Ding Liren became China’s first world chess champion on Sunday after a rapid-play tiebreak victory over Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in Kazakhstan. Ding, 30, takes over as winner of the World ...

Talking about Gukesh's vanquished rival at the world championship, Kasparov said: "Gukesh was, in my view, a favorite because Ding was the pale shadow of what Ding was before COVID. COVID ruined him.

Reigning world champion Ding Liren, 32, gave the 18-year-old Indian ... And Ding last tried it against Nepo last year in the seventh game, also with black, and lost it. But this specific line ...

With Gukesh, playing white, going for a more solid Catalan set up, the onus was on Ding Liren to either misplay ... of the 2021 match (Carlsen drew with Nepo). And we must travel way back to ...