12/5/2024 – Game 9 of the World Chess Championship in Singapore brought a more measured yet strategic encounter, ending in a draw after 54 moves. Playing with the white pieces, Gukesh D applied early pressure in a Catalan Opening, but Ding Liren's precise defence kept the balance. Gukesh, who described the game as "very precise from both sides", managed to build a lead on the clock but could not capitalise in the critical moments. With the score tied and only five games left, the match resumes on Saturday. | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally. FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before.
Winning starts with what you know The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
2024 Candidates Tournament with analyses by Gukesh, Pragg, Vidit, Firouzja and Giri. Kasimdzhanov, Engel and Marin show opening trends from Toronto in the video. 10 repertoire articles from English to Queen's Indian and much more!
€21.90
"No one is clearly better in this match"
Find below expert video analyses by GM Daniel King and IM Robert Ris
After two action-packed encounters, game 9 of the World Chess Championship in Singapore brought a more subdued yet strategically rich draw. Playing with the white pieces, Gukesh D applied some pressure on Ding Liren out of a Catalan Opening, but the reigning champion held his ground with precise defensive play. After 54 moves, the players agreed to a draw, leaving the score tied as they approach the third rest day of the match. With only five games remaining, the stakes continue to climb in the closely fought contest.
The match has seen both players grow in confidence after early nerves and inconsistencies. Gukesh, the youngest challenger in history, seems to have adapted well to the high-pressure environment. Reflecting on his recent form, the Indian prodigy noted:
In the last few games I have managed to play very good chess. For me, the main thing will be to just go there with the same energy, play the same level of chess I'm playing, and slightly improve on some critical moments.
In contrast to earlier games featuring unexpected novelties, Thursday's encounter began with the well-established Catalan Opening. Gukesh built a notable advantage on the clock, showcasing his strong preparation, but Ding navigated the complications with composure to maintain equality. Gukesh described the encounter as "a very precise game from both sides".
One of the game's pivotal moments came on move 15, when Ding spent nearly 18 minutes before playing 15...Nb6, adding to his already significant time deficit.
In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM” with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.
Gukesh followed up with 16.Ba5, prompting another deep think from Ding before he played 16...dxc4. Although the reigning champion spent considerable time on these moves, his efforts paid off, as he successfully neutralised Gukesh's chances in the middlegame battle.
The players demonstrated mutual respect during the post-game press conference. When asked about consulting the engine’s evaluation during the game, Gukesh joked: "I wouldn’t want to cheat at any point". Ding replied with a smile: "Today I didn't have any chance, so maybe I will use it for the future".
The match resumes on Saturday, with Ding set to have the white pieces in three of the remaining five games. As the tension mounts, both players will need to draw on every ounce of their skill, preparation and composure to tilt the balance in their favour before the scheduled conclusion next Thursday (or Friday, if the match goes to tiebreaks).
1.d4Nf62.c4e63.g3Bb4+The usual variations of the Catalan Opening arise after3...d54.Bg2Be75.Nf30-06.0-04.Bd2Be75.Bg2d56.Nf30-0Ding already had this position on the board a few times, with both colours.7.0-07.Bf4Nbd78.Qc2c69.Nbd2b610.h4Bb711.e4dxe412.Ng5c513.Ndxe4Bxe414.Nxe4cxd415.Nxf6+Bxf616.Bxa8Qxa817.0-0e518.Bg5Bxg519.hxg5e420.Rae11/2-1/2 (20) Dubov,D (2701)-Ding,L
(2745) Almaty 20247...c68.Qc28.Bc3dxc49.a4b510.axb5cxb511.Ne5Nd512.Ba5Qe813.b3Nc614.bxc4bxc415.e4Nf616.Nxc6Qxc617.d5Qd718.Nc31/2-1/2 (44) Shirov,A (2666)-Ding,L (2736) Budapest 20248...Nbd79.Rd19.Bf4a510.Rd1b511.c5Nh512.Bd6Bxd613.cxd6Bb714.Nbd2Nb615.e4±1-0 (61) Ding,L (2811)-Grischuk,A (2745) Chess.com INT 20229...b610.Bc310.Bf4is seen more frequently here.10...Bb711.Nbd2Qc712.Rac1Rfd8This was the novelty in the game.
12...Rac813.b3h614.Qb2Qb815.Ne5Rfd816.e4Nxe517.dxe5Nxe418.Nxe4dxe419.Bxe4c5=1-0 (81) L'Ami,E (2644)-Fedorchuk,S (2611) Germany 201813.b4After13.b3Rac814.e4Ba315.Rb1c5=White does not achieve much.13...c514.bxc5bxc515.Qb2Nb616.Ba5dxc417.Nxc4Bxf318.Bxb6The alternative18.Bxf3
leads to favourable simplifications for Black:Nxc419.Bxc7Nxb220.Bxa8Rxa821.Rd2Na4with two knights for a rook.
18...axb619.Bxf3Ra620.Qb5White now temporarily wins a pawn, but he will not be able to keep it.
Interesting was20.Ne5!?h621.Nc620...Rxa221.Nxb6Qa722.Qb1Rb823.dxc5Ra624.Qb5Bxc525.Qxc5Qxb626.Qxb6Raxb627.Rc6Rxc628.Bxc6g529.Kg2Rb230.Kf1Kg731.h3h5The position is now balanced. The black knight is slightly better than the white bishop with the pawn chains on one wing, but that shouldn't make much difference. An early draw is the most likely outcome. However, Ding still shows ambition with his pawn moves on the kingside.32.Ra1Rc233.Bb5Rc534.Bd3Nd735.f4gxf436.gxf4Rc337.Kf2Nc538.Ke3Nxd339.exd3Rc240.Kf3Rd241.Ra3
41...Kg6
White is somewhat passive. Black is more active. But the endgame is still a draw.42.Rb3f642...Rh243.Kg3=43.Ra3White makes waiting moves. However, the rook can intervene from the side if the black king moves forwards.43.Rc3h444.Kg4Rg2+45.Kxh4Kf546.Rc4=43...Kf544.Ra5+e5Another try by Black.45.fxe5Rxd3+46.Ke246.Kg2fxe547.Ra4e448.Ra5+Kf449.Rxh5Rd2+49...e350.Rh4+=50.Kf1is also enough for a draw.46...Rxh347.exf6+Kxf6
48.Kf2This is a theoretically drawn position.h449.Kg2Rg3+50.Kh2Kg651.Rb5Rg552.Rxg5+Kxg553.Kh3Kf654.Kxh4The contenders continued playing until leaving the bare kings on the board.½–½
This course will enhance your understanding of the King’s Indian Defence. Perfect for anyone looking to improve their opening strategy, reduce mistakes, and develop a winning game plan.
Five classical games - at the most - remain to be played at the match for the world title in Singapore | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An
Looking for a realistic way to play for a win with Black against 1.e4 without taking unnecessary risks? The Taimanov Sicilian is a reliable system, and hence one of the best options out there!
Carlos Alberto ColodroCarlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
Ruy Lopez Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 12092 games from Mega 2025 and the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 1276 are annotated.
In this 60 Minutes, Andrew Martin guides you through all the key ideas you need to know to play with confidence. Whether you’re looking to surprise your opponents, or simply want a straightforward weapon against e5, the Centre Attack has you covered.
Videos by Mihail Marin: Najdorf Variation with 6.f4 and Nico Zwirs: Italian ‘giucco pianissimo’. ‘Lucky bag’ with 45 analyses by Edouard, Ftacnik, Gupta, Pelletier and others. Update service with over 50,000 new games for your database!
This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
Chess Festival Prague 2025 with analyses by Aravindh, Giri, Gurel, Navara and others. ‘Special’: 27 highly entertaining miniatures. Opening videos by Werle, King and Ris. 10 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more.
€21.90
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.
Pop-up for detailed settings
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.
