2024 World Chess Championship: Game 2
2024 World Chess Championship: Game 2
Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Tense draw… excitement ratcheting up
Game 2 of the World Chess Championship ended peacefully after a rousing start of the match. After Ding Liren won the first game of the match, many wondered if they had been “snookered.” Ding kept sounding like he wasn’t sure of himself but put on a master class of the French Defense against challenger Dommaraju Gukesh. Now, with the white pieces, Ding had a chance to get a feeling for Gukesh’s fighting spirit. After this game, it was apparent that the Indian phenom wouldn’t be rattled easily.
Today was a good day!
~Dommaraju GukeshHowever, Ding played a rather safe Italian Game, but the game had its moments. The official website noted,
The theoretical novelty of today’s game was 9.a5, grabbing more space on the queenside. Funnily enough, another top Indian player, Praggnanandhaa R, was involved in the two elite games in this line: in those games, played in 2023, the chosen moves were 9.Bxe6 and 9.Bxc5. (link)
This game did not have much of an edge to it, but there were moments that were noted. Most notably, the fact that Ding played 1.e4 and then a novelty 9.a5!? but there was no point at which the tide would turn one way or the other. Interestingly, Boris Gelfand, who played Anand for the World Championship in 2012, stated that he preferred Ding’s position in the early phases.
“If I have to choose sides, I will choose white” – Boris Gelfand, referring to the position after 15 moves from Game 2 of the FIDE World Championship Match 2024, presented by Google. #DingGukesh
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) November 26, 2024
Watch the live broadcast ?
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Black was given the d-file (after 14.Rdc1!?) but nothing to bite on. Meanwhile, white had a more flexible structure. Despite the fact that no draw offers are allowed before move 40, the game ended in a three-fold repetition.
Photo by Maria Emelianova
Video by GM Daniel King/PowerPlayChess