World Chess Championship: Gukesh loses Game 12 to Ding Liren
What's the story
India's chess prodigy Gukesh D faced a major setback in the 12th game of the 2024 World Chess Championship. He was defeated by Ding Liren of China, the reigning champion.
The loss was especially poignant for Gukesh, who had been leading by a point after his win on Sunday.
However, Monday's defeat brought both players to an equal score with only two games remaining in this highly competitive tournament.
Upcoming matches
What about next games?
The 2024 World Chess Championship will resume with two more games on Wednesday and Thursday. Notably, Tuesday has been reserved for rest.
If the scores are still tied after these rounds, faster time control games will be played to determine the winner.
The tournament has been a series of nail-biting matches, with Liren winning the opening game, Gukesh triumphing in the third game, and draws from the second to 10th games.
Emotional impact
Gukesh expresses disappointment over loss
After Game 12, Gukesh was spotted blinking back tears, a reflection of how disappointed he was to give up his favorable position.
"6-6 is overall the fair result, but since I was leading after yesterday, it is a bit disappointing to lose this game," Gukesh said during a post-match chat.
However, despite the setback, he remains optimistic about his chances in the tournament.
Resilience
Gukesh remains optimistic about following games
As mentioned, Gukesh remains positive about his run in the tournament.
"Luckily, I have a rest day to recover, and the score is still level, so this game is not a huge blow to my chances," he said.
He admitted that today's game was disappointing but doesn't define his overall performance.
"In the second half, I had chances in many of the games. Today was obviously a bad game," he said.
Achievement
Gukesh could become youngest world champion
Gukesh's triumph in the Candidates tournament earlier this year earned him the right to challenge for the World Championships crown.
The teenager from India was set to face Chinese Grandmaster Ding Liren, the reigning world champion, for the world title.
Notably, Gukesh can become the youngest world champion. If he does so, he would displace Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov, who were 22 when they became the world champions.