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54...Ke5

A missed opportunity for Gukesh, who played well enough to win, but his strongest asset, precise calculation, let him down. This is the main problem with calculation, sometimes the position would be so complicated that pure calculation would not produce the desired result. It happened in game 13 for Gukesh, while Ding had to find the only move to stay in the game, which he did, thanks to the well-known method of elimination – when everything else loses, what remains must be the only move.

FROM TRIUMPH TO HEARTBREAK: DING’S FINAL MISSTEP

After the ups and downs of the last three games, mental stability was of utmost importance for both players. Gukesh could rely on the conversations with Paddy Upton, while what Ding did, we don’t know. The last game showed that the younger man was more psychologically stable than the more experienced one.

30...Qf7?

A great game by Ding, a bad one by Gukesh. As Kasparov used to say, you can only play as well as your opponent allows you to. In this game Gukesh allowed Ding to show the world how strong he is.

A TEST OF SURVIVAL IN A COMPLEX THRILLER

Now it seemed that the psychological advantage had passed to Ding. He practically came back from the dead and the match was equal again.

In this situation Gukesh’s mindset and the preparatory work he’d done with Paddy came to the fore. In fact, even Paddy came to Singapore to give Gukesh further support. In the next game Gukesh came out prepared to win again.

38...f6

A very uneven game as a result of the accumulated mental fatigue for both players. Gukesh misplayed his promising opening preparation and misjudged the position more than once; Ding outplayed his opponent and obtained a big advantage, only to spoil it with a single move, after which he drifted back to his pessimistic mindset and misjudged the position because of that. Both players missed good chances in the second phase of the game, with the abrupt end coming as Ding couldn’t withstand the apparent pressure in an otherwise objectively equal position.

It appeared that Gukesh’s win was something that the whole world waited for. The narrative of Ding breaking down and collapsing was quick to make the headlines and the impression one got was that the match was practically over.

In these difficult moments, Ding showed his champion’s character. As he said in the press conference after game 11, in Astana he won in game 12, and he would try to do the same in Singapore. Even his mom told him so.

DING STRIKES BACK

28...Qc8??

Ding tried a line that has been employed by his second, Rapport, but Gukesh was well- prepared and didn’t allow any chances.

MENTAL PREPARATION AND TACTICAL PRECISION: GUKESH SEIZES HIS CHANCE

The general impression was that Ding wasn’t very well prepared, especially with the white pieces, since his ideas seemed to offer too little when facing more serious problems, except for game six perhaps. Ding’s seconds were Richard Rapport and Ni Hua, both of them were with him in Singapore. After the match Ding said that Shamsiddin Vokhidov was also part of his team. Compared to Gukesh’s team of the already mentioned Gajewski, Wojtaszek, Duda and Keymer, he also had Harikrishna and his preparation was indeed superb.

26.Nc4

The one moment where White could obtain a small edge was missed by Gukesh and the game was uneventful afterwards.

The next game was similar. Ding tried the London System again, like in the sixth game, but this time he obtained nothing.

19...Ra6?!

An uneven game where both sides had their chances. The more disappointed player was Gukesh, who had a winning position as a result of his good play, but then he started missing things and even landed lost. He was saved by Ding’s pessimism, who never believed he could play for a win and consequently passed by the winning continuations. In this game we again saw Ding’s eagerness to end the game as soon as possible and Gukesh’s willingness to fight until the end.

TWO QUIET TRUCES TO BUILD THE TENSION BEFORE THE STORM

The next two games were the calm before the storm. Neither player could create any chances and both games ended in uneventful draws.

41.Qd4

A great game for Gukesh for most of it, but he paid the price for his over-reliance on calculation, showing a limitation of his style. Ding, on the other hand, could find comfort in the fact that he defended very resourcefully and didn’t give up when everything seemed lost.

A GAME OF CONTRASTS

The draw was a psychological victory for Ding, but he still wasn’t over his pessimism when evaluating his position. This also was on display in the next game.

44.Ke1?

Ding missed yet another opportunity to exert significant pressure on his opponent. He had real winning chances but again his pessimism and eagerness to end the game prevailed. Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise that the momentum shifted in Gukesh’s favour and in the next two games it was his turn to get winning chances.

CALCULATION VS INTUITION AND THE PREVALENCE OF RESILIENCE

33...Qf3

By squandering his advantage so easily, Ding missed a vital opportunity to seize the psychological initiative in the match—a momentum he had already lost after game three. It would have been very unpleasant for Gukesh to defend for many hours a position that offers no hope for any counterplay with passive defence until the end of the game the only prospect. Ding’s overeagerness to agree to a draw and end the fight was one of his key psychological weaknesses in the match—and ultimately, it cost him the title.

DING’S RELUCTANCE TO FIGHT FUELS GUKESH’S RESURGENCE

This hastiness, coupled with his pessimistic evaluation of the position, was on clear display in the next game as well.

27.Re4

A calm game for both sides, confirming Ding’s safety-first strategy with the white pieces.

DING LETS GUKESH

OFF THE HOOK AGAIN

The next game almost justified Ding’s strategy of playing safely with White and waiting for chances with Black—if not for his impatient willingness to end the game prematurely.