Indian Chess Grandmaster Ding Liren Draws with Rival Gukesh in Thrilling Match

Mumbai, Nov 30 - Indian chess grandmaster Abhadhi Pratap Singh did not get a chance to claim victory as the draw between him and his Chinese rival Ding Liren has helped both players stay alive in the tournament. Both Ding and Gukesh are now two points away from four games each and will be back on the board with the Indian Grandmaster playing against Ding on Saturday.

In their match, Ding employed a different chess opening than the one he used in his first game, opting for the Reti Opening instead of the King Pawn Opening. However, Gukesh responded well to the initial surprise and effectively counterattacked with a string of brilliant moves that kept Ding on the back foot.

Despite Ding's attempt to launch a surprise attack on Gukesh's dark bishop, the Indian grandmaster refused to budge and played it safe, resulting in the match ending in a draw. Both players took their time to make decisions, showcasing their skill and patience in dealing with complex positions.

Gukesh expressed his satisfaction over taking the draw after Ding revealed that he used a tricky tactic from an Indian chess strategy book last night to gain an advantage over him. "The opening is tough but I managed to counter-attack using a particular strategy which I learned recently," said Gukesh adding, "though it seemed like we were playing with clock ticking as every thought needed hours and at one point, even all those hours had vanished".

In related news, Gokesh will resume the game against Shantanu Hemant Harmeet (Rbi) on Dec 3 while Ding will be up next to play Rakesh Viswambhar Raghu (India).