Chess - The 2024 World Championship (Game 7 Review)

GM Gukesh D enforces a distinctive inclination with an Nf3 opening, as Game 7 sees both players under a minute and ticking to an astounding draw. Mr Ding Liren, however did you pull this off? I see your chances in that your journey in former success, recent struggle and comeback all the same really resonates with me.

Technically, I cannot call myself a fan of either. Objectively, today was Gukesh's game simply because Ding was unhappy with his position right as Gukesh took to the center. I was reminded of their Sinquefield game where Gukesh as black patrolled the center and Ding forced a draw by threefold repetition. This game on the other hand was long and hard until Gukesh had no pawns left and Ding went for the handshake therein.

It's something of a miss and resilience that Ding drew Game 5 with the advantage and Game 7 with a backflipped position.

The notation I discuss below belongs solely to Game 7 of the World Championship that recently concluded.

Chess24 looks to have changed the result template a bit, overlaying the background itself. All credit for said image goes to them.

Gukesh's intellectual approach is the highlight of this game. It took Ding's expectation off-guard, and the analysis mostly stood in white's favor. Had Gukesh's won, one couldn't have helped feel for Ding's miss in Game 5. Ding did the impossible, and here it stands subsided until tomorrow.

Game 1 and Game 3 have taken these draws to another arena of amazement.