After ten years, Dommaraju Gukesh is on the verge of bringing India a new World Chess Champion.
Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova
Three Games to Go: Gukesh Takes a Critical Lead
Sunday, December 8, 2024. Magnus Carlsen once remarked that the Reti Opening was underrated. Today, Dommaraju Gukesh’s preparation team not only proved him right but also showcased the power of behind-the-scenes contributions from coaches and teammates who help craft opening surprises.
In the eleventh game, Gukesh’s team laid the foundation for his victory. During the post-game press conference, Gukesh was asked whether Erigaisi Arjun was part of his team, given that Arjun had previously employed a similar line with this opening. Gukesh declined to confirm, explaining that he preferred to wait until the championship concluded in his favor before revealing his inner circle. Interestingly, Ding Liren remarked that the game reminded him of a rapid match he played against Adhiban Baskaran in 2021—a game Gukesh was also familiar with.
With the blow landed early in the opening, Ding spent much of his time untangling the puzzle on the board, though his efforts seemed to circle endlessly, like in the hand of Buddha. It was, in every sense, a dominant performance by Gukesh from start to finish—a testament to his team’s brilliant strategy. Ding’s apparent intention to exhaust the clock with fruitless speculations and steer the game into rapid or blitz territory, where he’s believed to have an edge over Gukesh, backfired spectacularly.
The FIDE commentators and moderators described the game as irrational, dynamic, double-edged, and filled with opportunities for both sides. However, in their analysis on Take Take Take, Magnus Carlsen and Levy Rozman expressed confusion over why Ding consistently aims for ambitious play with Black instead of opting for simpler, more pragmatic lines.
In the critical moments:
After 4. e3 Nf6, Ding already sensed he was in trouble.
By 9. d3 a5 and 10. b5, it was clear that White’s queenside attack was advancing like an avalanche.
After 13. O-O Ne5, Black’s development looked as though it was waiting for a leap year.
At 17. b6 Qd6, the game shifted into rapid-play mode.
Then came 21. Na3 Rd7, where Gukesh’s poni began to “dance” within a 3x3 square, setting the stage for a decisive assault on the queenside. Finally, at 28. Rdb1 Qc8, in what had effectively become blitz territory, Ding made the fatal error—not just of this game, but potentially of the entire championship. Whether this turns out to be the defining moment of the match will become clear after the remaining three games.
Diagonales Abiertas
