Singapore, November 30 (IANS). Ding Liren and Gukesh Domaraju played out an entertaining 40-move draw in the fifth game of the World Chess Championship on Saturday, leveling the scores at 2.5-2.5.
Against all odds, world champion Ding Liren missed a brilliant opportunity to apply pressure in the match this afternoon, squandering the chance for a crucial advantage in the game.
Defending the black pieces, the Chinese champion skillfully neutralized his opponent’s Exchange Variation in the French Defense and looked to be on his way to securing his second win.
However, when the time was right, uncertainty kicked in and the situation played tricks on his mind, allowing the challenger to claim a draw and enter the sixth game tied at 2.5.
A very confident Gukesh said in the post-game press conference, “At the end of the game, I was very worried about my position. When my opponent made the move, I was quite relieved, because I thought it would end in a draw. “
The champion realized that he had missed a big opportunity: “I didn’t understand any idea, I was thinking about moving the king to the kingside, like the Berlin Pawn Structure. I didn’t realize that it That was a big advantage for me.”
Game 6 of the match will take place on Sunday, December 1. Both the contestants will face each other in a fourteen-game classical chess match. The player who scores 7.5 points or more will win the match and earn the better part of the total prize money of $2.5 million.
–IANS
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