rapport and Ni Hua, who clapped when he walked out. Rapport was wearing shorts and a canary yellow t-shirt with the phrases ‘Never give up’ on it.
Requested how he crafted an ideal recreation and necessary win like this one proper after a loss, Ding replied: “It’s just by chance…Sometimes I perform very well after a loss.” On this match, Ding has on a number of events pushed for a draw even with a greater place on the board when the scores had been even. Trailing within the match and together with his again in opposition to the wall, a Ding who was taking part in for nothing lower than a win who confirmed up on Monday. “I had no way to retreat (in Game 12). I have to push for a win. I think I just played a very good game and found some good moves. There was no chance to spoil such a position…I just put pressure on my opponent the whole game. I did not slip like in the last game… It’s maybe the best game I’ve played in recent times.”
It’s a tough knock for Gukesh, who sat on the board for just a few moments after his loss, getting himself collectively. “Today was obviously a bad game, but I wouldn’t draw too much from it,” he stated after, “Bad games happen. But if you look at the second half overall, I think we are both playing better than the first half. 6-6 is overall a fair result, but since I was leading after yesterday, it is a bit disappointing to lose this game. Luckily, I have a rest day to recover and the score is still level, so this game is not a huge blow to my chances.”
There are two extra video games to go and it’s again to being anybody’s guess of the place this match goes from right here.