Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh bounced back after a tough start to the World Championship, holding defending champion Ding Liren to a draw in Game 2 on Tuesday, November 26. Playing with black pieces, Gukesh and Liren played out a draw after a threefold repetition — a rule that allows a player to claim a draw if the same position occurs three times during the game.
The youngest challenger for the World Championship title, D Gukesh, 18, was visibly relieved and elated after managing to avoid back-to-back defeats early in the 10-game championship match.
In the opening game of the World Championship match, Gukesh, playing with white pieces, squandered time advantage and slipped to a defeat. It as a big dampener to Gukesh as Ding Liren had been struggling for form in classical chess in the lead-up to the World Championship match. In fact, Liren’s win on Monday was his first in a classical game after over 300 days.
“Draw with black in the world championship match is always nice and it’s too early, we still have a long match,” Gukesh said after the second game in Singapore.
Gukesh played down talks of pressure of being the youngest challenger and said he is focussed on one game at a time.
“There is obviously some pressure for anyone playing in a World Championship; there is a lot of pressure. But I also see it as a privilege that I can represent so many people and my country. And ya, it would be a very nice achievement, obviously, if I win the match. I am just focusing on one game at a time. Hopefully, things go my way,” he added.
Gukesh, who will play with white on Wednesday, will be looking to get more aggressive and push Liren and close the one-point deficit.
Liren said he is ready for the fight: “I think it will be a big fight tomorrow – he’s a point down and he will have the white pieces, so I’m ready for a fight.”