Bengaluru: It was supposed to be a prelude to their World Championship match later this year. It was also expected that neither Ding Liren nor D Gukesh would lay bare their preparation notes.

The reigning world champion and his 18-year-old challenger played out a draw in Round 1 of the Sinquefield Cup, their first encounter since the Indian teen won the Candidates tournament in April. They went into the game with Ding holding a 2-0 lead over Gukesh in classical chess, both his wins coming with the Black pieces. His most recent win against the Indian was at the Tata Steel Chess in January this year.

In St Louis on Monday too, Ding had a chance to make life difficult for Gukesh. This time with White. On move 18 after over a 20-minute think, Gukesh pushed his Black pawn to the d4 square and the engine instantly popped a single question mark above it (indicating an inaccuracy) and the evaluation bar shot up in White’s favour.

It drew a ‘Whhaat’ from GM Yasser Seirawan in the broadcast studio in St Louis. “That’s a lot of time for a move you don’t like!,” he would gasp. GM commentator, and R Pragnanandhaa’s coach Peter Svidler called it a “very surprising decision and a huge opportunity for Ding.” It was an invitation to allow White’s Queen on the h6 square. Not the most prudent call by the Indian because it opened up the path to be potentially mated on the kingside. Ding could push his rook to h4 next and fortify his assault. “This is Ding’s best chance to get somewhere in the game,” Svidler exclaimed.

With the opportunity staring at him, Ding – his hands resting on his face – retreated into a half hour think. He did play the anticipated Queen to h6 move but loosened the noose with a bd3 move next — which allowed Black to conjure an advanced passed pawn and a chance to drum up potential counterplay. Gukesh got away unscathed.

Earlier in the day, Gukesh was seen walking into the World Chess Hall of Fame in St Louis, the venue of the tournament, with his trainer Grzegorz Gajewski and father Rajni Kanth. The teen was recently gifted his first car — a swanky Mercedes-Benz E-class by his Chennai school in the run-up to his match.

He is currently perched at his highest-ever, world no 6 ranking with a rating of 2766. Contrastingly, the world champion, who is a wild card in the 10-player round robin tournament, has dropped to his lowest ranking since 2016. The Chinese GM is now placed at No 15 in the world. “I wanted to surprise him in the opening but also save my preparation,” Ding told GM and commentator Cristian Chirila on the broadcast after the game, allowing himself a smile, “I’m playing better now than I was in the beginning of the year. I played many training games with my seconds and although I lost many of them I got familiar with chess…I learned a lot from my losses.”

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