In a match full of twists and turns, the 2024 World Chess Championship ended in the most unexpected way. Game 14 was the final game played at long time controls, and with the match tied 6.5-6.5, a win for either player would secure the title, and avoid a playoff at faster time controls.
For almost the entire game the evaluation remained fairly equal, even after Ding chose to go into an ending a pawn down. Being a pawn up, Gukesh saw no risk in playing on, but by this stage most of the online chatter had turned to finding out what time the playoff games started after this game had finished.
But on move 55, Ding offered a trade of rooks, which Gukesh gratefully accepted. Due to the poor placement of Ding's bishop (on a8), Gukesh could immediately trade off into a winning king and pawn ending. When I saw the position I first assumed that either (a) the game was over and extra moves were being analysed or (b) Ding had a stalemate/fortress trick that the engines did not understand. Neither assumption was correct, and the sad truth was that Ding had just played one of the most consequential blunders in World Championship history.
The final position was winning for Black, although there is only one path to victory (the f pawn has to be sacrificed at the right moment). Ding decided not to test Gukesh's elementary endgame knowledge, resigning instead.
So Gukesh becomes the youngest World Champion in history, beating Kasparov's record. It caps a remarkable run for Gukesh, winning both the Candidates tournament and the World Championship at his first attempts.
For Ding, this loss must be a heartbreaker, and where he goes with his chess from here remains to be seen. Possibly the burden of being a World Champion has been holding him back, and in the long term, losing the match may be a net benefit.
FIDE World Championship Match 2024 Singapore SGP (14), 12.12.2024
No comments:
Post a Comment