Chess Championship 2024: India’s Gukesh D clinches first win against defending champion Ding Liren of China

India's Gukesh Dommaraju on Wednesday registered his first win against defending champion Ding Liren in World Chess Championship in Singapore, as hie defeated him in third game to draw level on points.

Earlier on Tuesday, Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh drew with defending champion Ding Liren of China in second game.

At the end of the second game the overall score stands at 1.5 for Ding and 0.5 for Gukesh. Playing with black pieces, Gukesh made a comeback of sorts, having lost to Liren in the opener of the 14-game showdown.

"Draw with black in the world championship match is always nice and it's too early, we still have a long match," the Chennai-based GM said in the post-game press conference.

This year’s tournament marks the first time in 138 years that two Asian players were pitted against each other in the marquee clash, that is offering a prize fund of $2.5 million.

According to details, the players followed a much less-played variation in the topical Queen's Gambit and Gukesh followed an idea played by former world champion Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in a rapid game against highest rated Indian Arjun Erigaisi.

About Gukesh Dommaraju: At just 18 years old, Gukesh Dommaraju challenged reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren of China for the title.

He began his journey at the age of 7 when he started learning the game at Velammal School in Chennai, India. Recognized by his first coach, Bhaskar V, Gukesh was fully immersed in his chess training, and his dedication to the game grew from there when he was in Class 4.

Under the guidance of two more coaches, Vijayanand and Vishnu Prasanna, Gukesh honed his skills in both tactical and positional awareness.

At 17, he stunned the chess world by winning the Candidates Tournament in Toronto, becoming the youngest-ever challenger for the World Chess Championship. His victory over top players such as Ian Nepomniachtchi, Hikaru Nakamura, and Fabiano Caruana in the eight-man field solidified his status as one of the rising stars of chess.

In 2022, Gukesh surpassed Viswanathan Anand, becoming India’s top-ranked chess player for the first time in over 36 years. This historic achievement marked the first time someone had ranked higher than Anand, who had been the face of Indian chess for decades.

In addition to his chess mentors, Gukesh enlisted the help of mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, known for his work with the Indian cricket and hockey teams.

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