Saint Louis 2019. Ding Liren did something that no one had done in a while - defeat Magnus Carlsen in the tie-break playoff of a major tournament. A first since 2007. In a sit-down interview with HT last week, Carlsen used a verb he sparingly does for any fellow chess player. "Ding is someone I massively respected... even feared," Carlsen said.
The "feared" Ding hasn't been seen in a while. The 32-year-old Chinese GM will face 18-year-old Gukesh in the World Championship match, starting on Monday. His crown is on the line the one piece of carry-on Gukesh wants to take back to India from Singapore. As for Ding, almost never has a defending world champion appeared this vulnerable heading into a title match. Who's to say though which version of him will show up or if he even wants the title enough a second time around?
Gukesh and his team have in the run-up to this match often spoken of preparing for "Ding at his best". The pre-pandemic Ding - extremely well-rounded, creative, accurate, a player with no real weaknesses so to speak and who may have perhaps troubled Carlsen had he made the 2021 title match-appears to have vanished. In the period between August 2017 and November 2018, he had a remarkable 100-game unbeaten streak in classical chess. Had things been different and life not thrown him a curve-ball, Ding at his peak may have been a pretty scary guy to go up against in a match.
Esta historia es de la edición November 23, 2024 de Hindustan Times.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 23, 2024 de Hindustan Times.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
WANNA UNWIND? HEAD TO JLN THIS WEEKEND & LET THE MUSIC PLAY!
HT City Unwind, India's biggest food and music festival, is back in Delhi with a curated line-up that's simply stellar
INDIAN CRAFT MEETS ITALIAN FLAIR: DIVIANA DEBUTS IN MILAN WITH A STARRY AFFAIR
In the prestigious Montenapoleone Fashion District of Milan, where luxury whispers through every cobblestone, DIVIANA has carved a niche as one of India's foremost luxury furniture brands.
Hanumankind joins A$AP Rocky on stage during Thailand concert
Rapper Hanumankind, the viral sensation from Kerala, recently performed on stage with rapper A$AP Rocky in Pattaya, Thailand.
Aditya: Emmy nom was enough, a win would.be cherry on top
It's heartening to see your work get recognised on such an international platform. But the biggest validation comes from the audience.
WEDDING BELLS FOR TAMANNAAH AND VIJAY? 'KYUN NAHIN?', SHE SAYS
The actor-couple is likely to take the plunge in 2025; Bhatia says she would continue to act even after marriage’
India sizzle in sun, Australia scorched
Opener Jaiswal’s 161 and Kohli’s 30th Test century followed by the hosts’ batting tumble leave India eyeing a win in Perth
UN rules for carbon trading between nations approved
New rules allowing wealthy polluting countries to buy carbon-cutting \"offsets\" from developing nations were agreed at UN climate talks on Saturday, a move already raising fears they will be used to greenwash climate targets.
Earth bids farewell to its temporary 'mini moon'
Planet Earth is parting company with an asteroid that's been tagging along as a \"mini moon\" for the past two months.
Cops feted for rescuing 104 trafficked children
Delhi Police head constables Seema Devi and Suman Hooda were felicitated on Sunday with the inaugural Times Now Heroes award for helping rescue 104 trafficked children in nine months across three states and reuniting them with their families.
There's dearth of will to address climate crisis
The climate summit, COP29, in Baku, has ended. It lays bare the fundamental inequity and the lack of willingness of the developed world to acknowledge its role in climate change.
