WCC 2024 Round 14: Gukesh Becomes the Youngest World Champion in History

Lichess is providing a live stream for every day of the world championship. Make sure to tune in to our Twitch or YouTube channels for live stream coverage with our hosts GM Felix Blohberger and IM Laura Unuk, joined by a rotating panel of guests. Round 14 starts at 09:00 UTC on Thursday, December 12.

GM Ding Liren once again had to defend a pawn-down endgame against GM Gukesh D after he was slightly better out of the opening. Ding chose to liquidate quickly into the pawn-down endgame and after a long struggle, he blundered abruptly as he allowed a rook trade into a losing king and pawn endgame.

For the second time in the match, Ding tried 1. Nf3, signaling his intention to sidestep major opening theory. After Gukesh’s principled 1...d5 reply, Ding played in the style of the hypermodernists, who eschewed pawn central control in favor of piece central control, by playing a fianchetto. As Gukesh continued to play classically with 2...c5 and 3...Nc6, Ding finally put a pawn in the center with 4. d4, and White found himself playing the Reversed Grünfeld — the Grünfeld Defense but from the White side.

It seemed clear that Gukesh was not at all surprised by Ding’s choice as he kept playing quickly, responding to the Reversed Grünfeld with a very concrete idea: clarifying the central tension with 5...cxd4. Following Ding’s 6. Nxd4, Gukesh once again shocked the world with another opening surprise and near-novelty: 6...Nge7!?. While a very strange-looking move, Gukesh’s idea was clear: to get rid of one pair of knights by playing 1...Nxd4 2. Qxd4 and then 2...Nc6 to gain a tempo on the queen.

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