• Opinion The Russian-Chinese chessboard, by Carlos Toro
  • New era Magnus Carlsen, the king who abdicated out of boredom

Succeeding a myth is never easy. Karpov rose to the challenge with outstanding when Fischer left chess and Ding Liren now faces a similar mission, to prove that he is not an impostor. The new world champion won the title in a thrilling triumph against Ian Nepomniachtchi, following the resignation of Magnus Carlsen. The Chinese starts on the right foot, because in Astana we have seen the resurrection of classical (or slow) chess after 14 exciting games and four quick tiebreakers that culminated in a heart attack ending.

An era that seemed dark is inaugurated and does so in a luminous way, with the most spectacular World Chess Championship in recent decades. In Kazakhstan a precious chess has been practiced, undoubtedly imperfect, but capable of moving the fans. On the board, the wrinkle is beautiful, and the exaggerated symmetry may be a glander.


Ding has been an irreducible hero, a cat who spent almost all his lives climbing the score again and again. He was knocked down several times and always got up, never doubting his new style, always on the wire. His creativity was a delight for the show, although it was often difficult for him to stay with ruined pawn structures, which a conservative chess player would never do. He made up for it with an almost infinite catalog of resources.


On the other hand, Ding bet on attacking even when it seemed suicidal to do so, convinced that Nepo's weak point is defense. In the decisive tiebreaker game, the Russian somehow provoked that attack and Ding rushed a lot of time, but at the moment of truth he played it again. It could be expensive, but it came out heads, the coin fell on the side of the bravest.


Creativity versus classicism


The duel has been interesting for many reasons, starting with the clash of styles that has led to the transformation of the great Chinese master, seconded by the bohemian Hungarian Richard Rapport. Faced with the Cartesian game of Nepo, armed to the teeth thanks to the power of the Russian team, Ding has given a recital of creativity, finding solutions to the most complex problems.


If it is always said that football finals are defined "by details", imagine what can happen on a board, where choosing between two plays (and the number of alternatives is almost always much higher) forces you to calculate hundreds or thousands of different positions. When the pace of play is also faster than normal, the challenge of hitting the right path is directly a chimera.


In Astana, Nepo and Ding finished tied at seven in the series of long games and threw themselves into playing the short ones with the same voracity, without fear or shame, although with many nerves. The World Cup ended as it began, with the two candidates engaged in gauntlets in the middle of the track, but without losing education as in other sports.


Solution at issue


It was the fifth time that a World Chess Championship was decided in quick games, for some an aberration. As if a tie in the 1,500 smooth was resolved with a race of one hundred meters. It doesn't look like FIDE is going to change the formula, however. The previous system, when you had to win six games (Fischer wanted them to be ten) and the tables did not matter, gave rise to eternal confrontations, of several months, which from the outset supposes an unaffordable expense and an exaggerated parenthesis in the lives of all the people involved. He had his point, of course. Another historical solution, the most unfair of all, was to give the champion the privilege of keeping the crown in case of a tie.


In the past, Kramnik beat Topalov in the 2006 World Cup thanks to rapid chess, and Anand beat Gelfand in 2012. Carlsen, the most fond of this formula, won two such titles, against Karjakin in 2016 and against Caruana in 2018.


Four bursts


In Astana, the first playoff game played this Sunday was crazy. Ding started with white, something like taking the first penalty, especially if he managed to convert it. He stayed better, in fact, but then he made the most natural mistake in the world and in an instant it seemed that he could even be given mate. Such is the madness of chess, so difficult for the layman to understand.


Suddenly, Ding had to change his beautiful attack for the thankless task of defending, which both have done worst in this World Cup. Nepo came to sacrifice the queen, which is usually the most beautiful spear that can be seen in a game of chess. His queen was untouchable, but there was the gesture. The Chinese found the only solution to his vital enigma and, incredibly, the game returned to the path of equality, until the tables were signed.


In the second game Nepo chose a sibylline of the Spanish opening and Ding was inaccurate, but somehow he managed, at the cost of spending time as usual, to get to a long finish equalized. New tables and two more points of tension in the environment.


In the third, Ding opted for a simpler scheme, with a minimal but stable advantage. Too little to break the Russian's resistance. It was a rest assault, dangerous for the Chinese. Ding had never beaten Nepo with Black. After three draws, Anish Giri joked: "Rapid chess is dead."


The fourth was a sensational climax. In a new Spanish opening, Nepo prepared a new novelty, which came out frog. The hunted hunter. Ding played very fine and the Russian was left with a very sad bishop. The Chinese, however, broke in the center without calculating the consequences well and again stayed worse. Again the tortilla through the air, turning around. The alternatives followed, until the Chinese set a new trap, very risky. Nepo did not see it and, after several clever kicking moves, he had to give up.


Ding Liren, world champion. He is the first Chinese player to win the overall title.

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