2024 FIDE World Chess Championship: Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju Deadlocked at 4½–4½

The 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship is heating up as GMs Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju remain deadlocked at 4½–4½ after nine rounds of the 14-game match. The tension is palpable as both players have been trading victories and draws, with neither able to gain a significant advantage.

In the latest block of games, Gukesh had some serious chances to take the lead, particularly in game 7 where his better preparation and advantage on the clock put Ding on the ropes. However, Ding’s resilience and nerves allowed him to hold on and salvage a draw. Game 8 saw both players struggling under the psychological toll of the match, with Ding coming close to victory but ultimately settling for a draw by repetition.

Thursday’s game 9 was a relatively calm affair compared to the previous games, with Gukesh unable to pose any significant problems for Ding. The match now heads into a much-needed rest day before resuming with game 10 on Saturday, December 7 at 3:00 a.m. CST.

Chess fans can follow the action and get updates on the match by visiting US Chess on X. WGM Tatev Abrahamyan will be providing annotations for the games, so be sure to stay tuned for the latest developments in this intense battle for the World Chess Championship title.