Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh suffered a loss to defending champion Ding Liren of China in the 12th game of the 2024 World Chess Championship, held in Singapore. The 18-year-old challenger had been leading by one point following his second victory of the match on Sunday, breaking a streak of seven consecutive draws.
Ding Liren’s victory on Monday brought the scores level, with both players tied at 6 points each. The match, played in a 14-game classical format, now has only two games remaining. To clinch the title, a player must score 1.5 more points in the remaining games.
If the scores are still tied after 14 games, the champion will be decided through a series of tiebreaker games played under faster time controls. The final two games will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, following a rest day on Tuesday.
Gukesh had previously secured victory in the third game, while Ding Liren claimed the opening game. Games two and four through ten ended in draws, showcasing the intense competition between the two grandmasters.