World Chess Championship 2023 Highlights: Ding Liren beats Nepomniachtchi to become 1st world champion from China

For the first time in chess history, Fischer's chair loses a #WorldChessChampionship match!#NepoDing

— Alex Colovic (@GMAlexColovic) April 30, 2023

One Ding to rule em all. #NepoDing

— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) April 30, 2023

"Win more games and lose less," replies Nepo with a wry smile. 

Ding Liren says that he has no regrets considerign he won. 

"I don't think there's much pressure. I still communicate with Ukrainian chess players who I was in touch with before," says Nepo. 

"I never dreamt of becoming world champion. For me it's not so important to become world champion. I always wanted to become the best player in the world," says Ding Liren.

'After this tournament, a future piece of my life, preparation, work is finished. I will play chess more,' he says cryptically. 

"I want to watch a match of Juventus, my favourite team, at Turin," says Ding. 

Ding Liren became the 17th world champion after beating Ian Nepomniachtchi on Sunday. Ding becomes the first man from China to become the world champion. Here's our profile on him. 

Ding Liren, the first Chinese player to hold the title, is the new world chess champion. This marks a historic moment as both the men's and women's world champions in chess are now from China. pic.twitter.com/UrKWLW48cs

— Olimpiu Di Luppi (@olimpiuurcan) April 30, 2023

The 17th world champion, Ding Liren, *NEVER* led the 2023 World Championship until he won today. 

Everyone is waiting for the new champion to walk this path of glory. #NepoDing pic.twitter.com/2NqCfCnk02

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 30, 2023

The final moments of the match. The emotions of the players say it all. #NepoDing pic.twitter.com/yllKJes14j

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 30, 2023

"I had my chances. Probably should have tried finding the game in the classical portion. It was a matter of one or two precise moves. But in tiebreak it was a bit of a lottery," says Nepo.

"It was a very emotional moment when I won. I know myself, I knew I would cry and burst into tears. It was a tough tournament for me," says Ding Liren. 

We're still waiting for Nepo to show up. His delay is expected. For the second time, he's missed the cut! 

It was a breathtaking  race at the end. Under time pressure, Ding Liren rejected the chance of a draw. and in a series of blitzed moves put Nepo under time pressure and went on to win. Earlier in the championship we saw a Ding Liren who froze under time pressure. Today we saw a Ding Liren who pulled off a magical win under time pressure. He is the first world champion from China. He sits at the table overcome wirth emotion.

DING LIREN IS THE 17TH WORLD CHESS CHAMPION

What dramatic scenes after the #NepoDing result is confirmed. Nepo pushes his pieces off the board, shakes Ding's hand, gets up and walks off. Ding, meanwhile, sinks his face into his palm and stays like that for some time. It's going… pic.twitter.com/GQPw0ulkSf

— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) April 30, 2023

It's Nepo under the clock now. This is super exciting. Remember each move adds just 10 seconds to the time!!!

Despite running out of time on the clock, Liren didn't accept the chance for a perpetual check. He advances his passed pawns and then offers a queen exchange. It's practically a blitz on now.

"This is either beautiful or absurd," says Daniil Dubov, looking at things unfolding on the board as players cross 50 moves . 

wow, can Ding really lock in his rook like this? #NepoDing

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) April 30, 2023

Nepo meanwhile have four minutes left on the clock. 

Ding just survived with some great defensive moves. Nepo posed him some difficult problems and Ding solves them! #NepoDing

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) April 30, 2023

Another draw incoming. This is Magnus Carlsen, refusing to give up his title.

— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) April 30, 2023

1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 a6
4 Ba4 Nf6
5 O-O Be7
6 d3 b5
7 Bb3 d6
8 a4 Bd7
9 h3 O-O
10 Be3 Na5
11 Ba2 bxa4
12 Nc3 Rb8
13 Bb1 Qe8
14 b3 c5
15 Nxa4 Nc6
16 Nc3 a5
17 Nd2 Be6
18 Nc4 d5
19 exd5 Nxd5
20 Bd2 Nxc3
21 Bxc3 Bxc4
22 bxc4 Bd8
23 Bd2 Bc7
24 c3 f5
25 Re1 Rd8
26 Ra2 Qg6
27 Qe2 Qd6
28 g3 Rde8
29 Qf3 e4
30 dxe4 Ne5
31 Qg2 Nd3
32 Bxd3 Qxd3
33 exf5 Rxe1+
34 Bxe1 Qxc4
35 Ra1 Rxf5

After 30 moves, Nepo seems to have regained position and his pieces now look more threatening than before.

After 25 moves, Black's position looks relatively better according to experts.

Nepo goes 12.Nc3 and Bb1! Quite funny with the pawn on c2 #NepoDing

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) April 30, 2023

Here are all the moves so far: 

1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 a6
4 Ba4 Nf6
5 O-O Be7
6 d3 b5
7 Bb3 d6
8 a4 Bd7
9 h3 O-O
10 Be3 Na5
11 Ba2 bxa4
12 Nc3 Rb8
13 Bb1

Nepo begins again with e4. Ding replies with e5 ... They play  1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 . We see the Ruy Lopez again.

The big 4th game in Rapid coming up. Whoever wins this is world champion. If it's a draw we see the Blitz games. Nepo plays with the white pieces now.

There  was a slight edge for White in Game 3. Ding was a pawn up. But he couldn't capitalise. The third game ends in a tame draw.

There are only a bishop each remaining on the board. Every other piece has been traded. Do we see another draw?

In the third rapid game of the tiebreaks, 12...Nf4 was a funny-looking move, and a better one than 12...Nc3?, the other amusing try. But that position is far more uncomfortable for Black than Nepomniachtchi's body language leads you to believe. pic.twitter.com/bPZ7BQAZ9j

— Olimpiu Di Luppi (@olimpiuurcan) April 30, 2023

and now the opposite colored bishops matter much more than a pawn. #NepoDing

— Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) April 30, 2023

But Nepo clearly seems to be in his prep, while Ding is thinking intensely about his moves. Nepo also has been wandering backstage as per his whim.  

Ding Liren, meanwhile, has made himself comfortable on the chair in the playing hall. 

Here are the first 10 moves: 

1 Nf3 d5
2 g3 Nf6
3 Bg2 e6
4 O-O Be7
5 c4 O-O
6 b3 c5
7 cxd5 Nxd5
8 Bb2 Nc6
9 d4 cxd4
10 Nxd4 Nxd4

Ding with the white pieces now in the third Rapid game. He starts with Nf3. They go 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.c4 O-O...It's the Catalan

Who will be the new FIDE world champion? The third Rapid game in the tiebreaker about to begin now. There is only one more Rapid after this.

1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 a6
4 Ba4 Nf6
5 O-O Be7
6 d3 b5
7 Bb3 d6
8 a4 Bd7
9 h3 O-O
10 Be3 Na5
11 Ba2 bxa4
12 Bd2 Nc6
13 Nc3 Rb8
14 Nxa4 Nd4
15 Bc4 c6
16 Nxd4 exd4
17 Bf4 Be6
18 Re1 a5
19 Qf3 Rb7
20 e5 Nd5
21 exd6 Bxd6
22 Bxd6 Qxd6
23 Qe4 Nf4
24 Qe5 Qxe5
25 Rxe5 Bxc4
26 dxc4 Rb4
27 Rc5 d3
28 cxd3 Nxd3
29 Rxc6 Ne5
30 Rc7 Nxc4
31 Nc5 Nxb2
32 Nd7 Re8
33 Rxa5 Nd3
34 Rg5 Rf4
35 f3 h6
36 Rd5 Nb4 
37 Rd6 Rf5
38 Rb7 Rd5
39 Rdb6 Rd8
40 Nf6+ gxf6
41 Rxb4 Rd4 
42 Rxd4 Rxd4
43 Kh2 Kg7
44 Rb2 Rd5 
45 Ra2 Rd4
46 Rb2 Rd5
47 Ra2 Rd4

After 47 moves and around an hour later, we have our second draw in rapid. 

1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 a6
4 Ba4 Nf6
5 O-O Be7
6 d3 b5
7 Bb3 d6
8 a4 Bd7
9 h3 O-O
10 Be3 Na5
11 Ba2 bxa4
12 Bd2 Nc6
13 Nc3 Rb8
14 Nxa4 Nd4
15 Bc4 c6
16 Nxd4 exd4
17 Bf4 Be6
18 Re1 a5
19 Qf3 Rb7
20 e5 Nd5
21 exd6 Bxd6
22 Bxd6 Qxd6
23 Qe4 Nf4
24 Qe5 Qxe5
25 Rxe5 Bxc4
26 dxc4 Rb4
27 Rc5 d3
28 cxd3 Nxd3
29 Rxc6 Ne5
30 Rc7 Nxc4
31 Nc5 Nxb2
32 Nd7 Re8
33 Rxa5 Nd3
34 Rg5 Rf4
35 f3 h6
36 Rd5 Nb4

Will we get to witness a world chess championship match decided by a blitz game?

— Olimpiu Di Luppi (@olimpiuurcan) April 30, 2023

"Here, in rapid format, the players have a right to blunder! They've been doing it in the classical games so far," says the dry-witted GM Daniil Dubov.

Dubov adds that the game seems to be headed for a draw, but given recent history of these two players while facing each other, you never know if one blunder opens up the game. 

We have reached the endgame of Game 2! After 23. Qe4 Nf4 24. Qe5 Qxe5 25. Rxe5 Bxc4 26. dxc4, the queens and light-squared bishops are off the board.

I've been very impressed by the standard of the rapid so far. It's almost as though they don't have time to start making very odd decisions! #NepoDing

— Tom Rendle (@TERendle) April 30, 2023