Viswanathan Anand column | Gukesh feeling the effects of a high-pressure environment

Gukesh.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Ding Liren and D. Gukesh must have been really happy to get a rest day after playing two back-to-back decisive games. After an extremely dry Game 10, which was drawn with Gukesh equalising almost straight out of the opening, the following two games produced excitement.

I was very curious what Gukesh’s approach would be for Game 11. He repeated the Reti Opening and offered a gambit on the fourth move. He had clearly come to do battle. Ding responded sensibly, though his time management (an hour to make his fourth and fifth moves, time he would miss dearly at the end of the game) has been simply a handicap.

After an inaccuracy on the ninth move, Gukesh was in some trouble. He admitted at the press conference that he was angry at himself for ending up in trouble. He spent an astonishing hour on his 11th move; clearly he wasn’t feeling too comfortable in the unusual position.

Ding now had a good opportunity but it required precision. He missed his chance on the 15th move and let Gukesh back into the game. After two fine moves on 16 and 17, Gukesh was out of danger and even slightly better.

Ding could have defended, but he no longer seemed the player who defended so well earlier in the match. He missed his best chance on the 25th move (Na7) and his position deteriorated. Gukesh only had to make the most natural moves and a final blunder on the 28th move ended the game early. So finally there was a breakthrough for Gukesh. His courage in provoking Ding paid off.

With only three games remaining, Ding had to go all out in Game 12. He has done it before, but this time he had to change his approach suddenly. And Ding struck back.

He managed to get Gukesh into unfamiliar territory, a tactic both players are having success with in this match. Gukesh started drifting. Especially Ding’s 12th and 13th moves seemed harmless but were making it hard for Black to ease his position with exchanges.

As often happens in positions where one side has too many choices on every move, but no clear plan, Gukesh erred with 16…Nd7 and after 17.Qd2, Ding was clearly better.

He played the rest flawlessly, with relentless accuracy. A very impressive performance by Ding, showing once again that he is most dangerous when pushed to the wall. In the last two games, the loser has collapsed under pressure and it is clear the accumulated fatigue of the match is beginning to show.