NEW DELHI: In the 10th game of the World Chess Championship match between defending champion Ding Liren of China and challenger D Gukesh of India, the game ended in a draw without much excitement.
It was a relatively straightforward game for Gukesh with the black pieces, as Liren played the London system opening and took no risks, seemingly content with a drawn result.
The draw was the seventh consecutive and eighth overall in the match, leaving both players tied at 5 points each. With just four classical games remaining in the $2.5 million prize money championship, neither player has yet secured the 7.5 points needed to win the title outright.
If the match ends in a tie after 14 rounds, faster time control games will determine the winner.
Liren, 32, won the opening game, while Gukesh, 18, emerged victorious in the third game. In the 10th game, Liren continued with the London system, resulting in a symmetrical pawn structure. Gukesh opted not to press hard from an equal position as Black.
The game quickly headed towards a draw as Liren went for a series of exchanges, including the queens. Both players were obliged to play 40 moves before agreeing to a draw, as per the contract.
After trading the last remaining rooks and knights, a pure bishops endgame emerged, with neither side having any winning chances.
With four games remaining, the focus shifts to Gukesh to take the initiative in the next game. Liren’s plan has worked so far, and Gukesh has matched him move-for-move, defying many experts’ predictions of a one-sided contest.
Moves in Game 10: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 c5 5.Be2 Bd6 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.c4 0–0 8.0–0 Nc6 9.Nc3 dxc4 10.Bxc4 Nh5 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Ne4 Nf6 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Rfd1 Bd7 17.Rac1 Be8 18.Rxd8 Rxd8 19.Kf1 Kg7 20.a3 f5 21.Ke1 Kf6 22.Be2 Ne7 23.g3 Rc8 24.Rxc8 Nxc8 25.Nd2 Nd6 26.Nc4 Nxc4 27.Bxc4 Bc6 28.f4 b6 29.Kd2 Ke7 30.Kc3 Kd6 31.b4 f6 32.Kd4 h6 33.Bb3 Bb7 34.Bc4 Bc6 35.Bb3 Bb7 36.Bc4 Bc6.