Heavy eight with twists and turns

Gukesh makes inaccurate moves again; Ding manages to wriggle out too in a see-saw battle

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

ERE you not entertained? D Gukesh isn't known for his off-the-board belligerence, but he may well have torn his shirt and gone all Maximus inside the playing hall. For the second time in the match and twice in three games, the 18-year-old Indian, vying to be the youngest world champion, rejected the offer of a draw by threefold repetition. What's more remarkable was that in game six, he was objectively in a worse position when he decided he wouldn't shake hands after 40 moves.

So, he moved his Queen to the A2 square for a check. Ding Liren found a book move that put the teen under entirely avoidable pressure. The move was rated as a 'mistake' by the engines. Liren, the world champion, now had a 50% chance of winning according to Leela Zero, the AI-based chess model used by FIDE during the tournament. But he needn't have worried. Liren, who cannot seem to get out of this rut of believing in his position, made an inaccuracy as he moved his Queen to d8 for a check. It dropped the eval bar to almost level. The beginning of the end this truly wild game deserved.