Ding Liren found himself in a dire situation in Game 3 of the World Chess Championship, facing a brutal time scramble against India’s D. Gukesh. At one point, Ding had just under five minutes to make 10 moves, a scenario that quickly deteriorated to needing nine moves in under 1 minute 50 seconds. He could not hold on, running out of time with three moves still to make.
The time pressure in this game mirrored Gukesh’s own struggles in Game 1, where he faced a lung-busting sprint to meet the 40-move time control with only one second left. Although Gukesh eventually lost that game, his time scramble was a defining feature of the match. In contrast, Ding could not overcome his clock or position, ultimately succumbing to Gukesh’s relentless pressure.
The pivotal moment came after Ding’s blunder, pushing his light-squared bishop to c2 in an attempt to capture Gukesh’s unprotected pawn on b3. This reckless move left his bishop trapped, reminiscent of a famous position in a 2023 rapid game between Vladimir Kramnik and Arjun Erigaisi, where Kramnik had seized an advantage after a similar blunder from Erigaisi.
Gukesh, recalling the game, expertly lured Ding into the same trap, tightening the noose move by move. “I remembered the position up to the 13th move. Arjun made a mistake in that game, which gave Kramnik an advantage. I knew about that game but didn’t remember what the mistake was,” Gukesh said after the match.
Despite his best efforts to free his bishop, Ding found himself stuck, his options dwindling as Gukesh’s position grew stronger. The relentless pressure on both the clock and the board left Ding in deep trouble, unable to recover.
Before the critical blunder, Gukesh had already impressed with his opening strategy. Starting the game with a surprise d-pawn advance rather than the usual c-pawn, Gukesh kept Ding on edge, showing creativity in his approach. Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand, providing commentary for the FIDE YouTube broadcast, praised Gukesh’s ability to keep probing and trying new ideas. “Gukesh has been coming up with interesting stuff in the opening. It’s a perfectly normal situation for both of them,” Anand noted.
For Gukesh, this victory was a significant milestone. Having faced nerves in his previous World Championship appearances, Gukesh appeared to have shaken off any lingering apprehension, landing a decisive blow just in time for the first rest day of the match. As Anand pointed out, “The worst thing you can do in a World Chess Championship match is lose just before a rest day.”
This win puts Gukesh in a strong position, leading Ding and leaving the Chinese challenger to regroup before the next round.
