CHENNAI: In the lead up to big matches — finals of tournaments, winner-takes-all boxing bouts and glamour once-in-a-generation ties — both protagonists carefully weigh their words. This unwritten principle also applies to people who have an interest in the said big match. The only position they take is on top of the fence, opting to play it safe.
Over the last few months, one title match has seemingly deviated from the norm. Arjun Erigaisi, when he was asked to predict the Ding Liren vs D Gukesh match-up for this daily, said it would be a 'massacre'. Anish Giri, currently featuring at the Global Chess League (GCL) in London, called Gukesh as a 'giant favourite'. R Praggnanandhaa, who created history with Gukesh by his side at the Olympiad last month, sang from the same hymn sheet.
While the likes of Richard Rapport, a big part of Liren's support staff during his victory over Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2023, was more cautious in his assessment, the overwhelming sentiment is pretty clear. As long as other things remain constant between now and the first game, scheduled to be held in Singapore's Sentosa Resorts from November 25, Gukesh just needs to turn up. Such talk, though, is not based around hubris but based on the recent form.
In Gukesh's last event, the Olympiad in Hungary, he won two gold. Liren's last win in a rated Classical game came in January. It's why the Chinese himself has been a bit circumspect while talking about the upcoming battle with the Indian teen. "It doesn't seem like I have been playing the way I used to," he told The Straits Times in an interview a few days ago.
He has also been fairly intimate with his off-the-board struggles since becoming the world champion last year. "I feel okay, neither good nor bad," he continued to the Singapore-based media house. "I'm not at my lowest and have walked out of the darkness from the last 1.5 years..." In an interview to this publication earlier this year, Liren admitted to having problems sleeping."My sleep has not been good," he had said in May. "Not in the best shape, that's why I try not to play so many tournaments."
While most of the chess world have thought the final as a foregone conclusion because of some of the above reasons, the 31-year-old has one distinct advantage. The know-how of playing in a world championship match. "If I look at current numbers, Gukesh is the favourite but I don't think that's the case," Rapport told this daily. "A world championship is different, you cannot compare."
Praggnanandhaa had a similar take. "I also think Gukesh is the favourite and Ding is not in the best shape but the world championship is a completely different event and the pressure there is immense."
While Giri took cognisance of the pressure of a title match, he doesn't see 'why we should expect any surprise at the match'. "Taking the paths they are on now... Gukesh should be becoming world champion."
Wei Yi, who was Liren's teammate at the Olympiad, just 'wants to see a wonderful championship' as a fellow professional. "As Ding's friend and teammate, I want him to win. As a professional player, I want to see a good match. They have different playing styles, they play good chess. Ding is maybe not in the best shape now but he can recover as quickly as possible."
Viswanathan Anand, whose academy (WACA) has nurtured Gukesh over the last few years, avoided using the big words when he was asked about the match by this paper a few weeks ago. "I think Ding can be slightly happy with his recovery but honestly, he's a better player than his recent form," he had said.
"So I would expect that Gukesh is still very careful. He's playing a very experienced and wise player and you never know when they are going to kick up a notch. I mean on the face of it, Gukesh's form has been more stable... his form has been better but anything can change now."
In sport, the one true maxim is anything can happen. It doesn't come with a guarantee. But for that to happen, Liren has to improve. And fast.