Chess - Path towards World Chess Championship (Gukesh Dommaraju vs Ding Liren)

[Foppa21]

Alireza still has plenty of time to become a world champion. Let’s not forget that he’s still only 21 and the youngest world chess champion ever was Karsparov at age 22. Gukesh is set to smash that record if he prevails but it doesn’t mean Alireza cannot win it in the future. And he is 2nd ranked in FIDE blitz format right behind Magnus. 7 or 8th in classic and rapid. He is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Yep, he's got age going for him. That can be a good thing and a bad thing though. I remember that for the last few years that one criticism of him is that he's been distracted with stuff away from the board.

I don't check rankings, so I was a bit surprised with his blitz ranking. I just always for the shorter time controls to be Magnus then Hikaru.

 

[Foppa21]

I really wish I had the mental capacity to understand what it takes to prepare for a chess match at these levels. I am familiar with mental burn out and PTSD, but this shit with chess sounds bonkers, that a game can break you.

There's a couple of videos on YouTube (I'm pretty sure I've seen a few).

My thoughts which is just based on observation is that it's very similar to any individual sport. It can get lonely out there and when you go all in and come up short, it sucks.

I don't know how to put the next parts, so I apologise in advance if I offend, but I feel that a lot of the top players are on the spectrum. You kind of have to be to be super successful (consider Rafael Nadal and his OCD). I think that makes it worse. Chess also probably isn't the most popular extra curricular activity and with that can come bullying.

The Christopher Yoo thing that happened in the last month or so. Damn, the kid is 17 and it'll be a set back. Should he even go back to playing if he is legally able to would be a question people will ask.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Good game finally. Gukesh will be disappointed.

 

[Foppa21]

I was following it for a bit but the time difference ain't great for me. I saw a lot of comments of Ding being in time trouble and "There's no way he can make 19 moves"

 

[Sweater of AV]

I was following it for a bit but the time difference ain't great for me. I saw a lot of comments of Ding being in time trouble and "There's no way he can make 19 moves"

It's funny, Ding makes questionable moves when he spends a lot of time thinking and then busts out highly accurate moves when he's under the gun. Gukesh had a pretty big advantage and made a few errors but Ding played well when he needed to.

Hopefully things will open up a bit more in the second half but I doubt it.

 

[Foppa21]

It's funny, Ding makes questionable moves when he spends a lot of time thinking and then busts out highly accurate moves when he's under the gun. Gukesh had a pretty big advantage and made a few errors but Ding played well when he needed to.

Hopefully things will open up a bit more in the second half but I doubt it.

I do doubt it. Ding looks far more likely to implode though, usually because of his perchance of getting into time trouble.

Who would likely win a blitz playoff?

 

[Sweater of AV]

I do doubt it. Ding looks far more likely to implode though, usually because of his perchance of getting into time trouble.

Who would likely win a blitz playoff?

Ding should be the much better player with shorter time controls but who can say right now. Gukesh doesn't have as much experience in rapid or blitz. There was a time when Ding was a monster in basically every format.

It looks like the first round of tiebreakers would be rapid (15m + 10s) and then they'd move to blitz. Ding would likely prefer to get it to tiebreakers and take his chances there. It's going to be interesting to see how both approach the second half.

 

[Foppa21]

Ding should be the much better player with shorter time controls but who can say right now. Gukesh doesn't have as much experience in rapid or blitz. There was a time when Ding was a monster in basically every format.

It looks like the first round of tiebreakers would be rapid (15m + 10s) and then they'd move to blitz. Ding would likely prefer to get it to tiebreakers and take his chances there. It's going to be interesting to see how both approach the second half.

Anything short of classical is blitz to me. So when I say blitz, I means anything about 15m or less lol.

 

[Sweater of AV]

 

[Sweater of AV]

No mistakes or risks so a bit of a boring game. Shouldn't have lasted as long as it did but good game for Ding.

 

[Sweater of AV]

A lot of people are going to criticize Ding but he's playing this perfectly so far. Forcing Gukesh to either play for a draw or take risks he'd rather not take, especially at this point.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Ding gets into time trouble and finally cracks.

 

[Foppa21]

Ding gets into time trouble and finally cracks.

Does Gukesh play closed all the way home now?

 

[Sweater of AV]

Does Gukesh play closed all the way home now?

Good question, I doubt Gukesh wants to change things too much. I'm curious to see how Ding approaches these games, especially with two games with white. He has to open up more now and his confidence is probably a bit shaken. Next game is going to be really interesting. Hopefully Ding doesn't implode.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Great game by Ding. Ties it back up.

 

[Foppa21]

Great game by Ding. Ties it back up.

Yep. I've got to watch the full GothamChess recap but from what I've flipped through so far, Ding played his best game in years

 

[Sweater of AV]

Yep. I've got to watch the full GothamChess recap but from what I've flipped through so far, Ding played his best game in years

I don't know what to say about Ding at this point. Nothing would surprise me in the last two games. It's just a shame Ding can't consistently play close to his top level.

 

[Sweater of AV]

These always amuse me.

 

[volodya]

These always amuse me.

This is pretty cool. I can't play chess well but I do wonder why piano competitions can't be like this. When Yunchan became the youngest winner of the Cliburn a couple years ago he certainly was dominating on choice of repertoire in addition to his actual execution.

At the end of the day it turned out to be a very people like a dude doing a double degree at harvard/julliard playing beethoven against a young assassin from south Korea playing liszts transcendental etudes all in a row. It wasn't close ....

 

[volodya]