Why Ding Liren, even in middle of worst form slump, is not to be taken lightly

Such has been the drift of signifier for some Gukesh and Ding Liren successful the past year, that determination is simply a consciousness that the athletics is preparing itself for the coronation of the 18th satellite champion.

But for 18-year-old Gukesh this is each conscionable noise.

“A batch of precise important players person work thing into Ding’s form. There’s nary uncertainty that a twelvemonth of atrocious signifier earlier an important lucifer does matter. It does amusement something. But I deliberation for Gukesh, this is sound astatine the moment. You don’t cognize if this signifier volition proceed oregon if Ding Liren volition interruption retired of it. Ding is simply a beardown subordinate anyway, adjacent Ding successful atrocious form!” five-time satellite champion Viswanathan Anand, who is simply a mentor to Gukesh, told The Indian Express recently.

In the lead-up to the satellite championship, Gukesh and his squad person thought retired of the box. Gukesh worked with renowned caput manager Paddy Upton for fractional a year. Upton’s resume includes moving with the Indian cricket squad erstwhile they won the 2011 World Cup and the Indian hockey squad arsenic they claimed bronze astatine the Paris Olympics.

Upton revealed that with the 18-year-old, some helium and Gukesh’s long-time trainer Grzegorz Gajewski emphasised keeping Gukesh connected his toes and not reasoning the conflict with Ding Liren would beryllium a walkover.

“We spoke astir underestimating versus over-respecting your opponent. Gukesh is precise good alert of what immoderate of the communicative is retired determination astir Ding’s form. But, you know, astatine the extremity of the road, the world is there’s each accidental that successful this past month’s pb up Ding finds his mojo, finds his game, finds his saccharine spot. Gukesh is preparing to conscionable the champion mentation of Ding that has ever been around. We (Gajewski and Upton) were precise wide that we are preparing him to conscionable an on-form Ding,” Paddy Upton had told The Indian Express.

When Ding Liren went connected 100-game unbeaten streak

To conscionable the “on-form Ding” 1 indispensable question backmost successful time, not to past year’s satellite title conflict against Ian Nepomniachtchi which Ding won, but to the heady days of 2017 and 2018 erstwhile the Chinese grandmaster went connected a tear, going 100 games unbeaten successful classical format. It was besides during this signifier that the soft-spoken Ding broke into the 2800 standing club, reaching a highest standing of 2816. It’s imaginable that this mentation of Ding inactive haunts memories of Grandmasters, who retrieve his dogged daredevilry.

During that run, Ding Liren played successful immoderate of the biggest tournaments similar the FIDE World Cup, the Candidates, and the Olympiad. At the World Cup, helium reached each the mode to the last earlier losing to Levon Aronian successful the shorter clip power tiebreaks. On his mode to the final, helium earned a rep for pulling rabbits retired of the chapeau — novelties connected the committee that broke distant from the tried and tested lines that would drawback opponents similar Wesley So disconnected guard. It was besides astatine the 2017 World Cup that Ding played a masterclass against compatriot Wang Hao.

File representation of Ding Liren speaking aft his triumph successful the FIDE World Chess Championship successful Astana, Kazakhstan successful April 2023. (AP Photo/Stanislav Filippov)

That signifier besides saw Ding Liren play successful the Candidates for the archetypal clip (Berlin 2018), wherever helium posted a antithetic benignant of record: helium drew 13 of the 14 games portion winning one. In short, helium went unbeaten successful a tourney wherever lone finishing archetypal mattered portion playing against a cut-throat field.

Ding Liren’s streak was concisely halted erstwhile helium suffered a motorcycle mishap connected a remainder time portion astatine Norway Chess. But helium recovered and picked up from wherever helium had started. In fact, chess folklore remembers Ding arsenic the subordinate who astir defeated Magnus Carlsen successful a European Club Cup crippled successful October 2018, a effect which could person dethroned Carlsen arsenic the satellite nary 1, a spot the Norwegian had occupied for implicit six years astatine that point.

And similar Gukesh’s exploits astatine this year’s Olympiad, Ding besides led the Chinese squad to the 2018 Olympiad rubric portion claiming an idiosyncratic golden connected the apical board.

Of course, signifier connected the chessboard cannot beryllium switched connected with the flick of a switch. But different crushed wherefore galore grandmasters person not yet called this contention successful Gukesh’s favour already is the information that Ding has already experienced the strength of playing successful a satellite championship. And survived! What adds value to his assertion is the information that Ding was “depressed and shaky” — the words helium utilized to picture his intelligence authorities during the 2023 satellite title — and yet emerged victorious portion playing acold from his champion chess.

Anand, who has experienced the vigor of the satellite title cauldron, added a enactment of caution for his ward.

“Gukesh should spell determination and play the champion move. If this changeless absorption connected Ding’s erstwhile signifier lowers his defender adjacent slightly, he’s beardown capable to punish you.”