Ding Liren, who has not won a classical game since January this year, managed to claim the first game with black pieces. Game 2 on Tuesday, ended in a draw after a terse opening tussle. (FIDE/Eng Chin An)
World Chess Championship: For the first time in 14 years, the first game of the World Chess Championship had started off with a decisive result. And belying predictions, it was not the in-form teen from India, Gukesh, who landed the first punch. Ding Liren, who has not won a classical game since January this year, managed to claim the first game with black pieces. Game 2 on Tuesday, ended in a draw after a terse opening tussle.
“The first game would have certainly been a major confidence boost for Ding. Because, Ding had simply not won a classical game in a very long time. That is certainly not healthy for one’s confidence. He had almost forgotten what it feels like to win a game in classical chess. So getting a win after such a long time, would have felt good for him and was a major confidence boost. As a consequence, it put him at ease today (in Game 2),” GM Srinath Narayanan tells The Indian Express.
Talking about Gukesh’s defeat in Game 1, the captain of the Indian men’s team at the Chess Olympiad who has coached Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin, adds, “It felt like Gukesh was not at his best, but that was expected to a certain degree. It was his first game in a World Championship match and in general, people always need time to get into their best. They don’t do it in the first game of the event. But it’s also too early to have an opinion about Ding’s shape because he’s been able to play pretty decently so far. But it’s been nothing exceptional. He didn’t have to do anything extraordinary to win the first game. In the second game, he didn’t really push himself so much. So far it’s a bit early to say, but the initial impression to me does feel like Ding’s sort of waiting for Gukesh to come at him rather than create something himself.”
Srinath does add that if there is a player who could have taken the first game defeat on his chin and soldiered on, it is Gukesh. Srinath pointed at Gukesh’s loss to Alireza Firouzja in the Candidates tournament and the way he still went on to win the event.
“In that sense, Gukesh has certainly been exceptional. He has shown that he is special. The way he handled the defeat in the Candidates against Alireza and then came back. He has been exceptional in being able to handle unexpected setbacks with composure. He is just able to bounce back. So that is also one of the factors which I think gives him good chances in a gruelling match like this.”
Srinath also cautions against reading too much into what we have seen in the first two games. “By about game 6, I think we will have a better idea of how it’s shaping up. It’s certainly the best possible start that Ding could have asked for. Winning the first game with the black pieces certainly puts him in a good position in terms of the match. But it will not be the exclusive factor or give him a win in the match by itself.”
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