Game 1 of the World Chess Championship was nothing short of dramatic. The 18-year-old Indian prodigy, D Gukesh, exuded youthful confidence as he entered the arena, a soundproof room aptly called the “fishtank” due to its mirrored glass. However, the day ended with Gukesh resigned, facing a crushing defeat with white pieces in 42 moves, despite a promising start.
Chinese Grandmaster Ding Liren, a seasoned World Chess Championship player, attempted to unnerve Gukesh by employing the French Defence with the black pieces, a rare and risky choice for such a critical game. “Because it was his first game, I was thinking he might get nervous at the start,” Ding later revealed. The gambit was uncharacteristic, as Ding had previously lost using this strategy against Ian Nepomniachtchi.
However, Gukesh handled the opening phase adeptly, maintaining control and forcing Ding into deep contemplation as early as the 7th move. Ding spent 27 minutes on this move, while Gukesh was a picture of efficiency, taking less than a minute for his first seven moves. By this stage, Gukesh had established a commanding lead on the clock and appeared poised for an impressive start.
On the 10th move, Gukesh made an audacious play, pushing his g-pawn to g4, abandoning defensive strategies to exert pressure on Ding’s e-pawn. While unconventional for an opening game, Gukesh’s aggressive approach drew commentary from former women’s world champion Xie Jun, who noted, “This game already looks complicated. A little bit out of control. It’s really too much for a Game 1.”
Despite Gukesh’s boldness, the momentum began to shift in Ding’s favor. By the 21st move, Ding’s knight had positioned itself on b2, creating havoc on Gukesh’s back ranks. When Ding’s queen moved to d3, supported by the knight, Gukesh made a pivotal error, retreating his queen to e1. This defensive maneuver left his queen cornered and allowed Ding’s pieces to launch a coordinated assault.
Ding seized the opportunity, bringing his rook and bishop into attacking positions, overwhelming Gukesh’s defenses. The pressure intensified, and by the 33rd move, Gukesh was in dire straits, needing to make seven moves in just 45 seconds to avoid a time penalty. He managed to complete his 40th move with just one second on the clock but resigned two moves later, facing a position where Ding had three additional pawns.
This victory marked Ding’s third classical game win of the year, two of which have been against Gukesh, both with black pieces. Notably, this was the first time since 2010 that an opening game in the World Chess Championship ended decisively.
For Gukesh, there’s a silver lining. His mentor, Viswanathan Anand, also lost the opening game of the 2010 championship but went on to claim the title. Gukesh will undoubtedly aim to emulate Anand, learning from this setback to turn the tide in the best-of-14 contest.