Teenage chess sensation Gukesh Dommaraju made a significant move in his World Championship match against China’s Ding Liren, winning the 11th game and taking a crucial 6-5 lead with only three games remaining.
Gukesh’s victory came after Ding made a costly blunder under time pressure, which forced him to resign, as reported by Leaders sources. The win ended a streak of seven consecutive draws and provided the 18-year-old Indian prodigy with a psychological edge as the match enters its final stretch.
“This is a very, very important win,” Gukesh said after the match, noting the importance of the lead. However, he remained cautious, acknowledging that three critical games still lie ahead.
Ding, 32, reflected on the difficulty of the game, admitting the pressure was intense. He vowed to bounce back in the next round, where he would have the white pieces. The match saw a cautious start, with both players making only five moves in the first hour. Gukesh took an hour to consider his 11th move, and the game became even more intense as time pressure built, particularly for Ding, who had less than 10 minutes left on his clock.
The resignation from Ding sparked jubilant celebrations among Gukesh’s supporters at Resorts World Sentosa hotel in Singapore. “Indian fans are the best,” Gukesh said, expressing gratitude for the energy their support gave him.
As per the sources of Leaders, if the series is tied after 14 games, the match will move to a tiebreaker, scheduled for December 13. With his current performance, Gukesh, the youngest player to ever compete in a World Chess Championship, is on track to break records and potentially become the youngest undisputed world chess champion, surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record.
