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.
Denne historien er fra November 23, 2024-utgaven av Hindustan Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 23, 2024-utgaven av Hindustan Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Making A Miracle: How Team India Rewrote The Script In The First Test
His team had just been bowled out for 150 on Day 1 of the first Test of the 2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy but, in the dressing room, skipper Jasprit Bumrah was calmness personified.
NBCC India plans to acquire sick PSUs, redevelop land banks
NBCC India Ltd has set its sights on acquiring defunct public sector undertakings (PSUs) to redevelop and monetise their land, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter, as the state-run construction company seeks to leverage success in developing land for some government-owned companies.
T’gana rejects Adani’s 2100-cr donation
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday announced that the state government will not accept the 100 crore CSR donation pledged by the Adani Group for the Young India Skills University being set up in Ranga Reddy district on the outskirts of Hyderabad, in the wake of \"present circumstances and arising controversies\".
6,000 kg drugs seized from vessel, 6 arrested
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) seized a vessel and arrested six Myanmarese nationals carrying 6,000 kg of contraband Methamphetamine near Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an official said.
SC SEEKS STEPS TO STOP DISPOSAL OF WASTE IN YAMUNA ALONG TAJ MAHAL
The Supreme Court on Monday directed Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam to take immediate steps to prevent disposal of waste into portion of Yamuna flowing past Taj Mahal as the court set a deadline of one month for the authorities to act on the untapped and partially tapped drains emptying their untreated contents into the river.
THE WIZARDS OF PERTH
With odds stacked against them after a 3-0 home series loss to NZ, India pull off a stunning win in Perth
'Lucky to have Aishwarya at home with Aaradhya,' says Abhishek amid divorce rumors
Amid swirling rumors of a divorce, Abhishek Bachchan has seemingly broken his silence about his wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and their daughter, Aaradhya.
Indian pacers hog limelight on Day 2 of auction
Compared to the action-packed proceedings of the opening days when marquee names are up for grabs at IPL auctions with the teams having a big purse to splurge, the second day is usually low key with the interest mainly on who will be the next unknown name to hit the jackpot.
RTM, a point of difference in bidding battles
The IPL auction is a one-of-a-kind mass entertainer, running successfully for 17 years.
Ding shows steel, catches Gukesh by surprise to win opening game
Indian teenager, playing with White, resigns after 42 moves as the Chinese current champion strikes first in the 14-game match
