World Champion's Survival Tactics: Gukesh Faces off Against Ding Liren in Do-or-Die Chess Battle

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The world chess championship hang-in-the-balance as Indian challenger Gukesh D and reigning champion Ding Liren engage in a crucial 12th game of their best-of-14 match, with both players tied on six points each. A defeat for either player could send the contest into rapid time controls to be decided on Friday.

Gukesh adopted an aggressive opening strategy in Game 11, opting for the classic 1.e4 to face a resolute Ding Liren's moves as world champion. The outcome has yet again swung in favor of the Chinese World Champion after Gukesh was unable to break down the French Defence.

With just eight moves and clock dwindling, both players are locked on a tight schedule today. While the first 11 games have kept Gukesh's team hopeful about his prospects of pulling off an upset against the formidable Ding Liren, even their expert predictions point away towards world champion winning this game.

FIDE Chess analysts from around the world believe with equal probability — or 50-50 percentage — that it would make a difference for Indian challenger's hopes of clinching the global championship. The young challenger has garnered international attention thanks to his impressive performances against established grandmasters.

Today, Gukesh will be playing White pieces in game 13 and is well aware about world class technique employed by Ding Liren with French Opening, while the Chinese champion plays Black in Game 14 on Thursday, which would hold significant importance for both players as only two more games can be played between them now, if needed.

It's only when other chess variants tiebreak method like one minute per move are brought to stage will then can Indian challenger stand even remote chance at snatching the world title from Chinese Superstar –