Monday, 2 December 2024

2024 World Chess Championship - A view from the ground

 I had hoped to be watching game 6 of the 2024 World Championship upon my arrival in Singapore last night (or at least the last few moves). But I was grounded in Melbourne by a delayed connection* and so watched the entire game in the terminal, waiting for a 3:25am departure.

Although the game was drawn (the third in a row), there seemed to be a bit more of a fight in this one. Although the minor pieces went by move 20, there was enough play in the major piece ending to keep the spectators engaged. Ding had a small edge (at least according to various engines), but in a practical sense, it might have not been enough to convert, Nonetheless both players tried a few ideas (eg h4-h5 by Ding), before a draw by repetition occurred.

Today is a rest day (and I am typing this in a deserted Media Centre), with Round 7 tomorrow. Along side the World Championship is the 2024 Singapore Open, with a large number of Australian players taking part. GM Zong Yuan Zhao is one of the tournament leaders, and is being featured on the DGT boards. The games can be found at https://lichess.org/broadcast/singapore-international-open-2024/classical-round-5/rpedgvD7#boards

(*The airline concerned starts with a Q and ends with WDGAF)



Ding,Liren (2728) - Gukesh D (2783)[A45]
FIDE World Championship Match 2024 Singapore SGP (6), 1.12.2024


No comments: