Gukesh outplays Liren on time in round 3 for first win

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh clinched his first win over defending champion Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship, outplaying the Chinese on time control in the third round to draw level on points here on Wednesday.

Having lost the first game rather badly with black pieces, Gukesh struck gold thanks to his preparation that gave him a huge advantage on the clock as Liren spent a lot of time mulling his moves in the first phase of the game.

Both players now have 1.5 points each after the second game ended in a draw on Tuesday.

"It feels great. The last two days I was happy with my play. My play today was even better, I feel good at the board and today I just managed to outplay my opponent which is always nice," Gukesh, who played with white today, said in the post-game press conference.