Grandmaster Richard Rapport praises Ding Liren’s quality of chess in World Championship match

Grandmaster Richard Rapport, who served as Ding Liren’s second at the chess World Championship, has praised the Chinese Grandmaster for playing a better quality of chess than his opponent, D Gukesh, during the 14-game title match. Despite Ding Liren’s strong performance, it was the 18-year-old Gukesh who emerged as the youngest-ever world chess champion after a fatal error by Ding in the final game.

Rapport, speaking to the Chinese Chess Association’s social media channel, expressed his admiration for Ding’s performance, stating that he played overall better chess than Gukesh. He also mentioned that it was painful for Ding to lose the last game in such a manner and commended Gukesh for his achievement.

The match was tied at 6.5 each before the final game, with both players winning two games each. Ding, who was considered the favorite for the shorter-format tiebreaks, made a crucial mistake in the endgame of Game 14, allowing Gukesh to clinch the title.

Despite the loss, Rapport expressed pride in Ding’s performance and the way he played throughout the championship. He highlighted Ding’s two wins, which were achieved at a very high level and showcased his skill in outplaying his opponent.

Rapport also mentioned that experts were initially skeptical of Ding’s performance leading up to the event, but the team managed to put him in good shape, allowing him to have many good fighting chances until the very end.

Ding’s journey as a world champion has been challenging, with struggles to deal with the pressure of the title affecting his performances. However, he showed great character in fighting back against Gukesh, even when the odds were against him. Despite the mixed feelings of playing better but achieving a worse result, Rapport acknowledged Ding’s improved quality of play in the championship.

Overall, the World Championship match between Ding Liren and D Gukesh was a display of high-level chess and intense competition, with Gukesh emerging as the new world champion.