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World Chess Championship 2024 facts for kids

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World Chess Championship 2024
Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
25 November – 12 December 2024
 
Defending champion

Challenger
  Ding Liren in 2023 (52638329254).jpg Dommaraju Gukesh in 2023.jpg
  China Ding Liren India Gukesh Dommaraju
 
6½ Scores 7½
Game 1 1 ← 42 moves 0
Game 2 ½ 23 move draw ½
Game 3 0 37 moves → 1
Game 4 ½ 42 move draw ½
Game 5 ½ 40 move draw ½
Game 6 ½ 46 move draw ½
Game 7 ½ 72 move draw ½
Game 8 ½ 51 move draw ½
Game 9 ½ 54 move draw ½
Game 10 ½ 36 move draw ½
Game 11 0 29 moves → 1
Game 12 1 ← 39 moves 0
Game 13 ½ 69 move draw ½
Game 14 0 58 moves → 1
  Born 24 October 1992
32 years old		 Born 29 May 2006
18 years old
  Winner of the World Chess Championship 2023 Winner of the Candidates Tournament 2024
  Rating: 2728
(World No. 23)		 Rating: 2783
(World No. 5)
← 2023
2026 →

The World Chess Championship 2024 was a big chess match. It decided who would be the new World Chess Champion. The match was between the champion, Ding Liren, and the challenger, Gukesh Dommaraju.

It happened in Singapore from November 25 to December 12, 2024. They played up to 14 games. If the score was tied, they would play faster tiebreak games.

Ding Liren won the 2023 World Chess Championship. He became champion after Magnus Carlsen decided not to defend his title. Gukesh earned the right to challenge Ding. He won the Candidates Tournament in April 2024.

Before the match, Gukesh was ranked 5th in the world. His Elo rating was 2783. Ding was ranked 23rd with an Elo rating of 2728. Gukesh won the match 7½ to 6½ after 14 games. This made him the youngest ever World Chess Champion! Ding won two games, and Gukesh won three. Gukesh won the final game, and the match, when Ding made a mistake.

Meet the Champion: Ding Liren

Ding Liren became the World Chess Champion in April 2023. He won by beating Ian Nepomniachtchi. After winning, Ding took a break from playing in big tournaments for several months. He later said he needed to rest and feel better.

Ding returned to playing chess in January 2024. He played in the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament. He said he still wanted to defend his world title.

However, Ding did not play his best when he returned. His rating dropped from 2788 to 2728. His world ranking also fell from 3rd to 23rd. Other chess experts like Fabiano Caruana and Magnus Carlsen worried about his form. Ding himself admitted that Gukesh was playing very well. He said Gukesh might be the favorite for the match.

The Challenger: Gukesh Dommaraju

Main article: Candidates Tournament 2024

Gukesh Dommaraju became the challenger by winning the Candidates Tournament 2024. This tournament took place in Toronto, Canada. Eight players competed in a double round-robin format. This means everyone played each other twice.

Gukesh qualified for the Candidates Tournament by doing well in the 2023 FIDE Circuit. He won the Chennai Grand Masters tournament to secure his spot.

Here are the players who competed in the Candidates Tournament:

How they qualified Player Age Rating World
ranking
(April 2024)
2023 World Championship runner-up FIDE Ian Nepomniachtchi 33 2758 7
Top three from the Chess World Cup 2023 Norway Magnus Carlsen (winner, withdrew) 33 2830 1
India R Praggnanandhaa (runner-up) 18 2747 14
United States Fabiano Caruana (third place) 31 2803 2
Azerbaijan Nijat Abasov (fourth place, replaced Carlsen) 28 2632 114
Top two from the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2023 India Vidit Gujrathi (winner) 29 2727 25
United States Hikaru Nakamura (runner-up) 36 2789 3
Highest in the 2023 FIDE Circuit not already qualified India Gukesh Dommaraju 17 2743 16
Highest rating for January 2024 not already qualified France Alireza Firouzja 20 2760 6

Candidates Tournament Results

Candidates Tournament 2024
Gukesh in 2024 (cropped).jpg
Gukesh Dommaraju, the winner of the tournament, advanced to the World Chess Championship 2024 match.
Venue The Great Hall
Location Toronto, Canada
Dates 3–22 April 2024
Competitors 8 from 5 nations
Winning score 9 points of 14
Champion
India Gukesh Dommaraju
← 2022
2026 →

The 2024 Candidates Tournament was a big chess competition. Eight top players battled it out to decide who would challenge the current World Chess Champion, Ding Liren. This exciting event happened in Toronto, Canada, from April 3 to April 22, 2024.

It was held at The Great Hall and took place at the same time as the Women's Candidates Tournament 2024. The winner was Gukesh Dommaraju from India. He made history by becoming the youngest ever winner of a Candidates Tournament. This also made him the youngest player to ever challenge for the World Chess Championship title!

Like other Candidates tournaments since 2013, this one was a double round-robin. This means each player played against every other player twice. Once they played with the white pieces, and once with the black pieces. The player who scored the most points won the tournament.

Who Qualified for the Tournament?

To play in the Candidates Tournament, chess players had to qualify through different major events. Here's how the eight players earned their spots:

Qualification method Player Age Rating World
ranking
2023 World Championship runner-up FIDE Ian Nepomniachtchi 33 2758 7
The top three finishers in the Chess World Cup 2023 India R Praggnanandhaa (runner-up) 18 2747 14
United States Fabiano Caruana (third place) 31 2803 2
Azerbaijan Nijat Abasov (fourth place, replaced Carlsen) 28 2632 114
The top two finishers in the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2023 India Vidit Gujrathi (winner) 29 2727 25
United States Hikaru Nakamura (runner-up) 36 2789 3
Highest place in the 2023 FIDE Circuit India Gukesh Dommaraju 17 2743 16
Highest rating for January 2024 France Alireza Firouzja 20 2760 6

Why Magnus Carlsen Didn't Play

Magnus Carlsen, a former World Champion, won the Chess World Cup 2023. This meant he qualified for the Candidates Tournament. However, he decided not to play in Toronto. He had said before that he didn't enjoy the Candidates format.

In January 2024, Carlsen officially confirmed he wouldn't play. He simply stated, "I would say the main reason is that I don't enjoy it." Because Carlsen didn't play, Nijat Abasov, who finished fourth in the World Cup, took his place in the tournament.

How the Rating Spot Was Decided

One spot in the Candidates Tournament went to the player with the highest rating in January 2024. This was for players who hadn't qualified yet and had played in at least four FIDE chess events.

This spot became a bit of a race! Alireza Firouzja was a top contender. After some games, he lost rating points. To get his rating back up, he played some special matches in France. These matches were called "Alireza Firouzja's Race to Candidates." He needed to win many games to qualify.

There was some discussion about these last-minute games. Other players and chess organizations wondered if it was fair. However, Firouzja kept playing. He eventually won another tournament, the Open de Rouen, which gave him enough rating points. So, he officially qualified for the Candidates Tournament by rating.

How the Tournament Was Organized

The tournament was a double round-robin, meaning each of the eight players played every other player twice. They played one game with the white pieces and one with the black pieces. The winner earned the chance to play for the World Championship title against Ding Liren.

To make sure everything was fair, players from the same country had to play each other early in the tournament. For example, the Indian players (R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, and Gukesh Dommaraju) played each other in the first few rounds. The same rule applied to the American players (Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura).

The main referee for the event was Aris Marghetis from Canada.

Tournament Rules

The games had a specific time limit. Players had 120 minutes for their first 40 moves. After that, they got an extra 30 minutes for the rest of the game. From move 41, they also got an extra 30 seconds for each move.

  • A win gave a player 1 point.
  • A draw gave ½ point.
  • A loss gave 0 points.

What if There Was a Tie?

If players ended up with the same score for first place, they would play special tie-break games:

  • Rapid Chess: They would first play two faster games (15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move).
  • Blitz Chess: If still tied, they would play even faster games (3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move).
  • Knock-out: If still tied, they would play quick knock-out games until someone won.

For other tied places, different rules like the Sonneborn–Berger score or total wins would decide the ranking.

Prize Money

The total prize money for the tournament was €500,000 (about $530,000 USD).

  • First place received €48,000.
  • Second place received €36,000.
  • Third place received €24,000.

Players also got €3,500 for every half-point they scored.

Tournament Schedule

All games started at 2:30 PM local time in Toronto.

Tournament Results

How Players Scored Each Round

This table shows how many more wins than losses each player had after each round. A green background means the player was leading. A red background means they could no longer win the tournament.

Rank Player Rounds
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1  Gukesh Dommaraju (IND) = +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +1 +2 +2 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4
2  Hikaru Nakamura (USA) = −1 −1 −1 = = = +1 = +1 +2 +3 +3 +3
3  Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE) = +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +3
4  Fabiano Caruana (USA) = +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 = = +1 +1 +2 +3 +3
5  R Praggnanandhaa (IND) = −1 = = = +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 = = −1 =
6  Vidit Gujrathi (IND) = +1 = −1 −1 = = −1 = = −1 −2 −2 −2
7  Alireza Firouzja (FRA) = −1 −1 −1 −2 −3 −2 −2 −2 −3 −2 −3 −4 −4
8  Nijat Abasov (AZE) = −1 −1 −1 −2 −3 −3 −3 −3 −4 −5 −6 −6 −7

Tournament Highlights

Before the tournament, many chess experts thought Fabiano Caruana or Hikaru Nakamura would win.

The first round had all draws, but things got exciting in round 2. Vidit Gujrathi beat Nakamura, and Gukesh Dommaraju won against R Praggnanandhaa. Fabiano Caruana also won, and Ian Nepomniachtchi defeated Alireza Firouzja.

In round 3, Praggnanandhaa won the only game, beating Vidit. By round 4, Nepomniachtchi took the lead by winning against Vidit. In round 5, Gukesh joined Nepomniachtchi in the lead after winning his game.

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In round 6, Firouzja made a big mistake and lost quickly. Some thought he might be playing too emotionally. In round 7, Firouzja managed to beat Gukesh, which was a surprise. At the halfway point, Nepomniachtchi was still in the lead.

The second half of the tournament started with a big change! In round 8, Gukesh beat Vidit, which put him tied for first place with Nepomniachtchi. Nakamura also won against Caruana.

In round 9, Vidit bounced back and beat Nakamura. The game between Firouzja and Nepomniachtchi was very close, but it ended in a draw. Nakamura and Caruana both won their games in round 10. The game between Gukesh and Nepomniachtchi was a draw, keeping them tied for the lead.

In round 11, Nakamura beat Praggnanandhaa, and Nepomniachtchi won against Vidit. Gukesh and Caruana drew their game. This meant Nepomniachtchi was back in the sole lead.

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Round 12 was very important. Nepomniachtchi drew, but Nakamura, Gukesh, and Caruana all won their games. This created a three-way tie for first place between Nepomniachtchi, Nakamura, and Gukesh. Caruana was just half a point behind.

The second-to-last round (round 13) was critical. Gukesh defeated Firouzja, and Caruana beat Praggnanandhaa. Nepomniachtchi and Nakamura drew their game. This gave Gukesh a half-point lead going into the final round!

The final round was full of tension. Nakamura played Gukesh, and Caruana played Nepomniachtchi. Nakamura, Caruana, and Nepomniachtchi all needed to win to catch Gukesh. Gukesh and Nakamura's game ended in a draw. This meant Gukesh had secured at least a tie for first.

The game between Caruana and Nepomniachtchi was very dramatic. Caruana played brilliantly and got a winning position. But Nepomniachtchi defended incredibly well. In the end, Caruana made a small mistake, and Nepomniachtchi managed to get a draw.

With this draw, Gukesh Dommaraju won the tournament! He earned the right to play for the World Chess Championship title against Ding Liren later in 2024.

Images

  • Nijat Abasov - Ian Nepomniachtchi, Candidates Tournament 2024 04

    Abasov vs. Nepomniachtchi (Round 1)

  • Hikaru Nakamura - Fabiano Caruana, Candidates Tournament 2024 03

    Nakamura vs. Caruana (Round 1)

  • Alireza Firouzja - R Praggnanandhaa, Candidates Tournament 2024 05

    Firouzja vs. Praggnanandhaa (Round 1)

  • Alireza Firouzja - Gukesh D, Candidates Tournament 2024 01

    Firouzja vs. Gukesh (Round 7)

  • Fabiano Caruana - R Praggnanandhaa, Candidates Tournament 2024 01

    Caruana vs. Praggnanandhaa (Round 7)

  • Hikaru Nakamura - Ian Nepomniachtchi, Candidates Tournament 2024

    Nakamura vs. Nepomniachtchi (Round 7)

  • Nijat Abasov - Vidit Gujrathi, Candidates Tournament 2024 07

    Abasov vs. Vidit (Round 7)

See also

  • Women's Candidates Tournament 2024

The Championship Match

How the Match Was Organized

Countries offered to host the championship. Argentina, India, and Singapore showed early interest. In June 2024, FIDE (the world chess federation) announced three bids. Two were from India, and one was from Singapore.

FIDE chose Singapore to host the match. It took place at the Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa.

The prize money for the event was US$2.5 million. Each player got US$200,000 for each game they won. The rest of the money was split equally. If there was a tiebreak, the winner would get US$1.3 million and the loser US$1.2 million.

Special guests made the first move of each game. These guests included important people from Google, chess masters, and government officials.

Game Guest
1 Demis Hassabis Co-founder of Google DeepMind and 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner
2 Tan Lian Ann Singaporean chess master
Lim Kok Ann Singaporean chess player and microbiologist
3 Olivier Lim Chairman of the Singapore Tourism Board
4 Xie Jun Women's World Chess Champion (1991–1996; 1999–2001)
Viswanathan Anand Deputy President of FIDE and World Chess Champion (FIDE split title 2000–2002; undisputed champion 2007–2013)
5 K. Shanmugam Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law of Singapore
6 Scott Beaumont President of Google's operations in the Asia–Pacific region
7 Edwin Tong Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law of Singapore
8 Kingston Kwek Singaporean entrepreneur
Goh Wei Ming Singaporean chess grandmaster and CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation
9 Shilpak Ambule High Commissioner of India to Singapore
10 Kon Yin Tong Chairman of Sport Singapore
11 Eugene Torre Filipino chess grandmaster
Hou Yifan Women's World Chess Champion (2010–2012; 2013–2015; 2016–2017) and second highest rated female player in history
12 Zhu Jing Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Singapore
13 Arkady Dvorkovich President of FIDE

Match Rules

The rules for this championship were a bit different from 2023.

Each game had a time control. Players had 120 minutes for their first 40 moves. Then, they got 30 more minutes for the rest of the game. Starting from move 41, they also got an extra 30 seconds per move.

The match was a "best of 14 games." The first player to reach at least 7½ points would win. If the score was tied after 14 games, they would play tiebreak games. These tiebreaks used faster time controls:

  • First, 4 rapid games. Each player got 15 minutes, plus 10 seconds per move. If someone scored 2½ points or more, they won.
  • If still tied, they played 2 more rapid games. Each player got 10 minutes, plus 5 seconds per move.
  • If still tied, they played 2 blitz games. Each player got 3 minutes, plus 2 seconds per move.
  • If still tied, they played single blitz games until someone won.

Players could not agree to a draw before Black's 40th move. A draw was only allowed if a threefold repetition or stalemate happened.

Past Games Between Them

TataSteelChess2023-22
Ding (left) and Gukesh (right) during the 2023 Tata Steel Chess Tournament

Before this championship, Ding and Gukesh had played three classical games. Ding won two of these games. Their most recent game before the championship was a draw.

Head-to-head record
Ding wins Draw Gukesh wins Total
Classical games Ding (White) – Gukesh (Black) 0 1 0 1
Gukesh (White) – Ding (Black) 2 0 0 2
Total 2 1 0 3
Faster games (Blitz / Rapid) 0 1 1 2
Total 2 2 1 5

Many chess experts thought Gukesh was the favorite to win. This was mainly because Ding had not been playing his best. Gukesh said he didn't believe in predictions. He just wanted to play his best every day.

Coaches (Seconds)

Gukesh worked with Grzegorz Gajewski as his coach, also known as a second. He also had help from Vincent Keymer. Ding Liren worked with Richárd Rapport and Ni Hua. These coaches help players prepare for matches.

Schedule

Games started at 5:00 PM local time in Singapore.

The players drew lots to see who would play white in the first game. Gukesh got the white pieces for Game 1. The colors then switched for each game.

Match Results

This section uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
World Chess Championship 2024
Rating Match games Points
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
 Gukesh Dommaraju (IND) 2783 0 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½ 1 7½
 Ding Liren (CHN) 2728 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½ 0 6½

Classical Games

Game 1: Gukesh vs. Ding, Ding Wins

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Ding won the first game in 42 moves on November 25. Ding surprised everyone by playing the French Defense. This opening can be very aggressive. Ding had used it before in his 2023 championship match.

Gukesh played an attacking move early on. But Ding's next move took Gukesh out of his prepared plans. Ding then found a strong move, 18...Nb2! This put a lot of pressure on Gukesh. Gukesh made a mistake with 22.Qe1?, and his position fell apart.

Ding won the game. It was his first classical win since January. This was also the first time in 14 years that Game 1 of a World Championship had a winner.

After the game, Ding was very happy. Gukesh said mistakes happen in long matches. He expected Ding to play his best.

French Defence, Steinitz Variation (ECO C11)
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nce2 Nc6 7. c3 a5 8. Nf3 a4 9. Be3 Be7 10. g4 Qa5 11. Bg2 a3 12. b3 cxd4 13. b4 Qc7 14. Nexd4 Nb6 15. 0-0 Nc4 16. Bf2 Bd7 17. Qe2 Nxd4 18. Nxd4 Nb2 19. Qe3 Rc8 20. Rac1 Qc4 21. f5 Qd3 (diagram) 22. Qe1 Bg5 23. Rc2 Rc4 24. h4 Bf4 25. Qb1 Rxc3 26. Rxc3 Qxc3 27. fxe6 fxe6 28. Ne2 Qxe5 29. Nxf4 Qxf4 30. Qc2 Qc4 31. Qd2 0-0 32. Bd4 Nd3 33. Qe3 Rxf1+ 34. Bxf1 e5 35. Bxe5 Qxg4+ 36. Bg2 Bf5 37. Bg3 Be4 38. Kh2 h6 39. Bh3 Qd1 40. Bd6 Qc2+ 41. Kg3 Qxa2 42. Be6+ Kh8 0–1

Game 2: Ding vs. Gukesh, Draw

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The second game was a 23-move draw on November 26. Ding started with 1.e4, which was a surprise. He chose a quiet opening. Ding offered Gukesh a chance for a complicated game. Gukesh decided not to take the risk.

The game stayed balanced. Ding had a small chance to play on, but he chose to repeat moves. This led to a draw.

Gukesh said he wasn't trying to win with Black so early in the match. Ding also felt the game was balanced.

Italian Game, Giuoco Pianissimo (ECO C50)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a4 d6 7. 0-0 h6 8. Be3 Be6 9. a5 Bxc4 10. dxc4 (diagram) 0-0 11. Bxc5 dxc5 12. b3 Qxd1 13. Rfxd1 Rad8 14. Rdc1 Nd4 15. Ne1 Rd6 16. Kf1 g6 17. Rd1 Rfd8 18. f3 Kg7 19. Kf2 h5 20. Ne2 Nc6 21. Nc3 Nd4 22. Ne2 Nc6 23. Nc3 Nd4 ½–½

Game 3: Gukesh vs. Ding, Gukesh Wins

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Gukesh won the third game in 37 moves on November 27. Gukesh used a Queen's Gambit Declined opening. Ding intentionally got his bishop trapped early on.

The game became very complex. Ding made a mistake with 18...Rh5. This led to him losing a bishop for two pawns. Gukesh then played very accurately. He trapped Ding's bishop again and won the game. Ding lost on time, but his position was already lost.

Queen's Gambit Declined, Exchange Variation (ECO D35)
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 c6 6. Qc2 g6 7. h3 Bf5 8. Qb3 Qb6 9. g4 Qxb3 10. axb3 Bc2 11. Bf4 h5 12. Rg1 hxg4 13. hxg4 Nbd7 14. Nd2 Rg8 15. g5 Nh5 16. Bh2 Rh8 17. f3 Ng7 18. Bg3 (diagram) Rh5 19. e4 dxe4 20. fxe4 Ne6 21. Rc1 Nxd4 22. Bf2 Bg7 23. Ne2 Nxb3 24. Rxc2 Nxd2 25. Kxd2 Ne5 26. Nd4 Rd8 27. Ke2 Rh2 28. Bg2 a6 29. b3 Rd7 30. Rcc1 Ke7 31. Rcd1 Ke8 32. Bg3 Rh5 33. Nf3 Nxf3 34. Kxf3 Bd4 35. Rh1 Rxg5 36. Bh3 f5 37. Bf4 Rh5 1–0

Game 4: Ding vs. Gukesh, Draw

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The fourth game was a 42-move draw on November 29. Ding played an unusual opening. It surprised Gukesh but was not very aggressive. Ding said he wanted to play it safe.

Gukesh's move 13...Ne5!? surprised Ding. Gukesh thought it would be risky for Ding to attack the knight. Ding had a chance to push for a win, but he chose a move that led to a draw.

Pieces were traded, and they reached an endgame. The game ended in a draw by threefold repetition.

Zukertort Opening (ECO A06)
1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. b3 Bf5 4. Be2 h6 5. Ba3 Nbd7 6. 0-0 e6 7. Bxf8 Nxf8 8. c4 N8d7 9. Nc3 0-0 10. cxd5 exd5 11. b4 c6 12. Nd4 Bh7 13. Qb3 Ne5 14. a4 Rc8 15. a5 b6 (diagram) 16. Nf3 Nxf3+ 17. Bxf3 d4 18. Ne2 dxe3 19. dxe3 Be4 20. Rfd1 Qe7 21. Bxe4 Nxe4 22. axb6 axb6 23. Nc3 Rfd8 24. Nxe4 Qxe4 25. h3 c5 26. Rxd8+ Rxd8 27. bxc5 bxc5 28. Rc1 Qe5 29. Qc2 Rd5 30. g3 f5 31. Kg2 Kh7 32. Qc4 Qd6 33. e4 Re5 34. exf5 Rxf5 35. Qe4 Qd5 36. Qxd5 Rxd5 37. Kf3 Kg6 38. Ke4 Rd4+ 39. Ke3 Rd5 40. Ke4 Rd4+ 41. Ke3 Rd5 42. Ke4 Rd4+ ½–½

Game 5: Gukesh vs. Ding, Draw

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The fifth game was a 40-move draw on November 30. Ding played the French Defense again. Gukesh quickly traded queens and rooks.

Gukesh made a mistake with 23.dxe5? This gave Ding a strong advantage. However, Ding did not realize how good his position was. He did not push hard for a win. The players agreed to a draw.

French Defence, Exchange Variation (ECO C01)
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 c4 7. Bc2 Bd6 8. Qe2+ Qe7 9. Qxe7+ Kxe7 10. 0-0 Re8 11. Re1+ Kf8 12. Rxe8+ Kxe8 13. Bg5 Nbd7 14. Nbd2 h6 15. Bh4 Nh5 16. Re1+ Kf8 17. g4 Nf4 18. Bg3 Nb6 19. g5 hxg5 20. Nxg5 Bd7 21. Ngf3 Re8 22. Ne5 Bxe5 (diagram) 23. dxe5 Nd3 24. Bxd3 cxd3 25. f3 Nc4 26. Nxc4 dxc4 27. Re4 Bc6 28. Rd4 Bxf3 29. Kf2 Bc6 30. Rxc4 Rd8 31. Rd4 Rxd4 32. cxd4 Bd5 33. b3 Ke7 34. Ke3 Ke6 35. Kxd3 g6 36. Kc3 a6 37. Kd3 Kf5 38. Ke3 Ke6 39. Kd3 Kf5 40. Ke3 Ke6 ½–½

Game 6: Ding vs. Gukesh, Draw

Ding–Gukesh, game 6

The sixth game was a 46-move draw on December 1. Ding played the London System. He had won a game with this opening in his last championship. Ding wanted to repeat that success.

Ding got a good position early on. Gukesh made a small mistake. Gukesh had a chance to draw by repeating moves, but he chose to play on. He felt there was still a lot of play left. Ding gained a small advantage later. But he made a mistake, and the game ended in a draw by repetition.

London System (ECO D02)
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Nf3 c5 5. c3 Bd6 6. Bb5+ Nc6 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. Bxd6 Qxd6 9. Qa4 0-0 10. Qa3 Ne4 11. Nfd2 e5 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. Qxc5 Qg6 14. Nd2 Qxg2 15. 0-0-0 Qxf2 16. dxe5 Rb8 17. Nc4 (first diagram) Be6 18. Rd2 Qf3 19. Re1 Bxc4 20. Qxc4 Qf5 21. Qxc6 Qxe5 22. Qd5 Qe7 23. Qd6 Qg5 24. Qd5 Qe7 25. Qd6 Qg5 26. Qd5 Qh4 27. Red1 g6 28. Qe5 Rbe8 29. Qg3 Qh5 30. Qf4 Qa5 31. a3 Qb5 32. Rd4 Qe2 33. R1d2 Qf3 (second diagram) 34. Kc2 Qxf4 35. exf4 f5 36. h4 e3 37. Re2 Re7 38. Kd3 Rfe8 39. h5 gxh5 40. Rd5 h4 41. Rxf5 Rd7+ 42. Kc2 Kg7 43. Rg2+ Kh8 44. Re2 Kg7 45. Rg2+ Kh8 46. Re2 Kg7 ½–½

Game 7: Gukesh vs. Ding, Draw

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The seventh game was a long 72-move draw on December 3. It was a very exciting game. Gukesh played a new move in the opening. Ding reacted poorly and Gukesh got a strong position.

Ding was under pressure and tried to create chaos. Gukesh was winning, but Ding's active queen made it hard. Ding made a mistake near the time control. This gave Gukesh a winning position again. However, Gukesh also made a small mistake. Ding found strong defensive moves and managed to draw the game.

Many experts called this the best game of the match.

Neo-Grünfeld Defence, Classical Variation (ECO D78)
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 g6 3. d4 Bg7 4. c4 c6 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Re1 dxc4 8. e4 Bg4 9. Nbd2 c5 10. d5 e6 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 exd5 13. exd5 Nbd7 14. Nxc4 b5 15. Na3 Qb6 16. Bf4 Rfe8 17. Qd2 Rad8 18. Nc2 Nf8 19. b4 c4 20. Be3 Qa6 21. Bd4 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Qxa2 23. Ra1 Qb3 24. Ra3 Qb1+ 25. Kg2 Rd7 26. Ra5 Qb3 27. Ra3 Qb1 28. Ra5 Qb3 29. Rxb5 Qd3 30. Qf4 Qxc2 31. Bxf6 Qf5 32. Qxf5 gxf5 33. Bxg7 Kxg7 34. Rc5 Ng6 35. Rxc4 Ne5 36. Rd4 Nc6 37. Rf4 Ne7 38. b5 Kf6 39. Rd4 h6 40. Kf1 Ke5 41. Rh4 Nxd5 42. Rxh6 Nc3 43. Rc6 Ne4 (diagram) 44. Ke1 f6 45. h4 Rd3 46. Bd1 f4 47. gxf4+ Kxf4 48. Bc2 Rd5 49. Rc4 f5 50. Rb4 Kf3 51. Bd1+ Kg2 52. Rb3 Re5 53. f4 Re7 54. Re3 Rh7 55. h5 Nf6 56. Re5 Nxh5 57. Rxf5 Ng3 58. Rf8 Rb7 59. Ba4 Kf3 60. f5 Kf4 61. f6 Ne4 62. Bc2 Nd6 63. Rd8 Ke5 64. Bb3 Nf7 65. Rd5+ Kxf6 66. Kd2 Rb6 67. Bc4 Rd6 68. Kc3 Rxd5 69. Bxd5 Nd6 70. Kb4 Nxb5 71. Kxb5 a6+ 72. Kxa6 ½–½

Game 8: Ding vs. Gukesh, Draw

Ding–Gukesh, game 8

The eighth game was a 51-move draw on December 4. Gukesh played well against Ding's 1.c4. He put Ding in an unfamiliar position. Ding made a mistake that gave Gukesh an advantage. Gukesh got two strong pawns on the queenside.

However, Gukesh then made a mistake himself. Ding found a great defensive move. This not only saved the game but gave Ding an advantage. Ding ended up with a rook for a knight and a pawn. Neither player realized they were winning at different points. The game ended in a draw.

English Opening, Reversed Sicilian, Kramnik–Shirov Counterattack (ECO A21)
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Nd5 Be7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 c6 6. Nxe7 Nxe7 7. Bg2 f6 8. 0-0 Be6 9. b3 d5 10. Ba3 0-0 11. Rc1 a5 12. Ne1 Re8 13. f4 exf4 14. Rxf4 dxc4 15. bxc4 Ng6 16. Re4 Na6 17. Nc2 Qc7 18. Nd4 Bf7 19. d3 Ne5 20. Nf3 Nd7 21. Rxe8+ Rxe8 22. Rb1 b5 23. cxb5 Qb6+ 24. Kf1 cxb5 (first diagram) 25. Bb2 Bxa2 26. Bd4 Nac5 27. Rc1 Bb3 28. Qe1 Be6 29. Qf2 Rc8 30. Be3 Rc7 (second diagram) 31. Nd4 Bf7 32. Nc6 Rxc6 33. Bxc6 Qxc6 34. Bxc5 h6 35. Ke1 b4 36. Qd4 Ne5 37. Kd2 Qg2 38. Qf2 Qd5 39. Qd4 Qg2 40. Qf2 Qd5 41. Qd4 Qa2+ 42. Rc2 Qe6 43. Qd8+ Kh7 44. Qxa5 b3 45. Rc1 Qd5 46. Qb4 Qg2 47. Qe4+ Qxe4 48. dxe4 b2 49. Rb1 Ba2 50. Rxb2 Nc4+ 51. Kc3 Nxb2 ½–½

Game 9: Gukesh vs. Ding, Draw

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The ninth game was a 54-move draw on December 5. Gukesh opened with 1.d4, and Ding responded similarly to Game 3. The game became a Catalan Opening. Ding chose a setup like the Retreat Variation of the Bogo-Indian Defense.

Gukesh kept a small advantage for a while. But his move 20.Qb5?! allowed Ding to make the game equal. They traded many pieces, and the game ended in a draw.

Bogo-Indian Defense, Retreat Variation (ECO E11)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Be7 5. Bg2 d5 6. Nf3 0-0 7. 0-0 c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Rd1 b6 10. Bc3 Bb7 11. Nbd2 Qc7 12. Rac1 Rfd8 13. b4 c5 14. bxc5 bxc5 15. Qb2 Nb6 16. Ba5 dxc4 17. Nxc4 Bxf3 18. Bxb6 axb6 19. Bxf3 Ra6 20. Qb5 (diagram) Rxa2 21. Nxb6 Qa7 22. Qb1 Rb8 23. dxc5 Ra6 24. Qb5 Bxc5 25. Qxc5 Qxb6 26. Qxb6 Raxb6 27. Rc6 Rxc6 28. Bxc6 g5 29. Kg2 Rb2 30. Kf1 Kg7 31. h3 h5 32. Ra1 Rc2 33. Bb5 Rc5 34. Bd3 Nd7 35. f4 gxf4 36. gxf4 Rc3 37. Kf2 Nc5 38. Ke3 Nxd3 39. exd3 Rc2 40. Kf3 Rd2 41. Ra3 Kg6 42. Rb3 f6 43. Ra3 Kf5 44. Ra5+ e5 45. fxe5 Rxd3+ 46. Ke2 Rxh3 47. exf6+ Kxf6 48. Kf2 h4 49. Kg2 Rg3+ 50. Kh2 Kg6 51. Rb5 Rg5 52. Rxg5+ Kxg5 53. Kh3 Kf6 54. Kxh4 ½–½

Game 10: Ding vs. Gukesh, Draw

The tenth game was a 36-move draw on December 7. This game was quiet. Ding did not gain any advantage from the opening. When he agreed to trade pieces, it was clear he was happy with a draw.

The result was never in doubt. Experts said the players could have agreed to a draw much earlier. But rules prevented them from doing so before move 40.

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London System (ECO D02)
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. e3 c5 5. Be2 Bd6 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. c4 0-0 8. 0-0 Nc6 9. Nc3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nh5 11. Bg5 Be7 12. Ne4 Nf6 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 (diagram) 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Rfd1 Bd7 17. Rac1 Be8 18. Rxd8 Rxd8 19. Kf1 Kg7 20. a3 f5 21. Ke1 Kf6 22. Be2 Ne7 23. g3 Rc8 24. Rxc8 Nxc8 25. Nd2 Nd6 26. Nc4 Nxc4 27. Bxc4 Bc6 28. f4 b6 29. Kd2 Ke7 30. Kc3 Kd6 31. b4 f6 32. Kd4 h6 33. Bb3 Bb7 34. Bc4 Bc6 35. Bb3 Bb7 36. Bc4 Bc6 ½–½

Game 11: Gukesh vs. Ding, Gukesh Wins

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Gukesh won the eleventh game in 29 moves on December 8. This win gave Gukesh the lead for the first time in the match. Gukesh made a mistake in his opening preparation. This led to a difficult position for him. But Ding did not take full advantage of it.

The game became very complicated. Both players made some small errors. Then, Ding made a big mistake. He blundered his knight with 28...Qc8?? This ended the game quickly.

Réti Opening, Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit (ECO A09)
1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. b4 c5 4. e3 Nf6 5. a3 Bg4 6. exd4 cxd4 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Qc7 9. d3 a5 10. b5 Nbd7 11. g3 Nc5 12. Bg2 Nfd7 13. 0-0 Ne5 14. Qf4 Rd8 15. Rd1 g6 16. a4 h5 17. b6 Qd6 18. Ba3 Bh6 19. Bxc5 Qxc5 20. Qe4 Nc6 21. Na3 (diagram) Rd7 22. Nc2 Qxb6 23. Rab1 Qc7 24. Rb5 0-0 25. Na1 Rb8 26. Nb3 e6 27. Nc5 Re7 28. Rdb1 Qc8 29. Qxc6 1–0

Game 12: Ding vs. Gukesh, Ding Wins

Ding–Gukesh, game 12

The twelfth game was a 39-move win for Ding on December 9. Ding played one of his best games ever. He played with amazing accuracy. He used the English opening.

Gukesh made some uncertain moves. Ding's advantage grew very large after Gukesh's 17th move. Ding's chances of winning increased a lot.

Ding finished the game in style. He sacrificed his rook with 39.Rxg7+. This forced Gukesh to resign. Gukesh's position was lost. Former world champion Magnus Carlsen thought Gukesh's opening choice was not good.

English Opening, Agincourt Defense (ECO A13)
1. c4 e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nf3 d4 5. 0-0 Nc6 6. e3 Be7 7. d3 dxe3 8. Bxe3 e5 9. Nc3 0-0 10. Re1 h6 11. a3 a5 12. h3 Be6 13. Kh2 Rb8 14. Qc2 Re8 15. Nb5 Bf5 16. Rad1 Nd7 17. Qd2 (first diagram) Bg6 18. d4 e4 19. Ng1 Nb6 20. Qc3 Bf6 21. Qc2 a4 22. Ne2 (second diagram) Bg5 23. Nf4 Bxf4 24. Bxf4 Rc8 25. Qc3 Nb8 26. d5 Qd7 27. d6 c5 28. Nc7 Rf8 29. Bxe4 Nc6 30. Bg2 Rcd8 31. Nd5 Nxd5 32. cxd5 Nb8 33. Qxc5 Rc8 34. Qd4 Na6 35. Re7 Qb5 36. d7 Rc4 37. Qe3 Rc2 38. Bd6 f6 39. Rxg7+ 1–0

Game 13: Gukesh vs. Ding, Draw

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Game 13 was a tough 69-move draw. It was played on December 11, 2024. Gukesh surprised Ding in the opening. He put Ding under pressure. Gukesh offered a pawn, but Ding didn't take it.

Gukesh's advantage grew. He had a winning position for a short time. But he missed the best way to win. Ding was running out of time. But he found the only moves to save the game. He defended successfully and drew the game.

French Defence, Steinitz Variation (ECO C11)
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nce2 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. a3 Be7 8. Be3 Nb6 9. Nf4 cxd4 10. cxd4 Nc4 11. Bxc4 dxc4 12. Nge2 b5 13. 0-0 0-0 14. Nc3 Rb8 15. Nh5 f5 16. exf6 Bxf6 17. Qf3 Qe8 18. Nxf6+ Rxf6 19. Qe2 Qg6 20. f3 Rf8 21. Rad1 Ne7 22. Bf4 (diagram) Rb6 23. Bc7 Rb7 24. Bd6 Re8 25. Bxe7 Rexe7 26. Qe5 a6 27. d5 exd5 28. Qxd5+ Qe6 29. Qc5 Re8 30. Rde1 Qf7 31. Ne4 Rf8 32. Nd6 Rc7 33. Qe5 Qf6 34. Qd5+ Kh8 35. Re5 Re7 36. Rfe1 Rxe5 37. Rxe5 h6 38. Qc5 Bd7 39. Ne4 Qf4 40. Re7 Bf5 41. Qd4 Rg8 42. h3 Qc1+ 43. Kf2 Bxe4 44. Rxe4 c3 45. bxc3 Qxa3 46. Kg3 Qb3 47. Re7 a5 48. Rb7 Qc4 49. Qe5 Qc6 50. Qxb5 Qxc3 51. Ra7 Qe1+ 52. Kh2 Qb4 53. Qxb4 axb4 54. Rb7 Ra8 55. Rxb4 Ra2 56. Kg3 Kh7 57. Rb5 Kg6 58. f4 Kf6 59. Kf3 Rc2 60. g3 Rc3+ 61. Kg4 Ra3 62. h4 Rc3 63. Rb6+ Kf7 64. f5 h5+ 65. Kf4 Rc4+ 66. Kf3 Rc3+ 67. Kf4 Rc4+ 68. Kf3 Rc3+ 69. Kf4 ½–½

Game 14: Ding vs. Gukesh, Gukesh Wins

Game 14 was a 58-move win for Gukesh. It was played on December 12, 2024. This win made Gukesh the world's youngest Chess World Champion! The score was tied before this game. So, a win for either player meant winning the whole match. A draw would have led to tie-break games.

The game was heading for a draw. But Ding made a surprising mistake. He offered to trade rooks when his bishop was trapped. This allowed Gukesh to simplify the position. Gukesh got a winning endgame with two pawns against one.

Gukesh became the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion. Only Ruslan Ponomariov was younger when he won a world title in 2002. But that was during a time when the world title was split.

King's Indian Attack, French, Reversed Grünfeld Variation (ECO A08)
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. d4 e6 5. 0-0 cxd4 6. Nxd4 Nge7 7. c4 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qd1 d4 10. e3 Bc5 11. exd4 Bxd4 12. Nc3 0-0 13. Nb5 Bb6 14. b3 a6 15. Nc3 Bd4 16. Bb2 e5 17. Qd2 Be6 18. Nd5 b5 19. cxb5 axb5 20. Nf4 exf4 21. Bxc6 Bxb2 22. Qxb2 Rb8 23. Rfd1 Qb6 24. Bf3 fxg3 25. hxg3 b4 26. a4 bxa3 27. Rxa3 g6 28. Qd4 Qb5 29. b4 Qxb4 30. Qxb4 Rxb4 31. Ra8 Rxa8 32. Bxa8 g5 33. Bd5 Bf5 34. Rc1 Kg7 35. Rc7 Bg6 36. Rc4 Rb1+ 37. Kg2 Re1 38. Rb4 h5 39. Ra4 Re5 40. Bf3 Kh6 41. Kg1 Re6 42. Rc4 g4 43. Bd5 Rd6 44. Bb7 Kg5 45. f3 f5 46. fxg4 hxg4 47. Rb4 Bf7 48. Kf2 Rd2+ 49. Kg1 Kf6 50. Rb6+ Kg5 51. Rb4 Be6 52. Ra4 Rb2 53. Ba8 Kf6 54. Rf4 Ke5 55. Rf2 Rxf2 56. Kxf2 Bd5 57. Bxd5 Kxd5 58. Ke3 Ke5 0–1
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World Chess Championship 2024 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.