Ding Liren is the current world champion in chess. Yet, he speaks with a rare candour for somebody who holds that title. At least some of his waking thoughts revolve around not wanting to be known as the 'weakest champion'.
"If I always finish in the last place," he told The New Indian Express in an interaction days ahead of Norway Chess, where he's scheduled to take part against the likes of Magnus Carlsen and R Praggnanadhaa, "then people will say he's the weakest champion."
There's a reason behind why he thinks like this. Since his coronation last year (he beat Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi in tie-breaks in April 2023), Liren has been on a prolonged downward trajectory. It even led to Carlsen speculating whether winning the title 'completely broke' him.
After beating Nepomniachtchi, Liren immediately took part in the first leg of the Grand Chess Tour in Bucharest. He finished eighth in a field of 10. After that event in Romania, the Chinese inexplicably shut down his year. While the world of chess carried on, the champion was seemingly on an indefinite holiday. He didn't grant interviews and there were no explanations for his absence.
He returned to the board in a two-day event at Chengdu (he finished outside the top two) before travelling to Wijk aan Zee, where he finished mid-table (ninth out of 14th). He played in Germany after that but, again, without much success.
When you prod him on the latter half of 2023 and his current form, he can't help but be honest. "My sleep has not been so good, not in the best shape, that's why I try not to play so many tournaments, I also try to rest well."
It's fair to say the results have made him question his current level. "The title carries a lot of prestige to it," he said. "But I still need to do a lot to prove that I belong to the highest level, I need to (have) better games, perform well to have decent ranking to say I can compete at the highest level."
Even in the middle of this middling run of his, he has displayed glimpses of his best chess. At Wijk aan Zee in January, he beat D Gukesh with black pieces. It's something he had done at the same venue in 2023 as well.
Unsurprisingly, he remembers both games. "I won both games. He started with e4 and d4. I reacted quite well," the former two-time world youth title winner said.
On the final day of the Candidates, it seemed like it was heading into a tie-breaker before Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana drew their game (the draw enabled Gukesh to go through without any additional drama). Liren called it 'crazy'.
"He (Gukesh) is getting stronger day by day," he said. "He's so young, not even 20. It's crazy that he prevailed at the Candidates after a very tense battle in the last round."
When asked if he would have preferred Caruana, he replied in the negative. "I prefer Gukesh. I have a plus score against him. It will also be a fresh experience rather than playing Nepomniachtchi again. It will be nteresting to see how we have prepared under pressure."
'Pressure', in his eyes, will double or even triple if he plays the title match at home in China. That's why he's happy to play it anywhere as long as it's not in China.
"India, Singapore... Argentina even," he said when asked about the venues. "Other than China, I don't want to play in China. Any place apart from China is a good place for me. I don't want to play at my home. We have special pressure when playing at home."
Wherever he plays Gukesh, he knows the people of his homeland will be watching. "They are following my performances after the World Championship match (against Nepomniachtchi)," he said. "They know I haven't played well. They hope I can get back to my best."
His next three major events, Norway, Sinquefield and the Olympiad, will show whether he has rediscovered his mojo before the clash against Gukesh in November.
