Ding wins

Ding Liren from China has become the 17th world champion, defeating the Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi in Astana. The 14-game classical match saw triumph and tragedy on both sides, with six decisive games. But with honours shared at 7-7, the classical world championship was to be decided in a four-game rapid tiebreak, just as it was in 2006, 2012, 2016 and 2018.

The first three were drawn, and the fourth game looked bound for the same result, which would have led to a play-off at even faster time limits. But with both players down to their last minutes, Ding took an unexpected decision to prolong the fight instead of acceding to a draw. His courage was rewarded with an immediate mistake from Nepo, which confirmed my assessment four weeks ago that ‘Ding’s play stands out for his capacity to endure tension for longer than his opponents’.

Magnus Carlsen tweeted his approval, right after Ding won the game and the match: ‘Self-pinning for immortality. Congrats Ding!!’ Carlsen referenced the position in the diagram, where Ding has just played46…Rf6-g6!, avoiding the draw by repetition which looked inevitable in case of 46…Kg8. Many commentators had dismissed the move, because the rook looks precarious, like a football on top of an eggcup, and the simple plan of Qe4-f5 and h3-h4-h5 looks awkward to meet.

After a plausible continuation such as 47 h4 h5 48 Rc2 Qg4 49 Qd3 Kh8 50 Bxc5 Rc6 51 Rc4 Qg6 52 Qxg6 Rxg6 53 Bxb4 axb4 54 Rxb4, White’s extra pawn confers only a symbolic advantage, and a draw would be a near certainty.

But Nepo’s choice 47 Qf5 was a serious error. After 47…c4! 48 h4 Qd3, White’s queen was shaken off the crucial diagonal, and Ding assumed control, winning the game and tiebreak by 2.