Look who's tren'Ding' now! Gukesh loses Game 12, match tied again

Ding Liren has shown that one doesn't become a world champion by fluke. After surrendering a potential match-losing Game 11 on Sunday, the reigning champion bounced back to win Game 12 of the World Chess Championship against young Indian challenger D Gukesh.

Ding's thrilling victory after 39 moves has levelled the 14-game match at 6-6. Gukesh might feel like a tennis player who squandered a match point and ended up playing the tie-breaker.

On Sunday, after he took the lead in the match for the first time, making him favourite to become the 18th world champion, Gukesh was all smiles, receiving handshakes from Indian fans. But today, he sat head bowed at the board as Ding signed the scoresheet at the end of a four-hour battle.

Since taking the opening game on November 25, Ding was too pragmatic, often not forcing the issue. The defeat in Game 11 left him with no choice but to be aggressive when he turned up today.

Ding moved with computer-like precision while Gukesh, needing just a draw, played passive chess. Gukesh made at least two questionable bishop moves, the second of which, Bg5 on move 22 that placed an attack on Ding's dark-squared bishop, turned out to be a bad move.

The computer evaluation bar projected a Ding win right away, but Gukesh fought; maybe he thought his opponent would develop cold feet again, or a way out would emerge. It didn't, and credit to Ding for not slowing down.
"I just put pressure on my opponent throughout, and did not slip up like in the last game," Ding said post-game.

The players will rest on Tuesday and return for the two remaining games. If either players fail to reach the decisive 7.5-point-mark, a series of tie-breakers will be played to decide the next world champion.