World Championship Game 1: Gukesh flies too close to the sun
For the first time in 14 years, a FIDE World Championship Match started with a decisive result. Back in 2010, Vishy Anand lost the first game to Veselin Topalov (BUL). He immediately bounced back in the second game. D Gukesh also had a similar start with a loss in the first game against the reigning world champion, Ding Liren (CHN).The difference is the colors are reversed. Still Gukesh is calm and composed, he doesn't get rattled easily. In the first game, he tried to go for the maximum and had to pay a heavy price for it. He will have to regroup himself as tomorrow will be a new day. Game 2 starts tomorrow at 5 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Eng Chin An
"I haven't won a single Classical game in a long time and today I managed to do that"
The world champion is so focused that at the press conference he was searching for a microphone to answer how he felt after winning the first game, when the lapel mic was carefully placed on his suit. He shared, "Of course, I feel very good. I haven't won a single Classical game in a long time and today I managed to do that. This game I think is, to be fair, it was very lucky for me because I missed two tactics, fortunately they didn't work for him."
"I already know the accuracy of the game is poor. At some point I thought maybe I was worse out of the opening, maybe after 16...Bd7. I think he played some normal moves and suddenly it became unclear. I was not so happy with the position." - The world champion added.
Gukesh - Ding Liren: 0-1
Ding Liren opted for French Defence with the black pieces. The last time he played French in a World Championship was Game 7 against Ian Nepomniachtchi last year. He lost that game. So when he was asked the reasoning behind opting for this opening, he shared, "Oh yes, he is a French expert. Also, I played French myself last time. It was our idea to play French. I just made the decision to play French in the first game."
"I analyzed it but I couldn't remember what's the continuation. I would actually had to decide between play the line I knew but I didn't know carefully, or I need to come up with a new idea myself, like in the game. I chose the second one." - Ding Liren's answer on why he spent a lot of time (over 30 minutes) to find out his reply to 7.c3.
"I guess the turning point was after 14...Nb6 I thought I should be better but it was unclear. Maybe I already did some mistakes." - Gukesh on at what point he felt the position has gone wrong for him. 15.0-0 Nc4 16.Bf2 Bd7 17.Qe2 Nxd4
"...Maybe 18.Nxd4 was a mistake. I was thinking about 18.Bxd4 but I did not take this 17...Nxd4 18...Nb2 that seriously." - The teenager chimed.
21...Qd3 22.Qe1 Bg5 23.Rc2 Rc4 24.h4 Bf4 crippled White's position 25.Qb1 Rxc3 White was running low on time and the position was not easy to play either.
Ding Liren showed that he saw that 30.Bc5 Qxg4 31.Qxh7?? does not work due to Qd4+! not only saves the game but also turns the tables. After 30.Bc5 Qxg4 31.Rf3 would have been White's final attempt to make a comeback but Gukesh decided against it. Instead, he played 32.Qc2 and lost the game in ten more moves.
Black is forced to play 42...Kh8 as 42...Kh7?? allows White to get back in the game 43.Qxe4+
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Schedule
Every game starts at 5 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST. There is a rest day after every three games. Second game is on Tuesday 26th November 2024.
