Gukesh favourite on form in our FIDE world title game: Ding Liren

The air of expectations around the Indian men and women’s teams in the ongoing Chess Olympiad in Budapest is rising with each passing round – with Gukesh D & Co still unbeaten after eight rounds on Thursday, 19 September, to lead the standings with 16 points. The extraordinary form of Gukesh has prompted Ding Liren, the Chinese world champion whom he will play for the FIDE world crown later this year, to tip him as the favourite in the big match-up.

“I can see my opponent (Gukesh) playing extremely well in this tournament. Maybe he is a favourite in the World Championship Match. He also has a higher rating than me,” Liren said in an interaction in the mixed zone in Budapest. Liren and Gukesh will clash in Singapore from 20 November to 15 December for the coveted title and a prize fund of $2.50 million.

 A word of praise as this could be seen as a subtle attempt to build pressure on the 18-year-old as the Chinese camp had been playing their cards close to their chest – pulling out Liren from their match in Budapest and replacing him with Wei Yi. The champion had lost his Round 6 game to Vietnam’s Le Quang Liem.

 Gukesh was, however, unfazed as he prevailed over Wei after a six-hour battle with a brilliant endgame. “I have dropped a lot since last year but I will fight my best to try to overcome the rating difference,” he added in a rather candid admission.

Liren, 31, is the highest rated chess player of all time and won the world crown in May last year after defeating Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. The Chinese  took a break from the game after that owing to his battle with depression and returned to action earlier this year at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, finishing ninth in the event.  

Meanwhile, two years after heartbreak at his home in Chennai, Gukesh has arrived at the Olympiad in Budapest like a man who has unfinished business. In the first four games he has played at the Olympiad after sitting out the first round, he had accounted for four strong Grandmasters — Vignir Vatnar Stefansson (Iceland), Adam Kozak (Hungary), Alexandr Predke (Serbia) and Aydin Suleymanli (Azerbaijan) — with an average rating of over 2600.  

Gukesh won the Candidates tournament in Toronto last April to become the youngest challenger to the world title at the age of 17. He turned 18 in May.