WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2024

No risks taken, Ding-Gukesh Game 4 ends in draw

Reigning champion Ding Liren and his young challenger D Gukesh played out a draw in Game 4 of their World Chess Championship match in Singapore on Friday.

The 42-move game that ended in a three-fold repetition, just like in Game 2, has levelled the score at 2 points. Ten more classical games are left in the match, and the first to reach 7.5 points will be crowned.

"In a world championship match, you have to press your opponent to show who is the boss," said legendary player Judit Polgar. But neither Gukesh, fresh from his match-levelling win in Game 3, nor the holder Ding, who took Game 1, was willing to risk it.

After analysing the game, Gukesh said he was slightly surprised by Ding's opening. The game did not begin with a pawn move for the first time in the match. Instead, Ding played Nf3, a knight move that was met with d5 (queen pawn) from the young Indian.

Almost the entire action focused on the queenside, while the Kings remained safe and secure in their respective castles. The queenside was flung open, with the pawns coming off, and Gukesh ended up with a passed pawn, which essentially is a single pawn without opposing pawns preventing its charge.

The first real aggression on the Kingside came when he pushed 'f5' on move 30. "Sharp and aggressive," noted Polgar. But the 18-year-old wasn't ready to push it any further and a draw seemed the most likely outcome.

However, there was a problem: the FIDE rules for the match prevented the players from mutually agreeing to a draw -- a common custom in chess -- unless they reached 40 moves.

"There is no chance to win for either side unless there is a blunder," Polgar rightly pointed out. So both players just kept making thoughtful passive moves until they crossed the 40-move barrier. Then, it was just a routine draw. Gukesh will play white in Game 5 on Saturday.