World Chess Championship 2024 Game 12 Highlights: Ding Liren defeats Gukesh to tie match at 6-6

"Game over! 6-6 with 2 to go! This is Ding's best game in the past 2 years. This is his real strength when he is in good form. What a statement to make after a horrible blunder yesterday! This will be Gukesh's biggest test in his young career! How to come back from such a loss? Luckily, he has a day off to recuperate," tweets chess legend Susan Polgar.

She goes on to add: "For those who said that Gukesh would destroy, demolish, humiliate, and massacre Ding, they were all wrong! As I said all along, this will be a close match, and it will be. Do not count either player out yet! Sit back and enjoy!"

With the prospect of losing his world championship crown appearing a realistic possibility after his defeat in Game 11 to Gukesh, Ding Liren struck back. And how! He forced a resignation out of the Indian teenage challenger on Monday to level the World Championship at 6-6 with just two more games left. 

After doing this thrice last year at the World Championship against Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ding Liren again demonstrated his ability to stage comebacks. 

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Ding Liren asked about the role his mother played in his fightback today after losing game 11 to Gukesh: "My mom gave me confidence. She reminded me that i did it last time, so I can do it again."

On the role his second Richard Rapport played after yesterday's defeat: "He sent me a file named Strike Back. and today it happened."

The Hungarian grandmaster Rapport has been a second to Ding since the last world chess championship. 

"I put pressure on my opponent throughout the whole game. I didn't let it slip like last game," says Ding Liren at the press conference. 

Asked if this is his best game, Ding Liren says: "It's a very important game. Maybe it's my best game in recent times."

Ding Liren is asked how he keeps winning right after a defeat in world championship games. He had fallen behind thrice at last year's world championship to Nepo and each time responded with a win before pushing the match into a tiebreak, where he became a world champion. 

Ding is asked by Maurice Ashley how he finds the strength to do that time and time again

Ding Liren says: "Just by chance. Yesterday was a difficult game to deal with since I was much better at one point and I just spent too little time on critical moments and spoilt a very good position. I continued my normal routine. had donner, slept earleier and got refreshed for today's game."

Gukesh on the scores being tied at 6-6: "Six-all is overall a fair result. Since I was leading after yesterday, it's a bit disappointing to lose. About changing mindset for next two games, that won't happen. Still about playing good chess." 

Asked who he thinks has momentum in the match, Gukesh said: "In second half of the match, I had chances in many of the games. Today was a bad game. Bad games happen. If you look at the second half overall, we're both playing better than the first half. I think I had more chances in second half."

"Obviously this game is a bit of disappointment. Thankfully it is a rest day tomorrow. Nice to know score is till tied and that this game is not a huge blow to my chances. Will just try to play good games in the remaining two games," says Gukesh.  

Gukesh speaking first just like Ding was allowed to yesterday.

"Thought I was quite comfortable out of the opening, but after queen to d2 wasn't sure what to do."

Talking about losing right after yesterday's victory, Gukesh says: "Obviously not pleasant to lose this game. But yesterday also the game could have gone either way. So I guess it's fine. At least the score is still tied. And there are two more games remaining."

Despite everything, Gukesh puts his chair back in it's place before leaving the fishtank. Both players will have a rest day tomorrow. AS Vishy Anand had recently said: "The worst thing you can do in a match like this is to lose before a rest day!"

The Indian teenager spends some time on the board after the defeat putting all the pieces back on their starting squares. This is his way of resetting his emotions before he walks into the press conference room along with Ding Liren to face scrutiny of his moves. 

The Indian teenager loses Game 12 of the world chess championship after an incredible fight by Ding Liren, who had tasted defeat just yesterday. 

And for once, we see the facade of the Indian teen crack as he needs to take some time to compose himself.

The arbitors wait for him to compose himself before asking him to sign the scoresheets. 

Ding has six moves to make in six minutes. He will get an extra 30 minutes. Once Ding crosses time control, he'll finish this off. 

Gukesh's best hope is if time extends a leg out and trips Ding up. 

Ding Liren is now a pawn up in the game after 29 moves. And he has 8 minutes for his 11 moves. Gukesh has 7.30 for his 11 moves befoer both players get additional time and increments on moves.  

1 c4 e6
2 g3 d5
3 Bg2 Nf6
4 Nf3 d4
5 O-O Nc6
6 e3 Be7
7 d3 dxe3
8 Bxe3 e5
9 Nc3 O-O
10 Re1 h6
11 a3 a5
12 h3 Be6
13 Kh2 Rb8
14 Qc Re8
15 Nb5 Bf5
16 Rad1 Nd7
17 Qd2 Bg6
18 d4 e4
19 Ng1 Nb6
20 Qc3 Bf6
21 Qc2 a4
22 Ne2 Bg5
23 Nf4 Bxf4
24 Bxf4 Rc8
25 Qc3 Nb8
26 d5 Qd7
27 d6 c5
28 Nc7 Rf8
29 Bxe4 Nc6

This is how the game has slipped out of Gukesh's grasp:

Leela Zero, the AI-based chess model, has these predictions after 25 Qc3 Nb8

Gukesh's chances of winning: 1 %

Game ending a draw: 3.5%

Ding Liren's chances of winning: 95.5%

Chess legend Susan Polgar has this to say about what we're seeing on the board right now. Gukesh is already down to under 10 minutes with 16 moves to make. 

On Twitter, Polgar posts: "The trouble is mounting for Gukesh. His pieces have no good squares."

Both players now have about a minute to make each move till the 40th move now. 

After 22. Ne2 Bg5, the prediction bar, which shows the predictions cooked up by Leela Zero, the AI-based chess model, really, really liked Ding Liren's chances of winning: 

Gukesh's chances of winning: 4.9%

Game ending a draw: 17.5%

Ding Liren's chances of winning: 77.6%

What's Ding thinking here? The grandmasters and experts seem to think he has an overwhelming advantage. But he wastes a move by moving his queen around teice on two successive moves. 

He first plays 20.Qc3 and then 21.Qc2. This just feels like losing a move, when he could have just played 20.Qc2.

As Gukesh takes almost 40 minutes on his 17th move, before finally playing 17... Bg6, we have a shot of Ding Liren yawning.

AS soon as Gukesh makes his move, Ding quickly plays 18.d4 in the blink of an eye. 

Gukesh has 35 minutes to make 24 moves to go past time trouble. 

As he hunkers down over the board while taking time to think of his move, Ding Liren is stretching away gloriously. 

Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri on Ding Liren's 17.Qd2!: "I see the bar likes it very much, so I think it's strong. I haven't yet figured out why... but the good thing for Ding is he has figured out why!"

Anish Giri, whole talking to Chess24, added: "So far this game reminds me of peak Ding, when I played him, just engine stuff all the way."

Ding, by the way, spent 16 minutes on 17.Qd2. And now we have Gukesh thinking about his response for 22 minutes --- and counting! 

In each game of the world chess championship, each player has two hours to make their first 40 moves. On the 41st move, they get 30 more minutes with a 30-second increment on each move. 

Ding is now left with 37 minutes after just making 17 moves. So he needs to make his remaining 23 moves in 17 minutes.

Yesterday too the world champion from China had blundered after being in crippling time pressure. 

In fact, Ding Liren's first loss at the 2024 world championship, in game 2, had come in game 3 after Ding had failed to make it past the time control.

International Master Rakesh Kulkarni, who is the Director of Chess dot com India and Chess Kid India, posts an incredible stat on Twitter. 

He's pulled out stats from whenever Ding Liren has played in round 12 games in recent years:   

"Ding Liren whenever playing 'Round 12' in his last 5 OTB Classical Events: (All Decisive!)" Kulkarni points out before posting the results below: 

2024: Tata Steel Masters: WON

2023: FIDE World Championship: WON

2023: Tata Steel Masters: LOST

2022: FIDE Candidates: LOST

2020-21: FIDE Candidates: WON

On Twitter, chess legend Susan Polgar has this to say about technoloty in chess:

"It would be very interesting if there is a technology that can show what the players are thinking in real time. Is he (Ding Liren) thinking about:

- Dinner?

- Rapport's jokes?

- Mike Klein's strawberry ice cream? 

- The nightmare coming to an end soon, one way or another?

- A much needed vacation?

Because it seems that he is thinking deeply on every move!"

This is how the game has developed. 

Here are all the moves made so far in game 12 between Ding Liren and Gukesh:

1 c4 e6
2 g3 d5
3 Bg2 Nf6
4 Nf3 d4
5 O-O Nc6
6 e3 Be7
7 d3 dxe3
8 Bxe3 e5
9 Nc3 O-O
10 Re1 h6
11 a3 a5
12 h3 Be6
13 Kh2 Rb8
14 Qc2

Ding leaves the board for about five minutes and heads into his lounge to snack on some nuts. Gukesh is still on the board, thinking of his 13th move. 

Gukesh has been away for nine minutes. Ding has spent just five minutes away, says the FIDE data on the screen. 

Chess legend Susan Polgar has her say about the game situation on the board at the moment. On Twitter, she posts: "Hidden threats for white are the h1-a8 diagonal and e file. White is also fully developed so time to fight. Therefore, when (or if) will d4 come to release the tension (e file and h1-a8 diagonal)?"

Ding Liren spends 17 minutes on that move before playing 11.a3. He spent a lot of time on playing what feels like a natural move. 

Here's what the board looks like after his move: 

Ding Liren is again running up plenty of time on the clock. He has now been thinking about his 11th move for nealty 15 minutes. FIDE posts a graphic on screen showing the longest time periods players have spent thinking about a move. 

Chess legend Susan Polgar has this to say about the game so far: "Ding opened with 1.c4. Nothing wrong with his position so far. But down by 25+ minutes already, with white, after 8 moves. This is Ding's biggest problem in this match. When someone is not performing at peak level, self confidence would usually be an issue. And when self confidence is an issue, overcautiousness develops. And when overcautiousness appears, the clock problem develops."

Leela Zero, the AI-based chess model, has these predictions after Ding Liren's 10th move (10.Re1): 

Gukesh's chances of winning: 17.1%

Game ending a draw: 54.4%

Ding Liren's chances of winning: 28.5%

Ding finally moves his knight on move 9 --- 9.Nc3 --- but Gukesh responds in a flash and Ding is back into thought again. 

He does give his opponent a little bit of a stare down. Gukesh, though, as we can see in the corner of the frame, has eyes only for the board. 

Once again, Ding Liren has fallen behind on the clock right out of the gates. His time management skills have been worrisome at this World Chess Championship against Gukesh. 

Ding Liren has now spent 27 minutes after his 8 moves. Gukesh has spent barely three minutes. 

After after ding plays his seventh move with white pieces --- 7.d3 --- we realise that the world champion is in fact playing out the moves that his two seconds Richard Rapport and Ni Hua had played out in 2019.

That game had ended in a draw. Here are all the moves from today's game so far:

1 c4 e6
2 g3 d5
3 Bg2 Nf6
4 Nf3 d4
5 O-O Nc6
6 e3 Be7
7 d3

The Indian teenager has forced the Chinese world champion to go into a phase of hard thinking after 6...Be7. 

In the bottom right there are the three best moves suggested by the computer. 

Ding Liren starts off with an English Opening once again. Black could have built a pawn centre but his d file pawn getting ambitious 

1 c4 e6
2 g3 d5
3 Bg2 Nf6
4 Nf3 d4

Ding Liren is the first to arrive to the playing hall. Gukesh arrives second, but is the first to enter the "fishtank" and take his seat.

Gukesh just power-walking past the cheering fans. 

Ding waits by his favourite spot in the playing hall, by the window. 

Anticipation building. We're minutes away from game 12 starting. We await the players. 

After winning game 11, Gukesh said: "This is a very, very important win. Yeah, I mean... We were going head-to-head for the last seven games, all ended in draws. I missed a couple of chances earlier, so this, especially... Since this game could have easily gone the other way as well, so in that, considering that, it's... Yeah, I mean, it's just a very, very important game, but there are still three more very important games to come."

Talking about some of the decisions Ding Liren made over the board in Game 11, Magnus Carlsen said on the Take Take Take app: “It’s all confusing, baffling, confounding. I don't know what to say… Overall we have seen Ding is very vulnerable. But this game is as bad from Ding as we have seen all year. This was a terrible performance. This was dreadful.” 

Carlsen then added: “This was kind of ridiculous in game 11 of the world championship. Game 11 was as bad as we have (had). This was not worthy of a World Championship (match). It should be a little bit harder than it was today. But it was quite the spectacle.”

A loud cheer went up as Ding Liren resigned in game 11. Gukesh said he had actually heard the cheering from the fans and then thanked them for their unwavering support.

Asked at the press conference what was his reaction on people cheering for him Gukesh said: "Yeah, I did notice the Indian fans cheering my name and cheering for me. It means a lot to me. I mean, before the game, when I'm in the zone, I do not really think about these things much, but it's always nice to see that people support me.

"And after the game, when I was coming out of the playing hall, I could hear some very nice celebrations, although I did not see them, but I could hear it, which was very nice.

"Yeah, what can I say? Indian fans are the best. So, I'm really grateful for all the support. It really gives me more energy, especially since it has been quite a long match, all these little things give me the extra energy I need. So, I'd like to thank the fans." 

So far the World Chess Championship has followed a pattern: Gukesh gets an early advantage on the clock after catching out Ding Liren with his opening prep. Gukesh was asked about his team of seconds and trainer Gregorz Gajewski after his win in Game 12.

Gukesh said: "I guess after the match we can clearly say if we have out-prepared (Ding's team or not) or not. But till now, it seems like every game we are having the opening edge over our opponents. And yeah, my team is just doing amazing work. Gaju (Gajewski) and the whole team have been super hard-working, super motivating for me. They are doing not only the opening work, but also all the training we had in the past six months, it was super fun with them. Full credit to my team and the next remaining games also. Hopefully we do some amazing work."

Gukesh adds that he would "love to reveal the whole team after the match".

Magnus Carlsen says today's game 12 is "as must-win as they come" for Ding Liren. 

He also had some advice for his successor on the world champion's throne: "Just doing something social with his team. Just try and escape for a little bit."

Carlsen pointed out that in his five world champion matches, "I have only been down once… against Sergey Karjakin. Then my world was kind of rocky for two or three days. I don't envy Ding. There were four games left for me too. Its not easy for Ding."

After Game 11, Magnus Carlsen praised the Indian teenager. 

"Today there was no doubt — just as most days — that Gukesh had serious ambition. After one weak moment in the opening, Gukesh did very well. So not to take that away from him. Gukesh was using part of his strengths today,” said Carlsen. 

He also slammed Ding Liren for his game. “It’s all confusing, baffling, confounding… this game is as bad from Ding as we have seen all year. A terrible performance… dreadful.”

Chess legend Susan Polgar had this to say after game 11: "Gukesh won as Ding hung a piece in time pressure! This is what I have been saying all match long, getting into severe time pressure is the formula for blunders and self destrution! This may be the game that could make history for Gukesh as the youngest world champion ever! Ding can no longer chill. He must go all out in the final 3 games if he wants to retain his title!"

Former world champion Magnus Carlsen has predicted that Ding Liren is most likely to crumble now after his defeat to Gukesh in Game 11. 

“We’ll see if Ding has any fight in him. Will Ding crumble now? I think that’s most likely the most likely scenario," Carlsen said on Take Take Take.

He added that he doubted whether the current world champion from China will put any pressure on Gukesh whatsoever. 

"Maybe Ding will put in a shift in the two white games remaining. But I am not optimistic on his behalf,” Carlsen added.

READ MORE on what Magnus Carlsen thought about Game 11 

December 9, TODAY: Game 12 

December 10, Tuesday: Rest day 

December 11, Wednesday: Game 13 

December 12, Thursday: Game 14

December 13, Wednesday: Tie-breaks (*IF* needed)

Game 1: Ding Liren beats Gukesh with black pieces

Game 2: Draw

Game 3: Gukesh beats Ding Liren with white

Rest Day - November 28

Game 4: Draw

Game 5: Draw

Game 6: Draw

Rest Day - December 2 

Game 7: Draw

Game 8: Draw

Game 9: Draw

Rest Day - December 6

Game 10: Draw

Game 11: Gukesh beats Ding Liren with white

Gukesh 6-5 Ding Liren after 11 games 

After Gukesh won game 11 of the World Chess Championship, both players attended the press conference where they broke down all the critical moments in the match and what their thought process was at that stage. 

This included moments like 4... Nf6 and 5... Bg4 where Ding Liren spent almost an hour on two moves.

And 11. g3, where Gukesh spent an hour on a single move. 

Remarkably, when Ding played 15…g6, both players had a completely different evaluation of the game. 

The world champion called it a horrible move. Gukesh meanwhile said he was surprised with Ding saying he thought he was in trouble after g6. "Because I thought I was in trouble," said Gukesh.

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 12th game of the world chess championship.