India's Grandmaster D Gukesh registered his first win against the defending champion Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship outplaying the Chinese on time control in the third round to draw level on points. Having lost the first game rather badly with black pieces, Gukesh struck gold thanks to his preparation which gave him a huge advantage on the clock as Liren spent a lot of time mulling his moves in the first phase of the game.
Both players now have 1.5 points each after the second game ended in a draw on Tuesday.
"It feels great. The last two days I was happy with my play. My play today was even better, I feel good at the board and today I just managed to outplay my opponent which is always nice," Gukesh, who played with white today, said in the post-game press conference.
By the 13th move, the 18-year-old from Chennai had already established a commanding lead on the clock, using just four minutes compared to Ding Liren's one hour and six minutes.
With 40 moves to be completed in the first 120 minutes without any increment, the complex middlegame posed significant challenges for Liren. Gukesh, on the other hand, maintained relentless precision, finding difficult but highly effective moves to intensify the pressure.
The game unfolded in a lesser-explored variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. Gukesh followed an idea once employed by former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik in a rapid match against Indian star Arjun Erigaisi. While that earlier game ended in a draw after Erigaisi narrowly escaped a loss, Gukesh ventured deeper into the position, capitalizing on Liren’s unforced errors.
The early exchange of queens led to a queenless middlegame, where Liren’s light-squared bishop became a liability. Gukesh’s imaginative manoeuvring neutralized the bishop, sacrificing two pawns in the process.
Even as Liren sought counterplay, Gukesh remained resolute, skillfully centralizing his pieces and eliminating any chances of a comeback. Liren’s difficulties were compounded by the ticking clock, leaving him with just two minutes to make nine moves.
Gukesh capitalized further by introducing tactical threats, aiming to trap the black king or secure additional material. With time slipping away, Liren found himself with less than 10 seconds for six crucial moves—a virtually impossible task.
Eventually, the pressure proved too much. Liren ran out of time after 37 moves, handing Gukesh his first victory of the championship.
This win cements Gukesh’s aspirations to become the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand, to claim the world championship title. Anand, a five-time world champion and a mentor to Gukesh, continues to inspire the young prodigy.
Thursday will be the first rest day of the event.
