Bengaluru: Following a subdued performance in his previous match with the White pieces, Gukesh entered Game 7 ready to dominate. He unleashed a fierce attack on Ding Liren, nearly securing victory, but the reigning world champion demonstrated remarkable endgame defense, ultimately leading to a draw. The audience erupted in applause after a lengthy battle that lasted 72 moves and over five hours.
This was the longest game of the World Championship thus far, leaving the overall score tied at 3.5-3.5, with seven classical games still to be played. Ding Liren, during the seventh game against D Gukesh in Singapore on Tuesday. (PTI) It must have been tough for Gukesh to process the missed opportunity, especially after having Ding on the ropes for most of the match. “It’s never enjoyable to let a winning position slip, but I’m pleased that I was able to outplay my opponent in the opening,” he remarked in the post-game press conference.
“It’s a lost opportunity, but he also had missed chances earlier in the match. There are definitely positives to take away. The biggest lesson is to stay focused and convert good positions.” The young Indian player kicked off the game with an opening of 1.Nf3, a first in this match, and followed it up with a clever and rare 7.Re1 move, which seemed to be a strategic plan from his team.
This move left Ding deep in thought for more than 20 minutes. “Re1 is quite a new move, and the idea was to go dxc4-e4 to create a fresh position… he didn’t respond very precisely, so the plan worked,” Gukesh explained. Ding later acknowledged that he was caught off guard by this unexpected move. “I came back from the toilet and was completely surprised.
It took me a long time to find a response, and even then, it wasn’t accurate.” The world champion responded with the conventional 7. dxc4, leading to a compelling struggle for control. By move 21, Ding found himself with only 24 minutes left on his clock. Gukesh, however, made a tactical error by quickly trading the dark-squared bishops and attempting to capture Black’s c4 pawn, perhaps neglecting Ding’s ability to reintroduce his knight into the game.
Despite being in a tough position, Ding defended skillfully and even appeared to be salvaging a draw. All he needed to do was reposition his knight, reach move 41, and determine the next steps. But as time pressed on with just seconds left on move 40, Ding made a critical blunder. With only seven seconds on the clock, he moved his King to e5 instead of advancing his knight to c8, which would have preserved his chances of a draw.
Analysis indicated Gukesh’s chances of a win surged to 75 percent from a previous 19 percent. Once the players reached time control, Ding found himself in dire straits, down a pawn and facing a precarious position with a vulnerable king on d5 in an objectively losing endgame. He was again racing against the clock, visibly frustrated, occasionally glancing at Gukesh as he sought the correct moves amid numerous tempting yet misleading options.
Gukesh, on the other hand, sat calmly with folded arms, observing Ding’s struggle. Around move 44, analysis suggested that Gukesh had a 92 percent chance of victory. However, after spending over 22 minutes searching for defensive maneuvers, Ding managed to find some solutions. “I was worried that I was being outplayed,” Ding confessed, “but my position was probably not as bad as I thought; I should have been more confident.” Gukesh’s decision to play Bd1 on move 46 gave Ding an opportunity to create some activity.
This was when Ding’s endgame expertise and resilience came into play—he didn’t falter, despite Gukesh’s efforts to keep the game alive. Ding aimed to confine White’s bishop and generate counterplay for his knight. He centralized his knight and activated his king while Gukesh’s bishop remained on the first rank. Ding proceeded to exchange rooks and eliminate White’s last pawn, executing a remarkable escape to secure a half point. Ding’s team let out a collective sigh of relief.
“Today I didn’t give up in a very challenging situation… My second (Ni Hua) told me I saved my own life,” Ding shared with Chess.com. Ultimately, it was Gukesh’s outstanding preparation that allowed him to initially outmaneuver his opponent, but the reigning champion’s tenacity and deep insight helped him survive in the endgame. The match will continue with Game 8 on Wednesday, where Ding will have the White pieces. He might opt for a more solid, subdued game, while Gukesh could bring back the excitement when he plays with White on Thursday.
