Nfter his historic triumph, Ding Liren sank into his own world. He buried his face in his hand for what felt like an eternity and barely noticed how his competitor Jan Nepomnjaschtschi swept the black pieces off the table and left the stage completely frustrated. Ding became the first Chinese to become World Chess Champion, the 17th in the history of the Game of Kings.
With a cracked voice, the 30-year-old explained the most emotional moment of his life. “I couldn’t control my emotions anymore. I knew I was going to cry,” said Ding, who won the chess drama in the tiebreak and succeeded Magnus Carlsen. In the last of four possible rapid games, Ding capitalized on Nepomnyashchi’s mistakes in Astana.
The Russian was heartbroken. Slumped on the table, he tried to put his second defeat in the final after 2021 into words: “I had every chance, so many promising positions. I should have decided the final in the classic games.”
But in rapid chess with a shorter time control, Ding kept his nerve on Sunday and received congratulations from Carlsen, who after ten years on the chess throne had lost his motivation and decided not to defend his title – and with it a lot of money. After all, 1.2 million euros were distributed in Astana.
Ding Liren (left) wins the world title against Jan Nepomnjaschtschi
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Image: dpa
But Carlsen has long established other mainstays, it is a brand. And was often a topic of conversation when he was absent from the World Cup.
While queens, rooks and pawns were being moved around on the eighth floor of the St. Regis competition hotel in Astana, Carlsen, bored with his dominance, plunged into jet-set life. He played poker in Los Angeles, was a laudator at an awards ceremony and launched a fantasy chess app.
How do you know all this? Carlsen shared it with the world, just as he didn’t hide the fact that he hadn’t watched a World Cup match live. And in general, he was only moderately impressed by what Ding and “Nepo”, who he had outclassed at the World Cup in Dubai two years ago, performed in Kazakhstan.
What this year’s opponents showed was still advertising for the game of kings. Because for a change it wasn’t a David versus Goliath fight, but a duel on an equal footing. Open-faced chess, which also meant chess with unexpected mistakes.
Nepomnjaschchi usually had a slight advantage, and until the tie-break he was not behind once. Probably also because part of Ding’s attack strategy became public in advance through a leak, which national coach Jan Gustafsson rated as a “heavy blow” in the sid interview.
And yet “Nepo” couldn’t bring his 6:5 lead to the finish line after eleven games – three more draws would have been enough for him. So it was 7:7 on Saturday after the 14th and last regular duel. It went into the tie-break, which took the opponents’ time and ripped them out of their comfort zone in rapid chess.
Incidentally, Magnus Carlsen is still world champion in this discipline, and quite a few observers believe that in two years’ time the Norwegian will return to the World Championship stage in classical chess with fresh motivation – to show the world that he only awarded the title has.
