Chess has a new World champion. Ding Liren of China ascended to the throne after defeating his Russian rival Ian Nepomniachtchi in the fourth tie-breaker game here on Sunday.
Ding, however, may not quite be able to claim that he is the undisputed World champion. For, this World championship cycle did not include Magnus Carlsen, the world’s best player, by some margin, and winner of the last five World championships.
It was after Carlsen decided to withdraw from the World championship match, against Nepomniachtchi, that Ding got the opportunity. The Chinese had finished runner-up, behind the Russian, in the Candidates tournament last year.
When Carlsen withdrew — for lack of motivation — the world chess governing body decided to conduct a World title match between the top two players of the Candidates, Nepomniachtchi and Ding, ranked second and third respectively in the world. The match, which got underway in the Kazakhstan capital on April 9, turned out to be a nail-biting affair.
After the opening game was drawn, it was Nepomniachtchi who drew first blood, winning the second. Now Ding had to do the catching up. He would do that in remarkable fashion in the remaining games. He equalised for one last time in the 12th game and the next two were drawn.
With the score tied at 7-7, the tie-breakers (rapid) had to be played. The first three games were drawn and Ding won the fourth, to become China’s first World chess champion in the open category.
Now China holds the World title among both men and women (Ju Wenjun).
