Gukesh And Ding Both Miss Wins In Crazy Game 8 Draw
Both GM Gukesh Dommaraju and World Champion Ding Liren missed wins as game eight of the 2024 FIDE World Championship ended in a 51-move draw. Ding switched to 1.c4, was again surprised in the opening, but had stabilized just when he blundered into a trap. Gukesh pounced and was winning, but one wrong choice saw the momentum shift again. Ding was close to winning, but again ready to settle for a draw. Gukesh rejected the repetition, but there was no avoiding a fifth draw in a row. Another day of crazy drama leaves the scores level at 4-4, with six games to go.
This is a flash report. Come back later for full analysis, player quotes, and photos!
Game nine starts Thursday, December 5, at 4:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 CET / 2:30 p.m. IST / 5:00 p.m. local time in Singapore.
Match Score
| Name | Rating | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Score |
| Ding Liren | 2728 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | 4 |
| Gukesh Dommaraju | 2783 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | . | . | . | . | . | 4 |
Gukesh rejected one draw, but he couldn't rejected the final offer.
Ding Liren finally forces a draw, leaving the match tied at 4-4 with 6 games to go! #DingGukesh pic.twitter.com/bg9dnO71rZ
— chess24 (@chess24com) December 4, 2024
GM Rafael Leitao will analyze game eight of the match below.
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The 2024 FIDE World Championship in Singapore decides the next world champion. 18-year-old Indian Challenger Gukesh Dommaraju takes on Chinese Defending Champion Ding Liren in a 14-game match, with the first to 7.5 points winning. The players have two hours for 40 moves, then 30 minutes to the end of the game, with 30 seconds added each move from move 41 onwards. The prize fund is $2,500,000, with $200,000 for a win and the remaining money split equally. If tied 7-7, a playoff will take place, starting with four games of 15+10 rapid chess.
Previous world championship coverage:
- Game 7: Ding Escapes In Game 7 Thriller To Tie Gukesh At Halfway
- Game 6: Gukesh Gambles But Game 6 Also Ends In Draw
- Game 5: Gukesh Blunders But Ding Lets Him Off Easily In Game 5
- Game 4: Gukesh Defuses Ding's 1.Nf3 Surprise As Game 4 Ends In Draw
- Game 3: Gukesh Beats Ding To Level The Scores After Game 3
- Game 2: Ding Leads Gukesh 1.5-0.5 After Tense 23-Move Draw In Game 2
- Game 1: Ding Stuns Gukesh To Win Game 1 Of 2024 World Championship
- Gukesh White Vs. 'At Peace' Ding Liren For Game 1 Of World Championship
- 'We Could See A Bloodbath!' Carlsen & Co. On Ding-Gukesh
- Gukesh Vs Ding: Here's What The Numbers Say
- Who Will Win The World Championship? Vidit, Giri Predict Gukesh Dominance Over Ding
- Ding Admits Fears Ahead Of Gukesh Match: 'I Am Worried About Losing Very Badly'
- Gukesh: 'I'm Quite Eager To Start The Match'
- Google Announced As Title Sponsor For Ding-Gukesh World Championship
- New Ding-Gukesh World Championship Rules Encourage Faster, More Decisive Games
- Ding-Gukesh World Championship Match Venue Announced
- Singapore Chosen For Ding vs. Gukesh FIDE World Championship
Colin McGourty led news at Chess24 from its launch until it merged with Chess.com a decade later. An amateur player, he got into chess writing when he set up the website Chess in Translation after previously studying Slavic languages and literature in St. Andrews, Odesa, Oxford, and Krakow.
