The World Chess Championship in Singapore is reaching a critical juncture. After ten games, the score between reigning champion Ding Liren and challenger D Gukesh remains locked at a tense 5-5, setting the stage for a potential rapid tiebreak. The strategic maneuvering is palpable, with Ding Liren seemingly content to navigate towards the faster-paced format.
Legendary chess grandmaster Susan Polgar, commenting on the match’s trajectory on X (formerly Twitter), observed, “It seems that Ding has found his groove and made his intention known. If Gukesh wants to win this match, he has to take chances to break the deadlock. Ding is happy to chill his way into the rapid and blitz playoffs.” This astute observation highlights the shifting dynamics of the championship. Ding Liren’s approach, characterized by a series of strategic draws, is a calculated risk, aiming to leverage his strengths in the shorter, more dynamic formats of rapid and blitz chess.
Game 10: A Drawn Battle
Game 10, a London System opening, proved to be relatively uneventful, culminating in a draw after 36 moves. The opening moves were: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 c5 5.Be2 Bd6 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.c4 0–0 8.0–0 Nc6 9.Nc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nh5 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Ne4 Nf6 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Rfd1 Bd7 17.Rac1 Be8 18.Rxd8 Rxd8 19.Kf1 Kg7 20.a3 f5 21.Ke1 Kf6 22.Be2 Ne7 23.g3 Rc8 24.Rxc8 Nxc8 25.Nd2 Nd6 26.Nc4 Nxc4 27.Bxc4 Bc6 28.f4 b6 29.Kd2 Ke7 30.Kc3 Kd6 31.b4 f6 32.Kd4 h6 33.Bb3 Bb7 34.Bc4 Bc6 35.Bb3 Bb7 36.Bc4 Bc6. The game lacked the high-stakes tension of previous encounters, a testament to Ding Liren’s controlled strategy.
Player Perspectives:
Both players downplayed the idea of passively waiting for an opponent’s mistake. Gukesh commented, “I don’t think the wait for mistakes will be so long. There are mistakes happening in every game, to be honest.” Liren echoed a similar sentiment, stating, “Every game we are hoping to create chances ourselves, not hoping the opponent will do some mistakes.” However, Liren’s post-game remarks revealed a cautious approach: “There’s no so much room to make mistakes, every loss will result in a very bad situation. We need to be careful with every move.” Gukesh, while acknowledging the increasing pressure, remained optimistic, stating, “With black to get a solid draw like this is always a good result. There are four more exciting games to go.”
Championship Standings (after Game 10):
* Game 1: Ding Liren 1 – 0 D Gukesh
* Game 2: Draw (1.5 – 0.5)
* Game 3: D Gukesh 1 – 0 Ding Liren
* Game 4: Draw (2 – 2)
* Game 5: Draw (2.5 – 2.5)
* Game 6: Draw (3 – 3)
* Game 7: Draw (3.5 – 3.5)
* Game 8: Draw (4 – 4)
* Game 9: Draw (4.5 – 4.5)
* Game 10: Draw (5 – 5)
The remaining games promise intense competition as both players strive for victory. The pressure is mounting, and the world watches with bated breath to see if Gukesh can break through Ding Liren’s calculated strategy or if the champion will maintain his course towards the rapid tiebreak. The next game, number 11, is scheduled for today! Stay tuned for live updates.
