SINGAPORE, Dec 7: Indian contender D Gukesh once again matched the prowess of defending champion Ding Liren from China, as their 10th game in the World Chess Championship concluded in a draw with little drama on Saturday.
This game was notably the simplest for Gukesh as Black, with the play emerging from a London System setup in which Ding Liren displayed no risks and seemed content with the drawn outcome.
The seventh consecutive draw — and the eighth overall in the match — left both contenders tied at 5 points each, still needing 2.5 points to clinch the championship.
The two players agreed to a draw after 36 moves.
With only four classical games remaining in a championship boasting USD 2.5 million in prize money, should the result remain tied after 14 rounds, the competition will shift to faster time controls to declare the victor.
The 32-year-old Liren had seized the opening game, while 18-year-old Gukesh had triumphed in the third.
Liren stuck with his London System at the start, introducing a slight variation early on that resulted in a symmetrical pawn structure. This strategy might have been effective on a different day, but Gukesh opted not to press from an equal position.
As the youngest challenger ever, Gukesh faced his tasks head-on and passed every challenge with remarkable skill.
Prior to the 10th game, Liren had played three games with White to Gukesh’s three, but now the competition stands level with just four games remaining.
For Gukesh, the toughest decision came at move 11 when he chose to enter a fully equal position. Though the setup had appeared in several Grandmaster matches before, it seemed neither he nor Liren had noted those instances.
It quickly became evident to spectators when Liren initiated a series of exchanges, including the queen, that the game was headed toward a draw.
Nonetheless, the players were contractually obligated to complete 40 moves before formally concluding the game.
Gukesh proposed a trade of the last remaining rook on move 23, forcing Liren to comply. A handful of moves later saw both Knights removed, leading to a pure Bishop endgame where neither side had significant winning prospects.
Liren might have held a psychological edge due to his Bishop and King being better positioned in the center, but with no weaknesses in Black’s position, a draw was inevitable.
Time management played a crucial role throughout the match; however, game 10 saw both players still with over 35 minutes remaining when they agreed to the draw.
With just four games left, all attention will turn to Gukesh to take charge in the upcoming match.
For Liren, the strategy has unfolded successfully thus far, and it is safe to assert that Gukesh has matched him move-for-move despite many world-class observers expecting a one-sided contest.
The Moves:
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 c5 5.Be2 Bd6 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.c4 0–0 8.0–0 Nc6 9.Nc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nh5 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Ne4 Nf6 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Rfd1 Bd7 17.Rac1 Be8 18.Rxd8 Rxd8 19.Kf1 Kg7 20.a3 f5 21.Ke1 Kf6 22.Be2 Ne7 23.g3 Rc8 24.Rxc8 Nxc8 25.Nd2 Nd6 26.Nc4 Nxc4 27.Bxc4 Bc6 28.f4 b6 29.Kd2 Ke7 30.Kc3 Kd6 31.b4 f6 32.Kd4 h6 33.Bb3 Bb7 34.Bc4 Bc6 35.Bb3 Bb7 36.Bc4 Bc6. Game drawn. (PTI)
