Chinese champion Liren and Indian challenger Gukesh stand tied at 3 points each in the 14-game series in the summit clash.
Holder Ding Liren and challenger D Gukesh played out yet another draw in the sixth game of the World Chess Championship 2024 final on Sunday.
Chinese champion Liren and Indian challenger Gukesh stand tied at 3 points each in the 14-game series in the summit clash.
The sixth iteration of the final was off to a whirlwind start as the first half hour of play witnessed sixteen moves from each player as the London System flowed initially before Gukesh spent over a quarter of an hour for a couple of moves each as the game moved into a sombre midgame full of deliberations from the players after a gusty opening sequence.
However, it was Liren who consumed the most time for a single move in the game as he contemplated for over 42 minutes for his 21st move as he removed one of Gukesh’s pawns with his queen, following which the Indian teenager responded in kind.
Gukesh demonstrated courage to turn down a non-verbal offer at a draw as Liren tried to goad the teen into a threefold repetition, but the challenger braved the situation and went ahead to attack the Chinese holder.
Gukesh pushed beyond the 40-move mark with just over three minutes remaining on his regulation clock, which afforded thirty more minutes of play as we headed into overtime for the first time in the summit clash.
The players, who had matched each other blow for blow in terms of trading knights and bishops, held on to their queens for a while longer, before Liren offered up an exchange on the valuable piece, for the umpteenth time in the game, that was picked up by Gukesh.
