World Championship Game 7: Gukesh misses, Ding Liren displays resilience
D Gukesh missed a great opportunity to beat Ding Liren and gain lead at FIDE World Championship Match 2024, presented by Google. It was certainly not an easy win but at this level he has to seize every single opportunity he is presented. However, he feels good about the game because he outplayed his opponent in the opening and middlegame. The world champion also accepted that fact. Gukesh realizes that he needs to work on converting advantages into a full point. The match has now completed halfway. The most important part is, the Challenger focuses on the positives instead of dwelling on mistakes and outcomes. The next half is certainly going to be interesting. A decisive game seems to be around the corner. Game 8 starts tomorrow at 5 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST. Photo: FIDE/Eng Chin An
Longest game of the match so far
"I thought that I should winning at some point, maybe before the queen exchange and also after that it should be winning but after he played 44...f6. When I played 46.Bd1, I just missed that he has 46...f4 47.gxf4+ Kxf4 48.Rc4 Rh3 49.f3 Rh1+. I don't know where exactly the win was but I should be winning I think." - Gukesh's initial impression on Game 7.
"It's never pleasant to miss a winning position but I am happy about the fact that I outplayed my opponent quite easily in the opening. It's a missed chance but also there are some positives to take. I'll try not to repeat the mistake in the next games." - Gukesh's thoughts on missing a golden opportunity.
I was beaten many times. First in the opening, then middlegame... - Ding Liren
Gukesh - Ding Liren: 0.5-0.5
D Gukesh opted for 1.Nf3 for the first time at this match. 1...d5 2.g3 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.c4 c6 5.Bg2 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 dxc4 8.e4 is a new move. There are no games available after 8.e4
"7.Re1 I don't know if it is not completely new but it's a relatively new move in the opening. This was obviously a preparation. The point is to go 7...dxc4 8.e4. The main point is to just get a new position on the board. My opponent didn't react in a very precise way. So I guess the idea worked well. Prep worked well, only thing to improve is the conversion." - Gukesh.
"Well, immediately after 9...c5, I thought he can take the d-file, he can take the bishop with both queen and bishop after 11...Bxf3. He could have played 13.e5. Here I thought my position is quite worse. In the end, very hard defence
Here I was considering 19...cxb4 20.Nxb4 Ne4 21.Bxe4 Bxa1 22.Nc6 Rd7 I didn't see any straightforward win but I just don't know. I decided not to play like this and go for 19...c4 but 20.Be3 came as a surprise Qa6 21.Bd4 yeah I thought my position is hopeless. My intention was to take on a2 after 20...Qa6. I realized after 25.Kg2 my position is very bad, lack of coordination. Maybe it's not so bad, difficult to understand." - Ding Liren on when he sensed that he was in trouble.
Here computer recommends 30.Be3 to give White a decisive advantage. White also could have kept bishop pair after 30.Qf4 Qxc2 31.Bxf6 Qf5 32.Bg5. Gukesh was asked whether he considered 30.Be3 or 32.Bg5, he answered, "Yeah I considered a bit but I thought this endgame with f5-weakness and a pawn up should be winning but probably it was more difficult than I had expected.
Gukesh did not consider 37.Rd2 Nb4 38.d6 rerouting the bishop to a4-e8 diagonal. "Probably I was just playing under the assumption that Rf4 and b5 should just be winning, if I manage to consolidate. I didn't really consider any alternatives." - Gukesh.
"I am happy to find this defensive idea 38...Kf6, at least it creates some counterplays 39.Rd4 h6 Here it is still very difficult... 40.Kf1 Ke5 Maybe this is the way to play 40...Nc8 41.Rh4 Kg7 42.Rc4 Nd6 43.Rc5 Rb7 44.Be2 Rd7 a blockade." - The world champion shared.
"I nearly gave up when I saw 44.Ke1 because here I don't know how to create counterplay Rd5 45.Be2 Rd4 46.Rc4 Rxc4 47.Bxc4 f4 (checks on the computer) this is not losing? Hard to believe. I just tried to take my luck and try to stay in the game... 40...Ke5 I felt to be a strong move but the computer does not like it, very strange... I made many mistakes, ultimately I saved the game." - Ding Liren.
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Every game starts at 5 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. IST. There is a rest day after every three games.
