While the mind games will go on in the last two games and a potential tiebreaker, American Hikaru Nakamura and world number one Magnus Carlsen feel that the balance had tilted slightly in Ding Liren's favour.
India men dropped their first point, but carried enough steam to beat Hungary to maintain a clean slate in the ongoing 45th Chess Olympiad.
R Praggnanandhaa squandered a winning position against Wesley So of America while World Championship challenger D Gukesh settled for a hard-fought draw
'With an achievement like this, Gukesh could even be endorsing global brands.'
'I am still the kid who loves chess. It used to be the coolest toy.'
The image of a smiling D Gukesh standing with outstretched hands will forever be embossed in the memory of a nation of billions.
After securing his victory, an emotional Gukesh couldn't hold back tears. The weight of the moment hit him as tears streamed down his face.
The 18-year-old Gukesh is the youngest ever challenger for the crown and had won the third game on Wednesday.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway feels that on current form Indian star D Gukesh is the favourite to win the World Chess Championship
With a maximum of 11 games remaining under classical time control, the scores are tied at 1.5-1.5. This was after Liren won the opener and the second game ended in a draw.
The World Chess Championship remained deadlocked as the 10th game between Indian challenger D. Gukesh and defending champion Ding Liren of China ended in yet another draw on Saturday in Singapore.
First-time challenger D. Gukesh on Tuesday insisted he is not weighed down by the favourite's tag heading into the World Championship clash against China's Ding Liren, having enjoyed a purple patch after overcoming a rough phase.
D Gukesh played out a draw with tournament leader and top seed Fabiano Caruana
Erigaisi also requested External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the All India Chess Federation (AICF) to help him get the visa.
Gukesh had an exciting match against Nepomniachtchi out of a Catalan opening game on Tuesday.
'It will bring the next wave of awareness and pursuit of excellence from people who want to take chess as a game or a competitive sport or even as a career.'
Carlsen accuses FIDE chief of broken promises.
Hungary will officially host the 45th edition of the Olympiad for the first time, having hosted the second unofficial Chess Olympiad in 1926.
Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh, the youngest player ever to qualify for the World Chess Championship, held defending champion Ding Liren to a draw in their fourth-round encounter in Singapore on Friday.
With Georgia likely to post a victory against overnight leader Kazakhstan, it seemed that the Indian eves were likely to regain the top position and become the firm favourites for the gold medal again.
Divith's journey to the top was a rollercoaster ride, showcasing resilience and tactical brilliance.
Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi believes the government's recent decision to stop cash rewards for attaining GM and International Master titles is 'not ideal' for the parents of chess players.
If Gukesh prevails in the end, he would break the current record set by the legendary Garry Kasparov, who became world champion at the age of 22 in 1985.
The drawn match left both the players on an identical tally of 4.5 points each, still shy of 3 points in order to win the championship.
D Gukesh held reigning world champion Ding Liren of China to a draw in a highly anticipated contest
Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has a word of advice for World Championship contender D Gukesh ahead of his clash against China's Ding Liren -- just focus on your preparation and don't count yourself as a "huge favourite" going into the title showdown.
Following Arjun's win, World Championship challenger D Gukesh put it across Parham Maghsoodloo with black pieces, swindling the Iranian towards the end of the first time-control.
Gujrathi had won the Azerbaijan event last year after outperforming compatriot Arjun Erigaisi.
Inspired by the iconic trophy lift of cricket captain Rohit Sharma during the 2024 T20I World Cup in June, the chess players replicated the gesture.
R Praggnanandhaa navigated his match against the reigning world champion Ding Liren with remarkable ease
Teenager Gukesh Dommaraju of India became the youngest chess world champion by beating defending champion Ding Liren of China on Thursday
Men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet, under whose leadership India won a second successive bronze medal at the Olympics, said the honour is a recognition of his "fascinating" journey in which he still has plenty more to achieve.
Fabiano Caruana defended his Superbet Classic title by winning all three rapid games in a thrilling four-way tiebreaker
D Gukesh put it across Serbia's Alexandr Predke in the fourth round for his first win in the Chennai Grand Masters chess
India's D. Gukesh and China's Ding Liren settled for a draw in the eighth round of the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship
Koneru Humpy's non-participation in the event has not hampered the team's chances much as Vaishali has jumped significantly in rankings and is a force to reckon with in the women's circle.
If I do the right things, I have all the chances in the world: Gukesh
Ding will face a stern challenge from the 18-year-old Gukesh, who "doesn't make any mistakes at all" and has had a terrific run in 2024.
Newly-crowned World chess champion D Gukesh returned to Chennai on Monday to an enthusiastic reception his fans.
Local star D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi played out a draw in the second round of the Chennai Grand Masters Chess Championship 2023 in Chennai on Saturday.
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