Ding Liren, ranked number three in the world by FIDE (2789), took home the World Chess Champion-ship title to China for the first time ever on the last day of April, to the satisfaction of over one billion Chinese residents. China is already a notable world power, but the crowning of Ding with the title will raise its intellectual profile. Ding is now the figurehead of world chess and is the 17th world champion in 150 years. Everything centres around him. Or does it?
Consider Norway’s Magnus Carlsen. FIDE rated at 2853, the highest ever for a player in classical chess, he has been world champion since 2013, and is absolutely, the very best player on the international circuit. He has not retired from chess. In fact, Carlsen wins almost every tournament he enters.
So why didn’t Carlsen defend his World Champ-ionship title? He refused to compete against an opponent, Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, whom he had defeated previously. Carlsen had trounced Nepomniachtchi in the 2021 World Championship match, with a 7½ to 3½ score. Nepomniachtchi had failed to win a game.
However, Nepomniachtchi won the 2022 Candidates Tournament, as he had in 2021, which qualified him to play for the World Championship title. Ding placed second in the last Candidates Tournament, and after Carlsen’s refusal to compete, the door was left open to accommodate another competitor.
All 14 games in the classical section of the Ding vs Nepomniachtchi encounter were even. Nepomniachtchi won some, and Ding won some. The rest were drawn. Nepomniachtchi had the advantage until game 11, but Ding equalised the score in game 12. Classical games mean long games which give a player sufficient time to think. Next came the rapid games. It was draw, draw, draw, and then came the fourth game. Ding won.
Chess game
The game with which Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren captured the World Chess Championship title
White: Ian Nepomniachtchi
Black: Ding Liren
Event: 2023 World Championship Match (rapid) April 30
Type of Game: Spanish Game: Closed: Martinez Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a4 Bd7 9. h3 O-O 10. Be3 Na5 11. Ba2 bxa4 12. Nc3 Rb8 13. Bb1 Qe8 14. b3 c5 15. Nxa4 Nc6 16. Nc3 a5 17. Nd2 Be6 18. Nc4 d5 19. exd5 Nxd5 20. Bd2 Nxc3 21. Bxc3 Bxc4 22. bxc4 Bd8 23. Bd2 Bc7 24. c3 f5 25. Re1 Rd8 26. Ra2 Qg6 27. Qe2 Qd6 28. g3 Rde8 29. Qf3 e4 30. dxe4 Ne5 31. Qg2 Nd3 32. Bxd3 Qxd3 33. exf5 Rxe1+ 34. Bxe1 Qxc4 35. Ra1 Rxf5 36. Bd2 h6 37. Qc6 Rf7 38. Re1 Kh7 39. Be3 Be5 40. Qe8 Bxc3 41. Rc1 Rf6 42. Qd7 Qe2 43. Qd5 Bb4 44. Qe4+ Kg8 45. Qd5+ Kh7 46. Qe4+ Rg6 47. Qf5 c4 48. h4 Qd3 49. Qf3 Rf6 50. Qg4 c3 51. Rd1 Qg6 52. Qc8 Rc6 53. Qa8 Rd6 54. Rxd6 Qxd6 55. Qe4+ Qg6 56. Qc4 Qb1+ 57. Kh2 a4 58. Bd4 a3 59. Qc7 Qg6 60. Qc4 c2 61. Be3 Bd6 62. Kg2 h5 63. Kf1 Be5 64. g4 hxg4 65. h5 Qf5 66. Qd5 g3 67. f4 a2 68. Qxa2 Bxf4. 0-1. White resigns.
