Ding Liren's First Win at the 2020 FIDE Candidates
Just when I said he might be going on tilt, Grandmaster Ding Liren of China strikes back with a huge victory as White over American Fabiano Caruana.
The team -- GM Dejan Bojkov, NM Jeremy Kane, Peter Doggers -- and myself all contributed toward the analysis below, and I hope you'll also check out the video lecture over on our YouTube channel.
GAME:
VIDEO:
Personally, I must say I'm really enjoying the event from Yekaterinburg. In my memory, this is the most "hard fought" (from the outset anyway?) Candidates Tournament we've had in a long, long time. We haven't had a single round yet -- knocks on wood 
-- with all draws, and the players seem to be in good form for the most part (especially after Ding ended his losing streak today).
Watching the chess as a fan, and doing commentary for the community, has been a breath of fresh air. My heart and mind is with so many people being negatively affected by the virus and the "environmental" affects of COVID-19 right now , so to have this event going on -- speaking for myself and I think many chess fans around the world -- has been a healthy distraction.
I hope the quality chess and healthy living for the players in Russia continues.
Peace to the people.
Danny Rensch is an international master and Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com. After a successful scholastic chess career, Danny joined Chess.com as a co-founder in 2009. He directs the company's content, media partnerships, and professional chess events. Danny is an accomplished commentator and broadcaster, which he used to establish Chess.com's streaming and creator programs. He has channeled his lifelong passion for playing and teaching chess to advance Chess.com's mission of growing the game and helping people enjoy their lives through chess. With over 200 million registered users, Chess.com is the leading platform for playing and learning chess.
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Read “Dark Squares,” Danny’s Highly Anticipated Memoir
Danny Rensch has released his highly anticipated memoir on September 16, 2025. Described as Educated meets The Queen’s Gambit, this powerful and deeply personal book dives into his upbringing in an abusive cult and how chess ended up saving his life.
