World championship match in Astana

[LawrenceCooper]

Ding wins!

[Matt Mackenzie]

Incredible nerves from him, considering. His first Black win in this match came at the best possible time.

So we have our first ever Chinese WC, but quite possibly not our last.

And I doubt many people there, at least, will care that Carlsen is rated higher.

[Geoff Chandler]

I fancied Ding before the start. I even put a fiver on and won £5.50.



Some great games in that match and 3 or the 4 tie breaks were also very good.
The book, when it comes out, will be top of my must have right away shopping list.
(and if the book retails at £9.95 I'll be dancing in the street.)

[John Upham]

The book, when it comes out, will be top of my must have right away shopping list.
(and if the book retails at £9.95 I'll be dancing in the street.)

Ray Keene OBE has already written the book of the match with a foreword by Sam Sloan.

Not sure if it will be stocked by CHESS and Bridge.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Worth quoting from Ding's reaction here for the lovely final line:

https://en.chessbase.com/post/world-cha ... 23-playoff

I started learning to play chess at four years old and spent 26 years playing and analysing. I’ve tried to improve my chess ability in many different ways and using different methods. I think I did nearly everything. Sometimes there are tournaments when you are not so happy. Sometimes I struggle to find other hobbies to make me happy. But I was trying to learn from the best. The match reflects the deepest of my soul.

And watch Ding's emotions after the game is won if you can. He may only be covering his face, but there is so much emotion coming out there.

[Nick Ivell]

Congratulations to Ding. Chess enters a new era.

He was able to control his nerves. Not sure where he found the strength to do this. At the end there was no jubilation; it was an almost mystical moment.

[Mick Norris]

Well done Ding

Nepo had good chances to win before the tiebreaks; 2 WC match losses, will he get a 3rd chance?

[LawrenceCooper]

How to make two world championship finalists look incredibly uncomfortable in one easy video: https://twitter.com/FIDE_chess/status/1 ... 5892752384

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Liked the Kasparov thread here:

https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1 ... 7157503014

Nepo came across as petulant (sorry, no other word for it) at the closing ceremony.

If he does regroup and wins through for a third title match in a rematch against Ding Liren, that might see some fireworks!

[Mike Gunn]

Thank goodness it was an extra time win, and we didn't get on to the penalty shootout stage.

[LawrenceCooper]

Liked the Kasparov thread here:

https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1 ... 7157503014

Nepo came across as petulant (sorry, no other word for it) at the closing ceremony.

If he does regroup and wins through for a third title match in a rematch against Ding Liren, that might see some fireworks!

I do have some sympathy with him. I would have preferred the spotlight being on Ding and not to make Nepo hang around on stage for what must have seemed like an eternity (both at the final press conference and the wreath/trophy award to Ding).

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Report from The Guardian's Sean Ingle:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/ ... sia-astana

Sleeping pills, thrills and a new king: the inside story of the World Chess Championship

[Matt Mackenzie]

I note the claim towards the end of the linked piece that Carlsen has said he isn't going to try and reclaim the title in the future.

When did he actually say this explicitly?

[Chris Rice]

If Ding had lost the match he was going to retire from chess. Interview here.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Do people think the other Chinese chess GMs will be inspired by this and feel they too can become World Champion? The likes of Wei Yi, Wang Hao, Yu Yangyi, for example? Or will the focus be on the team events? It would be quite something if China could hold all the main individual and team titles at the same time.