World Chess Championship: Gukesh boldly evades draw for another game despite having worse position

At this point, Leela Zero, an AI-based chess exemplary whose predictions the authoritative FIDE broadcast has been relying on, crinkled its chemoreceptor astatine Gukesh’s chances. The Indian had a 10.5 percent accidental of winning, it said. When some players had started making their queens doing a small diagonal ballet connected the board, Ding had a 37.1 percent accidental of winning the game. He did aft each person an further rook connected the committee compared to Gukesh’s other pawn and knight.

As Gukesh was reasoning astir his 40th move, Ian Nepomniachtchi, who was beaten by Ding to go satellite champion past year, wryly posted connected X:”Qg2 Qf2 Qd5 Qd4 Qg2 Qf2 and everyone is happy!”

Not everyone was blessed with a draw. At slightest Gukesh was not!

Gukesh played 41…Qa2+ to cull a gully offer. It’s an unusual dynamic. For the 2nd clip successful 8 games astatine the satellite chess championship, the satellite champion has wriggled himself into a amended presumption and offered a draw. And for the 2nd time, his teenage opponent, who was reeling, has opted to propulsion caution to the winds and inquire the hostile to bring it on.

INTERACTIVE: Game 8 betwixt Gukesh and Ding Liren

You tin cheque retired the determination by determination enactment from Game 8 betwixt Gukesh and Ding Liren and besides play on successful the interactive below. Scroll down to work our updates successful existent clip from Game 8.

“I didn’t deliberation I was successful overmuch dancer. I thought with his anemic king and my pawn connected , I really thought I had immoderate chances. It was a misjudgement of the position,” Gukesh aboriginal admitted astatine the post-game property conference.

Asked if helium was conscionable an optimistic idiosyncratic oregon conscionable fearless, Gukesh candidly admitted: “If I knew the presumption was bad, I would person taken the draw.”

READ MORE: At World Chess Championship, stolen glances astatine opponent, and pre-game rituals involving puzzles

However, his bold moves connected the committee earned him plaudits from veritable legends of the crippled similar Susan Polgar.

“With Gukesh, you cognize what to expect. He is similar a vessel moving guardant to bulldoze and destruct his opponent. He does not attraction who the hostile is. Very contrasting mindset than Ding Liren. This is wherefore determination is excitement adjacent though helium is giving immoderate of his fans bosom attack. He is lone 18. Be prepared for much for years to come,” tweeted Susan Polgar. “Ding is similar Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He plays brainsick broadside lines (at the hazard of aforesaid destruct) to effort to summation an precocious manus to win. This takes courage. But aft achieving amended positions (sometimes by the opponent’s accuracies), he’s blessed to repetition moves to draw.”