Bengaluru: The lights went out on the Gukesh-Ding super-fight hours before Round 7. Two months before their World Championship, this was supposed to be delicious match-up – reigning world champion against challenger. When the board pairings were announced hours ahead of Wednesday’s sizzling India vs China match, Ding Liren was missing on Board 1. He had been “rested” by China and their in-form prodigy Wei Yi was instead tasked with taking on Gukesh. With India’s other games in the Open section ending in draws, Gukesh pressed with White from an objectively drawish position.
Gukesh’s recent trajectory couldn’t be starker than that of Ding. The Chinese GM has dropped out of the top 20 and has not managed to win a single game in five rounds at the Olympiad in Budapest while the 18-year-old Indian has moved into the top five and has four wins and a draw from six rounds.
“I don’t think you will find very many examples of the reigning world champion not playing Board 1 in an absolutely critical central match of the Olympiad,” former world No.4 GM Peter Svidler and R Praggnanandhaa’s trainer told Fide.
Ding spent part of the Olympiad rest day on Tuesday posing before a board, trying to drum up intensity in a powder blue shirt and a pair of jeans. A photographer knelt on the floor before him, the shutter clicking away. Gukesh also went through a similar drill. This is the last tournament both players feature in together before their November match.
In Round 6, Ding had suffered a bruising defeat with White against Vietnam’s top player Quang Liem Le. He had his hand to his forehead, and later he buried his face and seemed like a guy who was being torn to bits within. “Everybody suspected it could happen,” five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand said on the ChessBase India stream. “For me it was not clear whether he should duck this one, or come and play. Only he knows how he feels. He must be slightly annoyed at losing with White too and just took the day off.”
Asked if Gukesh is now a clear favourite to become world champion, Anand chose cautious optimism. “If you look at momentum and stats, Gukesh is playing much better. Ding is still working through his bad form. Gukesh should be happy with how he’s playing for the rest, they still have a match to play.”
“In the periods that I had bad form and was stuck with it for quite some time, I usually got out of it when I stopped caring,” Anand went on to say. “It’s quite individual how you take these things. Some people like to pump themselves up, some like to be quiet about it…Maybe the only advice one can give is, you should know what you like.”
On Board 2, Yu Yangyi and Praggnanandhaa played out a quick 17-move draw in a game that lasted just around an hour. Vidit Gujrathi was rested and P Harikrishna was brought into the action for the first time since the opening round, on Board 4. The decision to field Harikrishna may have in part been rooted in his understanding of Chinese players. The Indian GM has played in the Chinese Chess League and served as second to Chinese reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun, in her match against Lei Tingjie last year.
In the women’s section, India came good in their sternest test so far, defeating second seeds Georgia 3-1. This keeps India in the lead and is by far their best result so far. Vantika pulled off a huge win, defeating a higher-rated Bella Khotenashvili. The Indian, down to a minute to play 20 moves, found Kg6, shooing away White’s rook and marshalling her e-pawn forward and delivering check with her rook. Soon, the Georgian GM was in hot water.
Results:
Open (India-China)
D Gukesh beat Wei Yi
Yu Yangyi drew R Praggnanandhaa
Arjun Erigaisi drew Bu Xiangzhi
Wang Yue P drew Harikrishna
Women (India-Georgia)
Harika Dronavalli drew Nana Dzagnidze
Lela Javakshviili lost to R Vaishali
Divya Deshmukh drew Nino Batsiashvili
Bella Khotenashvili lost to Vantika Agrawal