D Gukesh went on to hold defending champion Ding Liren for a 4th consecutive draw in the World Chess Championship after a marathon Game 7 in Singapore on December 3, Tuesday.
The game saw both men complete 72 moves and more than 5 hours of play, their longest and intense clash in the series so far. The result on Tuesday meant that the series is now level at 3.5-3.5 with 7 games remaining. The pressure was on Liren as he narrowly escaped defeat to secure the draw against 18-year-old Gukesh in Game 7. Both men had returned to the board after their second rest day on December 2, Monday.
The young Indian prodigy held a significant advantage both on the board and the clock during the middle and endgame phases. At one point, Ding was under immense time pressure, making it past the time control with only seven seconds to spare, while Gukesh seemed poised for victory.
This marked the second time in the World Chess Championship that Ding found himself scrambling to avoid losing on time. The match would go on for a total of 5 hours and 20 minutes before both men decided to shake hands and call for a truce.
How Gukesh vs Liren Game 7 unfolded
It was another challenging day for Ding Liren, who faced a losing position for much of Game 7 before capitalising on a critical blunder by Gukesh to escape with a draw. The Indian teenager, playing with the white pieces, held a commanding advantage for most of the game but miscalculated at a crucial moment, allowing Liren to salvage a miraculous result. The game culminated in what chess experts described as a lost rook and minor piece endgame that Liren somehow managed to hold.
Gukesh started strongly, once again gaining the upper hand in the opening. Playing 1. Nf3, he faced Liren’s Neo Gr¼nfeld Defence and surprised his opponent with an innovative idea as early as the seventh move. While Liren had seemed more comfortable in the openings of recent games, he struggled on Tuesday, with Gukesh maintaining a preferable position throughout the early stages.
In the middlegame, Gukesh capitalised on his central pressure and secured a dangerous passed pawn, complemented by the advantage of the bishop pair. Despite moments of inaccuracy from both sides, Liren appeared to be close to equalising but spent much of his clock time in the process. The lack of an increment in the first time control further compounded his challenges.
Gukesh’s attack gained momentum after he fractured Liren’s kingside pawn structure, trading queens to secure a dominant position. However, Liren faltered on his 40th move, losing a pawn—possibly due to underestimating Gukesh’s chances or simple oversight. Gukesh gained a clear advantage but faced difficulties converting it in a technically demanding endgame.
A misstep on Gukesh’s 45th move allowed Liren to stage a remarkable comeback, showcasing resourceful play and tenacity in a position that seemed lost. In the second time control, with only four minutes on the clock and a 30-second increment per move, Liren continued to fight back.
By the end, all pawns had been traded, leaving Gukesh with only a lone bishop and forcing a drawn result. Despite holding a winning position earlier, Gukesh was unable to capitalize on his advantage, splitting the point with Liren in a dramatic conclusion.
The moves: D Gukesh vs Ding Liren
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.c4 c6 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.0–0 0–0 7.Re1 dxc4 8.e4 Bg4 9.Nbd2 c5 10.d5 e6 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Bxf3 exd5 13.exd5 Nbd7 14.Nxc4 b5 15.Na3 Qb6 16.Bf4 Rfe8 17.Qd2 Rad8 18.Nc2 Nf8 19.b4 c4 20.Be3 Qa6 21.Bd4 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Qxa2 23.Ra1 Qb3 24.Ra3 Qb1+ 25.Kg2 Rd7 26.Ra5 Qb3 27.Ra3 Qb1 28.Ra5 Qb3 29.Rxb5 Qd3 30.Qf4 Qxc2 31.Bxf6 Qf5 32.Qxf5 gxf5 33.Bxg7 Kxg7 34.Rc5 Ng6 35.Rxc4 Ne5 36.Rd4 Nc6 37.Rf4 Ne7 38.b5 Kf6 39.Rd4 h6 40.Kf1 Ke5 41.Rh4 Nxd5 42.Rxh6 Nc3 43.Rc6 Ne4 44.Ke1 f6 45.h4 Rd3 46.Bd1 f4 47.gxf4+ Kxf4 48.Bc2 Rd5 49.Rc4 f5 50.Rb4 Kf3 51.Bd1+ Kg2 52.Rb3 Re5 53.f4 Re7 54.Re3 Rh7 55.h5 Nf6 56.Re5 Nxh5 57.Rxf5 Ng3 58.Rf8 Rb7 59.Ba4 Kf3 60.f5 Kf4 61.f6 Ne4 62.Bc2 Nd6 63.Rd8 Ke5 64.Bb3 Nf7 65.Rd5+ Kxf6 66.Kd2 Rb6 67.Bc4 Rd6 68.Kc3 Rxd5 69.Bxd5 Nd6 70.Kb4 Nxb5 71.Kxb5 a6+ 72.Kxa6 game drawn.