Defending champion Ding Liren of China on Monday ended a long winless run to beat teenage challenger Gukesh Dommaraju of India in the opening game of their International Chess Federation World Chess Championship match.
Ding, 32, had not won a classical chess match since January and he appeared to be on the defensive early on against his opponent, who played with the white pieces, and took up a great deal of his time allotment to contemplate each move.
However, he turned things around with a bold attack by his queen, and put 18-year-old Gukesh on the back foot and also left him facing time pressure.
Photo: AFP
Ding managed to press home his advantage in masterful fashion and although Gukesh was able to extend the contest, he eventually conceded the game after 42 moves in more than four hours of play.
“For sure I was nervous... It would be surprising if I said I wasn’t nervous, I was surely nervous,” Gukesh told reporters after the match. “But after the game started, I calmed down... I think I was playing some good chess ... and then I kind of flipped.”
Ding, who took a nine-month break from chess last year due to personal difficulties and depression, said he had ample time to prepare for the match since his last classical game two months ago.
The result ended a run of 28 classical games without a win for Ding, who had been winless since beating Dutchman Max Warmerdam in January.
As of press time last night, Ding and Gukesh were playing Game Two.
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