NEW DELHI: In the fifth game of the World Chess Championship 2024, the 18-year-old Indian challenger D Gukesh played with the white pieces against the defending champion Ding Liren of China on Saturday.
The game ended in a hard-fought draw after 40 moves, marking the third draw of the match.
With this result, both players now have an identical tally of 2.5 points each, still short of the 5 points required to win the championship.
The score remains level, with Liren having won the opening game and Gukesh winning the third game, while the second and fourth games were also drawn.
Gukesh, the youngest-ever challenger for the world title, employed the King's pawn opening, which Liren countered with the French defence.
Exercising caution after losing the first game with the same opening, Gukesh opted for the Exchange variation, but Liren proved to be well-prepared.
The opening did not present Liren with any significant defensive challenges, and after exchanging queens early, a pair of rooks were also traded, leaving Gukesh with a level position.
However, true to his style, Gukesh attempted to create an imbalanced position by allowing Liren to obtain a protected passed pawn on the sixth rank.
Liren did not find the most tested continuation and instead went for an equal endgame with Bishops of opposite colours. With no possibility of further progress, the players agreed to a draw after completing the mandatory 40 moves, as per the rules.
The match remains evenly poised at 2.5-2.5, with both players still in contention for the coveted world championship title. Game 6 is scheduled to take place at the same venue on Sunday.
