The competition has become even more intense
The 13th game of the World Chess Championship between India’s Grandmaster D Gukesh and China’s defending champion Ding Liren ended in a draw after 68 moves on Wednesday. With the score now tied at 6.5-6.5, the competition has become even more intense, with only one game remaining.
The final game will be played on Thursday. If it also ends in a draw, the winner will be decided through tie-break games with shorter time controls.
Ding Liren survives heavy pressure from Gukesh in Game 13 and goes into tomorrow's final classical game — where he has the white pieces — with the scores level at 6.5-6.5! #DingGukesh pic.twitter.com/6QmFNTkTPt
— chess24 (@chess24com) December 11, 2024
A Tight Contest So Far
In the 13th game, Gukesh, playing with white pieces, started with the “King Pawn” opening but faced Ding’s “French Defense.” As the game progressed, both players played cautiously, and a draw became evident by the middle moves.
The journey to this point has been thrilling. Ding won the first game, while Gukesh bounced back to win the third game. After that, the two Grandmasters played seven consecutive draws. Gukesh took the lead again by winning the 11th game, but Ding equalized the score with a victory in the 12th.
A Historic Opportunity for Gukesh
If Gukesh wins the championship, he will make history as the youngest world chess champion at just 18 years old. Gukesh had already set a record last year by winning the FIDE Candidates Tournament at the age of 17, becoming the youngest to do so.
The chess world now eagerly awaits Thursday’s game, which could determine the champion or lead to a nail-biting tie-breaker showdown.