Excitement builds in the World Chess Championship as Ding Liren “miraculously” survives Gukesh’s offensive.
Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An
Gukesh and Ding Keep the Championship Alive in Game Seven
Tuesday, December 3, 2024. In a gripping battle, Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh tested the defensive mettle of reigning world champion Ding Liren, who described his ability to salvage a draw as nothing short of miraculous. Today’s result leaves both players tied at 3.5 points apiece, with 7.5 needed to avoid a tiebreaks.
Ding seemed to walk away with the psychological edge, his smile during the post-game press conference hinting at satisfaction. Gukesh, by contrast, kept his emotions in check, displaying his trademark composure. Yet one might ask whether this stoicism is the best approach—after all, a world championship isn’t just a mental duel on the board but also a profoundly human game of errors and triumphs that must be embraced, endured, or overcome.
The game opened with the Neo-Grünfeld Defense: 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. c4 c6 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. O-O O-O. White temporarily sacrificed a pawn with 7. Re1 dxc4, a move that caught Magnus Carlsen’s attention—rarely seen at this level of play. Carlsen speculated that this line might reflect the influence of Gukesh’s coach, Grzegorz Gajewski, known for championing obscure ideas that engines initially reject but later prove viable after deeper analysis. The advantage, Carlsen noted, lies not in outright novelty but in forcing the opponent into unfamiliar, complex positions.
Midgame saw a critical moment with 29. Rxb5 Qd3, where Ding offered a queen trade, promptly declined by Gukesh. Later, after 30. Qf4 Qxc2 31. Bxf6 Qf5, Gukesh again avoided exchanging queens but missed an opportunity to play 32. Bg5, which would have preserved his dark-squared bishop—key to defend and advance his pawn on *d5.
Despite this misstep, by move 40. Kf1 Ke5, when both players received an additional 30 minutes, Gukesh retained a one-point edge according to engine analysis. Even so, AI, according to FIDE’s English commentary, predicted a 70% likelihood of a draw.
By move 43, Gukesh’s advantage had grown to 2.2, but with 44. Ke1 instead of the natural h4, he allowed Ding to claw back. From there, the champion’s resourcefulness earned him a hard-fought draw and admiration for his resilience in critical moments.
In their post-game analyses, Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi defended both players’ decisions, emphasizing the difference between engine-backed scrutiny and the pressure of over-the-board play during a championship.
During the press conference, Gukesh admitted he felt his position was winning for most of the game, while Ding openly acknowledged his high probability of losing. This tension—between precision, emotional control, rationality, intuition, and inevitable mistakes—is what amaze us about chess.
As the championship reaches its halfway mark (7 of 14 games), the question looms: Can both players maintain their mental, emotional, and psychological stability in the games ahead?
For Gukesh in particular, today’s outcome may weigh heavily—having held favorable positions in the opening, middlegame, and endgame, he missed a golden chance to secure a victory with White.
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