NEW DELHI: In an intense Game 6 of the World Chess Championship, the 18-year-old Indian challenger D Gukesh held the defending champion Ding Liren of China to a draw with the black pieces.
This was the third consecutive draw, leaving both players level on 3 points apiece, still short by the 4.5 points required to win the championship.
The game ended in a draw after 46 moves, marking the fourth draw of the match. As the match progresses towards the halfway mark, the players’ strategies will be closely watched.
Ding Liren, aged 32, won the opening game, while Gukesh emerged victorious in the third game. The second, fourth, and fifth games ended in draws.
With eight games remaining in the 14-round match, the battle will resume after the second rest day on Monday. Despite being written off by many top players, Ding Liren seems to be gaining confidence with each passing game.
Playing with the white pieces, Ding Liren opted for the super-solid London system, blitzing out the first 20 moves and conceding only seven minutes on the clock. However, the position led to a Queen and Rook endgame with equal pawns.
Gukesh, known for his fighting qualities, spurned down the unconditional draw offer by not going for the three-fold repetition, surprising the global audience. The computers gave a slight advantage to white, but the position remained complicated for both sides.
Ding Liren had to regain his composure as he was expecting Gukesh to repeat the position. Gukesh eventually went for the trade of the Queens, and Ding Liren took a draw by exchanging off a crucial king rook pawn, leaving Gukesh no choice but to repeat the position.
According to English Grandmaster David Howell, the official commentator, “Ding missed his big opportunity with Queens on the board.” The sixth game was a great fight that lasted until move 46, with Ding Liren pressing again after Gukesh’s refusal to draw early.
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