China’s Ding Liren had to overcome his own anxiety as well as his Russian opponent (对手) to become the country’s first men’s world chess champion in a final on Sunday.
Ding, 30, defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia 2.5-1.5 in a tiebreaker (决胜局) at the 2023 International Chess Federation World Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan. The classical part of the match ended in a 7-7 tie on Saturday. Ding fell behind on three occasions, but managed to equal his opponent each time. After a final round that lasted six hours and 33 minutes, the two met on Sunday in a playoff.
“I think I’ve done everything that I can in chess and I have put all that I have into the games. Now, I won’t be happy if there are no matches. And it’s hard for me to find another hobby.” Ding’s triumph means China holds both the men’s and women’s world titles, with current women’s champion Ju Wenjun set to defend her title against Lei Tingjie in July.
Ding’s title is a dream coming true not only for him, but for generations of Chinese chess players past and present. His world title victory became popular on Chinese social media. Most people expressed their excitement about the win and congratulated Ding.
Among his greatest supporters is Xie Jun, a Chinese chess giant who won the nation’s first women’s world title in 1991. “It means Chinese men’s chess has reached the world’s top level. We have been waiting for this moment for too long. With a role model like Ding, I believe more youngsters will take part in chess. And the game will earn more attention and support from different sectors in society and the government.”
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