World Championship Game 4: Gukesh reacts well to Ding's opening surprise, draws

"I believe in good moves"

Find below expert video analyses by GM Daniel King and IM Robert Ris.

The fifth game of the World Chess Championship in Singapore saw Gukesh D, the young challenger, comfortably handling Ding Liren's opening preparation with the black pieces. Despite Ding's efforts to create pressure, Gukesh navigated the complications adeptly, leading to a draw after 42 moves. This result means the score remains tied, keeping the match balanced as it approaches the halfway mark.

Ding opted for an unusual opening with 1.Nf3 and an early 5.Ba3, steering the game into less-explored territory. The creative choice highlighted the influence of Richard Rapport, Ding's second, who is renowned for his inventive style. Rapport, who also supported Ding in last year's championship, was seen accompanying him to the playing hall alongside Ni Hua, another member of Ding’s team. Their partnership appears to blend camaraderie and innovative preparation, crucial assets for the reigning champion.

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After the game, Gukesh revealed he had been "playing over-the-board from very early on", displaying his comfort in navigating uncharted positions. Ding managed to gain a slight advantage but decided to simplify rather than push too hard, ultimately leading to a peaceful outcome. Reflecting on his strategy, Ding commented:

This round, I tried to play safe. It turns out I got a little bit of an advantage. The score is still balanced. There are more games to come.

A light-hearted moment occurred in the post-game press conference, where Gukesh was asked about numerology, referencing Garry Kasparov's belief in its significance. The question linked Gukesh's age and potential to become the 18^th World Champion to Kasparov's 13^th title. Gukesh, however, dismissed the notion with poise, citing Bobby Fischer's famous quote:

I believe in good moves. Yeah, I'm just trying to make good moves.

While Gukesh has drawn both games with black, his performances with white have been decisive so far. Saturday's game, the only one where Gukesh will play with the white pieces before the second rest day on Monday, promises to be another thrilling encounter. The young challenger is expected to press hard for a win as the tightly contested match continues to capture the chess world's attention.

GM Xie Jun, four-time women's world champion, made the first move for Ding Liren | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

GM Viswanathan Anand, five-time world champion, made the first move for Gukesh D | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

Ding ½ - ½ Gukesh

Analysis by André Schulz

Ding, Liren2728

½–½

Gukesh Dommaraju2783

WCC Match 2024 Singapore29.11.2024[Schulz, A]

1.Nf3 So not this time 1.e4 which in game 2 led to a quick draw. 1...d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.b3 Bf5 4.Be2 h6 White is playing a Queen's Indian Defence with reversed colours, while Black is playing a London System with reversed colours. 4...Nbd7 5.Ba3 e5 6.Bxf8 Kxf8 7.d4 e4 8.Nfd2 1/2-1/2 (51) Rapport, R (2760) - Ding, L (2799), Lichess.org INT 2021 5.Ba3 This move is known from the Queen's Indian Defence, where the a6-bishop puts pressure on c4. Here, White aims to make e6 harder to achieve. After the exchange Bxf8, Black would lose castling rights. Nbd7 6.0-0 e6 7.Bxf8 Nxf8 This way, Black retains castling rights, but the manoeuvre costs some time. 8.c4 N8d7 The reference game for this opening variation is 8...c6 9.Nc3 N8d7 10.d4 0-0 11.Rc1 Qe7 12.Qd2 Ne4 1-0 (49) Fries Nielsen, J (2300) - Seirawan, Y (2400), Graz 1978 9.Nc3 0-0 10.cxd5 There was a prominent online predecessor here: 10.d4 a5 11.a3 Qe7 12.Qc1 c6 13.Qb2 Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Rfd8 16.Rfd1 Nb6 17.Be2 Nc8 18.c5 b5 19.b4 a4 20.f4 Ne4 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Kh2 g5 23.Rf1 f5 24.g4 Qf6 25.Qa2 Kh8 26.gxf5 exf5 27.fxg5 hxg5 28.Bg4 Ne7 29.Rxf5 Nxf5 30.Rf1 Rd5 0-1 (30) So, W (2778) - Giri, A (2777), chess24.com INT 2021 10...exd5=

11.b4 11.d4 Qe7 12.Qd2 c6 with a structure resembling the Exchange Variation of the Queen’s Gambit. Here, however, Black has managed to develop his light-squared bishop effectively. 11...c6 12.Nd4 Bh7 13.Qb3 The Mega 2025 database still shows the predecessor game 13.Nb3 Qe7 14.a3 Rfc8 15.Rc1 a5 16.Nxa5 b6 17.Nxc6 Rxc6 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Rxc6 Ne5 20.Rc1 Nd3 21.Rc6 Ne5 22.Rc1 Nd3 23.Ra1 Rd8 24.Bxd3 Bxd3 25.Re1 b5 26.Rc1 Nb6 27.Qh5 1/2-1/2 (27) Flores, D (2568) - Real de Azua, E (2448), Buenos Aires 2015 13...Ne5 The knight's destination is unclear. 14.a4 Rc8 Preparing c5. 15.a5 b6 White has achieved little from the opening. 16.Nf3 16.axb6 axb6 17.Ra7 c5 16...Nxf3+ 17.Bxf3 d4 18.Ne2 dxe3 19.dxe3 Be4 20.Rfd1 Qe7 21.Bxe4 Nxe4 After the exchange of both pairs of minor pieces, the game has levelled out. Black has a pawn majority on the queenside, while White has an outpost on d4. The endgame is entirely equal, with a draw being the most likely outcome. 22.axb6 axb6 23.Nc3 Rfd8 24.Nxe4 Qxe4 25.h3 c5 26.Rxd8+ Rxd8 27.bxc5 bxc5 28.Rc1 Qe5 29.Qc2 Rd5

There is nothing happening here anymore. The game is heading towards a draw. 30.g3 f5 31.Kg2 Kh7 32.Qc4 Qd6 33.e4 Re5 34.exf5 Rxf5 35.Qe4 Qd5 36.Qxd5 Rxd5 37.Kf3 Kg6 38.Ke4 Rd4+ 39.Ke3 Rd5 40.Ke4 Rd4+ 41.Ke3 Rd5 42.Ke4 Rd4+ And a draw by threefold repetition. ½–½

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Ding Liren | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

Gukesh D | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

Expert analyses

Commentary by GM Daniel King

Commentary by IM Robert Ris

Power Play 27 and 28 - The King's Gambit and Tactic Toolbox

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Games

Schedule

Links

• Official website
• Two Knights Talk: Who will win the World Chess Championship match 2024?
• Ding Liren, the chess king from China who defies the odds
• Gukesh: From a school in Chennai to the world title match in Singapore
• Ding Liren is the new world chess champion! (2023)