Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju remain at a stalemate in their world championship match, as Thursday's ninth game concluded in a sixth consecutive draw after 54 moves and 3 hours 56 minutes, leaving the $2.5 million contest tied at 4½-4½ with five games remaining.
The 18-year-old challenger from Chennai, playing with the white pieces, chose the popular Catalan opening and introduced a surprise with 10 Bc3, a move rarely seen at the highest level, which caused Ding to ponder for nearly 20 minutes before responding. However, the champion managed to effectively neutralize the initiative and relieve the tension on the queenside in the middlegame. The draw was practically sealed once the queens and a pair of rooks were exchanged in a swift sequence (25 Qxc5 Qxb6 26 Qxb6 Raxb6 27 Rc6 Rxc6 28 Bxc6), even though Gukesh continued to play for over an hour before accepting the half-point with only the kings remaining on the board.
Ding entered the three-week match having gone 28 classical games without a win, causing his world ranking to drop to 23rd and prompting oddsmakers to favor him as a 3-1 underdog. However, he delivered a significant surprise in Game 1 by winning with the black pieces, ending his 304-day winless streak and setting the tone for a fiercely competitive match. Game 2 ended in a 23-move draw, followed by Gukesh's victory in Game 3. The subsequent games, four through eight, all resulted in draws.
The competition will resume on Saturday, with Ding playing with the white pieces in Game 9 after Friday's rest day. The first player to reach seven and a half points will be crowned champion at Resorts World Sentosa, an island resort off Singapore's southern coast. A full report will follow.
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