Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh and reigning world champion Ding Liren played out yet another draw in Game 9 of their closely contested World Chess Championship 2024. Despite holding the advantage of the white pieces, Gukesh was unable to convert his positional strengths into a victory. The result keeps the scores tied at 4.5 points each.
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If you were hoping to see a conclusive result in Game 9 of the World Chess Championship 2024 then it wasn’t to be as the latest match between D Gukesh and Ding Liren
ended in another draw after 54 moves, on Thursday (5 December) in Singapore. There have been seven draws so far and six of them have come in the last six matches.
The scores in the
World Chess Championship 2024 are currently tied at 4.5 points each with five more matches to go. The first player to reach 7.5 points in the 14-game series will win the World Chess Championship 2024. The world chess title battle will break for a rest day on Friday before action resumes with game 10 on Saturday (7 December).
D Gukesh vs Ding Liren Game 9 Recap
Gukesh, who was playing with white pieces, started Game 9 with the Catalan opening before playing a surprising 10.Bc3. Gukesh was trying to get in b2-b4 but it did not work out. The 18-year-old Indian GM, however, was much better in managing time as he only took some 15 minutes before making the first exchange while Ding had taken 50 minutes from the allotted two hours in the first time control by then.
The first exchange took place on move 14 but it was on move 20 that Gukesh had the best chance to exert pressure on the 32-year-old Liren but the former opted for Qb5 instead of Ne5, allowing Liren to create a balanced position.
“I considered both 19.Ne5 and e3. It should give a small edge I think. Yeah 19.Ne5 I thought he can go Bf8. I should have done this or e3. When I played 20.Qb5 I just missed this idea, that he can go 21…Qa7 and 22…Rb8. There were lot of tricks in the position but somehow it’s just working concretely for Black. Maybe 19.Ne5 is the right way but anyway it should be equal with precise play,” Gukesh said in the post-match press conference while discussing if he considered 20.Ne5.
Reigning world champion Liren also regretted missing out on a good opportunity to equalize at the end of the opening. “My second told me after the game that I could have played 17… Nxc4, equalizing easily. I calculated the line but missed 19…Nd7,” Ding said.
Gukesh and Ding have just drawn Game 9 of the World Championship: 4.5 to 4.5 before the next rest day tomorrow and 5 more games to play! https://t.co/bCjfeSxNXx #DingGukesh pic.twitter.com/VcfMZUN7O3
— lichess.org (@lichess) December 5, 2024
Gukesh then used up all his extra time, and by the 23rd move, he was trailing Ding on the clock by a few minutes. By then, another couple of pawns and two minor pieces had been exchanged, leaving the position nearly equal.
While Gukesh had a nominal extra pawn, it was evident it wouldn’t survive for long. Liren took some time before capturing Gukesh’s extra pawn to equalize the position followed by Gukesh quickly exchanging queens and a pair of rooks, steering the game toward a clear draw.
Although the game remained balanced, the players had to reach 40 moves to split the point under the rules.
The game transitioned into a pure rook-and-pawn endgame before all the pieces were eventually exchanged, leaving only the kings on the board.
In the remaining five games, Liren will have white thrice.
World Chess Championship 2024 Recap
Liren won the first round in the World Chess Championship 2024 while the second game ended in a draw before Gukesh bounced back by winning Game 3.
The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth games have ended in draws.
If scores remain tied after 14 games then tie-breakers under faster time control will be played to decide the winner.
The World Chess Championship 2024 has a total prize pool of USD 2.5 million.
D Gukesh vs Ding Liren Game 9 Factsheet
White: D Gukesh
Black: Ding Liren
Result: 0.5-0.5
Game length: 54 moves
Opening: Catalan Opening (stemming from the Bogo-Indian Defence)
Match score: 4.5-4.5
Moves from Game 9 between D Gukesh and Ding Liren
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. g3 Bb4+
4. Bd2 Be7
5. Bg2 d5
6. Nf3 O-O
7. O-O c6
8. Qc2 Nbd7
9. Rd1 b6
10. Bc3 Bb7
11. Nbd2 Qc7
12. Rac1 Rfd8
13. b4 c5
14. bxc5 bxc5
15. Qb2 Nb6
16. Ba5 dxc4
17. Nxc4 Bxf3
18. Bxb6 axb6
19. Bxf3 Ra6
20. Qb5 Rxa2
21. Nxb6 Qa7
22. Qb1 Rb8
23. dxc5 Ra6
24. Qb5 Bxc5
25. Qxc5 Qxb6
26. Qxb6 Raxb6
27. Rc6 Rxc6
28. Bxc6 g5
29. Kg2 Rb2
30. Kf1 Kg7
31. h3 h5
32. Ra1 Rc2
33. Bb5 Rc5
34. Bd3 Nd7
35. f4 gxf4
36. gxf4 Rc3
37. Kf2 Nc5
38. Ke3 Nxd3
39. exd3 Rc2
40. Kf3 Rd2
41. Ra3K g6
42. Rb3 f6
43. Ra3 Kf5
44. Ra5+ e5
45. fxe5 Rxd3+
46. Ke2 Rxh3
47. exf6+ Rxf6
48. Kf2 h4
49. Kg2 Rg3+
50. Kh2 Kg6
51. Rb5 Rg5
52. Rxg5+ Kxg5
53. Kh3 Kf6
54. Kxh4