The 2024 World Chess Championship remained finely poised Sunday after Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju played to a thrilling 46-move draw, leaving the score tied at 3.0 points each after six games.
The match concluded the first week of the 14-game contest. Ding, the defending champion from China, had the white pieces and started strongly, putting the 18-year-old Indian challenger on the defensive.
However, Gukesh recovered and led the game into a dramatic double-rook endgame, with pawns scattered across the board. The game ended after a threefold repetition of moves, drawing after more than four hours of play.
Gukesh had earlier rejected the opportunity to end the game in a draw despite being in a disadvantageous position. After the match, he explained his decision, saying, “I just thought there was still a lot of play left in the position and I didn’t really see much danger for me.” He added that he wanted a longer game rather than an early draw.
Ding admitted after the game that he had let his advantage slip at critical moments, acknowledging, "That's what I should improve in the next couple of games."
The match began with Ding's victory over Gukesh in game one, ending a winless streak of 28 classical games. Game two ended in a draw, and Gukesh responded with a win in game three after Ding lost on timing. Games four and five also ended in draws.
With 14 match days in total, the first player to reach 7.5 points will be declared the winner. If the score remains tied after 14 games, tiebreaks will take place.
At 18, Gukesh became the youngest player in history to compete in the World Championship, aiming to surpass Garry Kasparov as the youngest undisputed world chess champion.
Despite the close scoreline, Gukesh noted, “We are not even halfway through the event,” acknowledging the long road ahead.
