Nepomniachtchi maintains 1-point lead over Ding Liren
The 11th game of the World Championship match between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren ended in a quick draw, as Nepo chose to simplify the position by capturing on c4 on move 19. This decision was labelled a “freeroll” by official commentator Daniil Dubov, as he believed that 19.Qe2 would have allowed Nepo to play more freely and potentially gain an advantage over Ding.
Ding Liren needs to win on demand as only 3 games remain
Despite the draw, Nepo still maintains a 1-point lead over Ding Liren, who now only has three games left to catch up. Ding will have the white pieces twice in the final three encounters, and he will get extra time to prepare as there will be a rest day prior to those games. Ding stated that he is no stranger to winning on demand in high-profile events, but he will need to bring his best game as he faces Nepo in the crucial final stretch.
Nepo feels the toughest challenge is yet to come
Nepo, on the other hand, only solidifies his status as a favorite with each draw. However, he still feels that the toughest challenge is yet to come and that he needs to give it his all to secure the win. With three games remaining, Nepo is determined to do the job and finish strong.
History repeats itself – the tale of Leko and Kramnik
The World Championship match has seen various interesting moments, including a witty tweet by Anish Giri, who shared a photograph of the players’ heads with the caption “Lol”. This prompted GM Alex Colovic to reply with “Just like Leko,” referring to the 2004 match for the world title when Peter Leko had a 1-point advantage going into the final game against defending champion Vladimir Kramnik. However, Kramnik went on to win, showcasing how anything can happen in the final stretch of a world championship match.
Tie leads to playoffs, a new format for World Championship
In recent years, ties in the World Championship have been resolved with playoffs, as seen in 2016 and 2018 when Magnus Carlsen defeated Sergey Karjakin and Fabiano Caruana in rapid tiebreakers to retain his title. As Nepo and Ding continue to battle it out, it remains to be seen whether a tiebreaker will be needed to determine the next world chess champion.
Conclusion:
As the World Championship match enters its final stretch, Nepo maintains a 1-point lead over Ding Liren. While Nepo chose to play it safe in the 11th game, he still feels the toughest challenge is yet to come. Ding, on the other hand, needs to win on demand in the final three games to catch up to Nepo. The match has seen various interesting moments, including a witty tweet by Anish Giri and the history repeating itself with the tale of Leko and Kramnik. As the world watches with bated breath, only time will tell who will emerge victorious in this World Championship match.