New Delhi: The most anticipated game of chess which has been looked forward to by every Indian fan, D Gukesh vs Ding Liren is just a couple of hours away.
The contest between Ding and Gukesh is set to become the ‘David vs Goliath’ with the Chinese chess prodigy looking to defend his crown against a rapidly rising Gukesh who will look to overthrow Liren from his throne.
Who is Ding Liren?
Ding’s humble journey in chess began in the city of Wenzhou, a city known for its strong chess culture. Liren started his chess career at the age of four. Under the guidance of renowned coaches like Chen Lixing, the Chinese chess legend rose quickly through the U-10 and U-12 World Youth Championships.
Ding’s pivotal moment in his career came during the Chinese Chess Championship in 2009 at the age of 16. This win earned him the title of grandmaster and established him as the youngest player ever to win the championship.
He went on to claim the national championship titles in 2011 and 2012, maintaining an undefeated streak and solidifying his reputation as a chess prodigy. Ding has also excelled in team competitions on the international stage. The Chinese chess prodigy played a pivotal role in China’s gold medal win at the 2014 Chess Olympiad and contributed to their victory in the World Team Championship in 2015.
Coming to individual performances, Ding is ranked among the World’s best chess players. In 2018, the Chinese superstar surpassed the 2800 rating point and set a record by remaining undefeated in 100 consecutive classical chess games between 2017 and 2018.
In 2022, he finished second in the Candidates Tournament, securing his place in the 2023 championship. Subsequently, Liren went on to win the 2023 World Chess Championship against Ian Nepomniachtchi. Ding’s victory over Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 2023 FIDE World Chess Championship was a thrilling display of display of skill and tenacity.
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Over the years, Ding has been able to bring unpredictability to his game which has helped him to defeat Ian last time. Can the Chinese superstar bring this unpredictability once again to oust Gukesh?