Game-13

Ding Liren and Gukesh Draw in Game 13 Both at 6.5 Points, Final Game Will Determine the World’s Chess Championship of 2024

 

Game 13 of the World Chess Championship 2024 has become a marathon battle between the defending champion Ding Liren and the Indian challenger Gukesh Dommaraju.

The game took five hours of strategic manoeuvres and intense focus before it ended in a draw, putting both players on 6.5 points. The tension is now higher than ever as there is only one classical game left, and the world waits to see if there will be a winner or if the match will go into rapid tiebreaks.

 

Gukesh Pushes, Ding Defends

 

It was the game played at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore as Gukesh went all out for a win. Opening with e4, he invited Ding to play the French Defense, which has haunted Gukesh in earlier rounds. The middle game gave the initiative to Gukesh through sharp play but was repelled by Ding's magnificent defensive play.

In an interesting turn of events, both players crossed the 40-move mark when it started getting late. But that seemed to make no difference for Ding, who battled back gallantly.

One moment Ding just confessed: he had nearly given up. "Almost," he said regarding that knight jump to e4 by Gukesh, during a deeply-sighing post-game event with the local press.

 

Final Classical Game Holds the Key

 

This match is an exemplar of the brilliance of two playing at the peak. Here, Gukesh remains the youngest challenger in the history of the championship while his experience and composure under the pressure of Ding balance up the match.

The final classical game of Thursday will be decisive. Ding will play with white pieces and may have an edge, but Gukesh's determination makes it impossible to predict an outcome. If the score is tied after 14 rounds, the championship will go to rapid tiebreaks, where Ding is considered a strong favorite.