The match started with a question mark over Ding Liren's emotional condition to handle the pressure. But despite trailing 4-5, it seems that the Chinese world No. 3 has not only recovered but is also posing a real threat to Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Their 14-game World Chess Championship match, which resumes with the 10th game on Sunday after Saturday's rest day, can be already termed as a success. Not just because of five decisive results in the first seven games - an unprecedented outcome in World Matchplay. It has also provided entertaining fights on the board with layers - human and strategic.
Nepo would have been a clear favourite going by the score with only five games to go. But Ding has fought so well and created playable such positions and opportunities that it would be hard to write him off. In the last three games when he played with white pieces (games 4, 6, 8), he won two and created huge winning chances in the remaining one.
Ding's play is guiding the script of this match: quality-wise and also in terms of missed chances.
He also seems more honest talking about the touchy issues. He is not secretive about GM Richard Rapport working as his second during this prestigious title match in Kazakhstan, and talks openly about him and his influence on him as a person and player. He h as also confessed about his struggle about dealing with anxiety and time trouble on the board.
Nepo has not been forthcoming about his team of seconds. Plus there is a speculation that former world champion Vladimir Kramnik is a part of his team. On world No. 5 Anish Giri's assertion that he is dominating Ding psychologically, Nepo said with sarcasm, "I think Anish knows better. I don't know what to say. "
The supposed leak about Ding's online training games has raised some eyebrows as some of the lines are played in the match too. Ding was suitably honest and intrigued when asked about that in a press conference and claimed that he was unaware.
Russian GM Daniil Dubov said, "The leak can work as double bluff. Ding can actually rep eat those lines on the board. Nepo and his team can't totally ignore the contents of this supposed leak. That means more areas and more time needed to work on. "On the reason behind a very few short draws in the match, a cocky Nepo said, "Ask me this question on some other day. " Ding implied that since this title match is not between the champion (Carlsen) and challenger, the pressure is less resulting in more open games.
On the time management after Friday's ninth game, Ding said, "It is connected. . . the time management and the quality of moves and the length of the calculation. I spent less time calculating today. But the quality you see. . . dropped a lot."
