Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju got his first win over title holder Ding Liren of China on Wednesday (November 27) in game three of the World Chess Championship.
Playing with the white pieces, Gukesh earned a decisive victory to level the scores at 1.5-1.5 entering the first rest day.
Ding struggled with time management as Gukesh showcased an audacious opening strategy with the 32-year-old defending champion spending over half an hour deciding his 13th move.
As the pressure built, Ding was left with little over eight minutes to make 11 moves at the critical phase.
18-year-old Gukesh is the youngest challenger in tournament history, having qualified by winning the Candidates tournament in April.
Should Gukesh prevail, he will overtake Russia’s Garry Kasparov, who won the tournament aged 22 in 1985, as the youngest ever undisputed world champion.
Ding, whose form has plummeted since he beat Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi to claim the crown in 2023, lost in the Chess Olympiad international team event in September and has taken unusually long breaks for a top player in a bid to improve.
World number one Magnus Carlsen, who had been world champion since 2013, relinquished his title in 2022, citing a lack of motivation
The 14-round event in Singapore boasts a prize fund of $2.5 millions with the action continuing on Friday (November 29).
(Reuters)