The 2024 World Chess Champion!
Read First! Welcome to my recap of the 2024 World Chess Championship, where I'll break down the key moments, brilliant tactics, and unforgettable games from one of the most exciting matches in chess history. Spoiler Alert: I’ll be revealing the winner, so if you haven’t seen the games yet, I recommend checking out a recap from GothamChess or Hikaru Nakamura on YouTube. For reference, you can also find all the games here, but please note that the winner is shown: 2024 World Chess Championship Games. If you're interested, you can also read my previous blog, where I detailed my predictions for this match, discussed the rules, and explained what was at stake. Additionally, it's important to note that players are given 120 minutes for 40 moves, an extra 30 minutes after move 40, and a 30-second bonus from move 41 onward.
Before the match
Before the match Ding Liren had been struggling greatly. He had been having some mental health struggles and was quickly dropping classical rating points. Meanwhile Gukesh had been in exceptional form. He had climbed up to the fifth spot in the world and was the youngest player ever to win the Canidates Tournament securing his place in the World Chess Champion.
Key Games
The first game of the match saw Ding Liren come out strong, securing a win with the black pieces using the French Defense. He appeared to be in top form. However, Gukesh equalized in Game 3, and after a series of draws, Gukesh won Game 11, putting Ding in a difficult position. But Ding responded in Game 12, leveling the score. After a lengthy draw in Game 13, everything came down to Game 14. Ding, in a rook and pawn endgame with light-squared bishops, made a critical mistake with 9 minutes left on the clock by offering a rook trade, which ultimately lost him the game. Gukesh quickly traded the rooks, then the bishops, and Ding resigned, making Gukesh the youngest ever World Chess Champion.
Analysis
A few of these games were lost by one key mistake, just like Game 14 which I believe we can attribute the immense pressure of the match. Ding has been struggling recently and Gukesh is only 18 years old. Another thing that’s interesting to highlight is the choices these players made. All throughout this match ding played the French Defense against e4, clearly showing it was not just used for the element of surprise but actually an opening he felt comfortable and confident playing. Another thing to point out is how frequently both players played the Catalan and other openings like the London System and the English, to try and catch their opponent off guard. Lastly, I’d like to point out is how both players struggled with time usage. Ding consistently fell behind in the opening and he always had to try to play catch up.
Takeaways
As I mentioned in my previous blog, I predicted Gukesh would win, but I also expected Ding to exceed expectations—and that’s exactly what happened. Both players played an exceptional match, though there were missed opportunities on both sides. Gukesh didn’t quite meet expectations, while Ding certainly overperformed. However, I believe now with a World Championship under his belt, Gukesh will only improve mentally and will prove to be fierce opponent in the World Championship next year. Regardless of who you were rooting for, this victory is a positive development for chess, especially considering the growing chess culture in India. Gukesh’s win will undoubtedly inspire even more young players. I also find it symbolic that Gukesh, at 18 years old, became the 18th World Chess Champion.
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