Magnus Carlsen criticizes quality of play at World Chess Championship between Ding Liren and D Gukesh

Five-time World Chess champion Magnus Carlsen has criticized the quality of play at the World Chess Championship between China’s Ding Liren and India’s D Gukesh, stating that it does not resemble a match between two World Championship contenders.

Gukesh, who initially had the lead in Game 12, made an opening move that gave Ding the upper hand. Ding’s victory over Gukesh on Monday tied the score at 6-6 with two games remaining, and the possibility of tiebreaks.

Carlsen expressed his disappointment with the level of play, remarking that it seemed more like a game from the early rounds of a tournament rather than a high-stakes championship match. He noted that Gukesh made it easy for Ding by not putting enough pressure on him.

The Norwegian champion emphasized the importance of making it difficult for the opponent and creating opportunities for mistakes. He believed that Gukesh missed a chance to capitalize on his point advantage and challenge Ding effectively.

As the competition heads into the final two games, American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and Carlsen both acknowledged Ding as the favorite. Despite the psychological pressure on both players, they believed that Ding’s chances were higher due to his performance in shorter time formats.

Overall, Carlsen and Nakamura agreed that Ding had the advantage going forward, setting the stage for an intense conclusion to the World Chess Championship.