D Gukesh was disappointed after losing Game 12 to Ding Liren as the Chinese levelled the scores in World Chess Championship 2024 . However, the Indian Grandmaster added that his game is improving and he is focussed on the remaining two games.
read more
Indian Grandmaster and 18-year-old challenger to the world chess title, D Gukesh, cut a frustrating figure after
losing Game 12 in the World Chess Championship 2024 on Monday at the Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. Gukesh, who led 6-5 after securing a famous win on Sunday,
was forced to resign after 39 moves by reigning world champion Ding Liren as the Chinese GM managed to level the scores at 6-6 with just two more games left.
A win or draw in game 12 would have put Gukesh, who is aiming to become the youngest-ever chess world champion, on the brink of history, but it’s now all to play for.
“At least the score is still tied and two more games are remaining,” Gukesh said in the post-Game 12 press conference while responding to the question on how big a blow the latest defeat was to his chances of becoming the new chess world champion. “6-6 is overall the fair result, but since I was leading after yesterday, it is a bit disappointing to lose this game.”
‘Today was a bad game’
The Chennai youngster, who has won two games in the Championship match so far, also admitted that he had his chances in some of the past games (Games 6 and 7) but failed to close them.
“In the second half, I had chances in many of the games. Today was obviously a bad game, but I wouldn’t draw too much from it. Bad games happen. But if you look at the second half overall, I think we are both playing better than the first half,” he said.
‘Maybe the best I played in recent times’
Liren, who won the world title in 2023 after beating Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in the tiebreaker, said that the Game 12 win was one of his best in recent times.
“It’s a very important 12th game. It’s maybe the best game I have played in recent times,” he said.
Talking about his strategy during Game 12, Ding said: “Today I just tried to play the best moves and at some point, I realized my position was much, much better; there was no way to draw.”
Apart from helping him level the scores, the Game 12 victory also added $200,000 to Ding’s bank account.
The chess Championship will now resume on Wednesday (11 December) with Game 13 in Singapore. If scores remain tied after Game 14, then tiebreakers will be played to decide the winner.