China's Ding Liren, the reigning champion, and India's Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, are tied at 1.5-1.5 after three games in their best-of-14 World Chess Championship match in Singapore. Ding secured the first game, but Gukesh, the challenger, equalized in game three when Ding, in a seemingly lost position, forfeited on time during his 37th move. Game four is set to begin on Friday at 9am GMT and is expected to last around four to five hours. You can watch it live and free on Fide's YouTube channel, featuring commentators David Howell and Jovanka Houska from England, or on chess.com with Judit Polgar, the all-time No 1 woman, and US GM Daniel Naroditsky.
Ding's victory in game one defied pre-match odds and marked his first classical game win in 10 months. However, there have been signs that momentum may be shifting back towards Gukesh, whose confident opening play indicates thorough preparation. In contrast, Ding's choice of the old-style Giuoco Piano in game two was lackluster. The most concerning moment came during the post-game three press conference, where the world champion appeared shocked and hesitant in his responses, while Gukesh exuded calm confidence. If Ding is to retain his title, he must make better use of his extra White in games four to six this weekend.
Meanwhile, England's top masters and rising talents have entered a crucial period. The national 4NCL league, which kicked off its season last weekend, along with the XTX Markets London Classic and Fide Open, both starting at 4pm on Friday, and the Caplin Hastings Masters, opening on 28 December, all present opportunities that could make or break a player's career. The 4NCL began its new season similarly to how it ended in 2023-24, with Wood Green, Manx Liberty, and The Sharks dominating. These teams, each fielding eight-board teams averaging 2400+, will only face each other in direct matches during the season's final weekend in May.
Manx Liberty has bolstered its squad by signing Harry Grieve, the 2022 British Champion, and Shreyas Royal, Britain's youngest-ever grandmaster at 15, who made a strong debut with an energetic win. The first 4NCL weekend was disappointing for several young English talents, who missed out on international title norms. A notable near-miss was 10-year-old Supratit Banerjee, who failed to convert his winning advantage against a Polish grandmaster. Banerjee's quick, unsound sacrifice on move 41 cost him the game, which would have set a new UK record for the youngest to beat a GM in a classical game.
On Friday, the action shifts to the Emirates for the London Classic and Fide Masters. The mid-tournament rest day coincides with the Arsenal v Manchester United football match. The eight-player Classic features teenager Royal against an elite field, including Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Michael Adams, Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun, British champion Gawain Jones, and Vidit Gujrathi from India's Olympiad gold-medal team. Live commentary by eight-time Russian champion Peter Svidler will be available on the Chess In Schools And Communities Twitch feed. The Fide Masters boasts a high-quality lineup of 11 GMs and many of England's best young talents, offering rare opportunities for GM and IM norms.
Next month, Hastings hosts the £10,000 Caplin Masters and various amateur events, still open to new entries. Royal will again be among the main English hopes against a strong field of grandmasters from China, France, Ukraine, and Hungary, plus leading young British talents, including Scotland's rising star Frederick Waldhausen Gordon, aged 14.
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
