GUKESH SEIZES MOMENT

India GM beats Liren in Game 3 to level scores, next game on Friday

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

OR almost 12 minutes, D Gukesh did many things while in his gaming chair. He sat on the edge of his chair to position his head over the chessboard, like a drone surveilling an area from up above before launching an ambush in preparation for the final siege.

The world champion, Ding Liren, was in a comfortable position, even if he was down on time. But one slight inaccuracy - moving the rook to h5 in the 18th move - gave the Indian teen a tiny window of opportunity. He sensed that same opportunity so the 18-year-old took his time. When he's playing his best chess, he's the kind of player who calculates multiple lines right till checkmate. He's so precise at it he may well be a supercomputer. It, of course, has its drawbacks. He tried to do the same thing in game one when he overreached and left himself vulnerable. On Wednesday, the advantages of his calculative mind were front and centre.