World Chess Championship: Gukesh shows resilience to draw against Ding Liren in Round 6

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D. Gukesh, the 18-year-old Indian chess prodigy, continues his historic campaign at the 2024 Chess World Championship as the youngest challenger ever in the tournament's history.

In the sixth game against reigning champion Ding Liren in Singapore, Gukesh showcased remarkable resilience and strategic depth, delivering a critical draw and maintaining the tightly contested balance in the match.

Having started with a loss in the opening game, he rebounded by holding Ding to a draw in the second and clinching a win in the third. These early matches revealed not only his technical skill but also his capacity to learn quickly from mistakes, an essential trait in classical chess.

Ding Liren, the defending champion, has faced scrutiny for his inconsistent form over the past year, yet he remains a formidable opponent. Known for his mastery of complex openings like the Nimzo-Indian Defense and the Ruy Lopez, Ding has historically held the upper hand against Gukesh. However, the young challenger has demonstrated a growing confidence in countering such tactics, paving the way for a new chapter in their rivalry​.

Gukesh rejected an early draw by declining a threefold repetition, which kept him in the game and thwarted Liren's momentum despite a good start. The Chinese eventually decided to exchange his queens and key pawns to neutralize the position.

The 7th round of the tie will be played on Tuesday (December 3). After the first six rounds, there is nothing to separate the two players as they have a 3-3 scoreline.

D. Gukesh vs Ding Liren Game 6 Moves

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 Bd6 6.Bb5+ Nc6 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.Bxd6 Qxd6 9.Qa4 0-0 10.Qa3 Ne4 11.Nfd2 e5 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Qxc5 Qg6 14.Nd2 Qxg2 15.0-0-0 Qxf2 16.dxe5 Rb8 17.Nc4 Be6 18.Rd2 Qf3 19.Re1 Bxc4 20.Qxc4 Qf5 21.Qxc6 Qxe5 22.Qd5 Qe7 23.Qd6 Qg5 24.Qd5 Qe7 25.Qd6 Qg5 26.Qd5 Qh4 27.Red1 g6 28.Qe5 Rbe8 29.Qg3 Qh5 30.Qf4 Qa5 31.a3 Qb5 32.Rd4 Qe2 33.R1d2 Qf3 34.Kc2 Qxf4 35.exf4 f5 36.h4 e3 37.Re2 Re7 38.Kd3 Rfe8 39.h5 gxh5 40.Rd5 h4 41.Rxf5 Rd7+ 42.Kc2 Kg7 43.Rg2+ Kh8 44.Re2 Kg7 45.Rg2+ Kh8 46.Re2 Kg7. Match Drawn