DECIDING A NEW WORLD CHAMPION: Ding vs. Nepomniachtchi - Tiebreaks | FIDE World Championship 2023

The 2023 FIDE World Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan is the most important over-the-board classical event of the year and decides who will be the next world champion. After a record-breaking Candidates Tournament, world number-two Nepomniachtchi faces world number-three Ding Liren in a battle for Magnus Carlsen's throne after the current world champion abdicated his title.

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[SwazzerProductions]

I'm speechless. Ding declining a repetition/draw to play Rg6 will go down in history. Congratulations Ding Liren!

[sungod]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the insane amount of things that had to happen for Ding, a player who wasn’t even qualified for the candidates (due to his bad luck not being able to play OTB qualifier tournaments), to manage to WIN the world chess championship???? Russia invaded Ukraine, Karjakin lost his spot for political reasons, and then Ding got the spot due to his rating and playing a bunch of games to get enough. Then, even in the candidates, Ding was doing poorly in the first half of the tournament, only to improve towards the end and just barely secure second place by half a point by winning the drawish final game against Nakamura. Then, Magnus announces that he’s not playing, and Ding is up to play the WCC. Then, Ding loses game 7 due to freezing in time trouble, and fails to win game 8 due to Nepo’s bluff… and right when it seems like Nepo is about to convert his winning position in Game 12 and effectively win the match, he makes a series of blunders that allow Ding to win that game and equalize instead. Then, in rapid tiebreaks, it was three draws, and Nepo had the white pieces in the 4th and final rapid game, and was about to make a threefold repetition, only for Ding to refuse the repetition, play for a win instead of going to Blitz tiebreaks, and then manages to WIN the final rapid tiebreak with the black pieces to become World Chess Champion, becoming the first Chinese player to win (or even to challenge for) that title. That is such an INSANE series of events that this feels like a movie where Ding is the underdog protagonist lmao

[j-l]

Massive congratulations to Ding, I was hoping he would win the whole time but that disappointment, that heart break on Nepo's face as he realised and shortly after resigned was devastating to watch

[jonathanbays]

i feel happy for ding but nepo looked absolutely crushed

[SamudroEntertainment]

Everybody thought he was just gonna go for the repetition and then he self-pinned…

Nepo was probably in the mindset of going for a draw at that point while Ding just kept improving his position.

Well deserved

[coolcat]

Ding was finally rewarded for his constant courage to avoid draws. He was always taking that extra little bit of risk to create chances. Nepo typically countered brilliantly, but finally got caught out. Brilliant move by Ding to play Rg6 probably thinking: If we are going to play Blitz, why not in a position where I am a pawn up and have two passers on the a and c files? I was rooting for Ding anyhow, but he truly earned his win. Sensational!

[MayasSmith]

Massive respect to Ding for hanging in there for all this time and managing to come out on top against Nepo

[T-fj]

4:28:20 historical moment: the draw refusal

[bobw]

Nepo came second in the Grand prix 2020
Nepo won the Candidates 2020-2021
Nepo won the Airthings Masters 2021
Nepo played the World Championship 2021
Nepo plaued the Tibreaks in the World Rapid Championship 2021
Nepo Defeated Magnus in the Semi-final of the Eorld Fischer Championship 2022 and faced Hikaru in the Final
He won the 2022 Candidates
He tied first in Sinquefield Cup 2022
He tied first with Gukesh and Levon in the WR chess masters 2023
He played the 2023 World Chess Championship
He did all this within 3 years and the hardwork and pain to loose and not win any title is so heartbreaking

[foowenjie]

Everyone was expecting a draw until they realised Ding is going insane !! DING CHILLING!!

[burner]

ding has balls for avoiding the repetition

[rosechepkorir]

As an Ian fan, Am crushed how Ding won but have no regrets cuz we have witnessed a spectacular WCC

[rhettzkie]

As an MMA fan watching fighters get interviewed after getting Knocked out is really hard to watch. But man, watching Nepo try to get thru this presscon was brutal. My heart goes out to him. Chess is brutal.

[sourabhsiitg]

Wow, ding got frozen in game 7 bcz of time pressure and lost the winning position and den he played the most risky move Rg6 in the most important game of his life with 1 min remaining and continued playing precise moves. Unbelievable, salute to his mental strength which made him world champion

[wallacehoward]

I like that Ding shook Nepo's hand to accept resignation (as normal), then a few seconds later extends his hand again (not normal) as a sign of respect and gratitude. It like saying 'thank you' automatically then pausing and say "I really mean it. Thank you."
It was a nice moment and shows both players are gentlemen.

[adriandurlej]

4:37:40 is the moment when Ian realizes there's nothing he can do. That's when chess is at its cruelest. Ian is a true fighter and a worthy opponent. Took it like a champ.

[madanalym]

Ding declining the draw and going for the win was a straight baller move

[JohnDoe-wing]

4:37:47 the moment he realised it's over

[kwamp]

Well deserved win for Ding, but damn poor Nepo he looks so sad and crushed. It must be brutal on him

[iyaadrizvi]

It's always tradition to come back here every once in a while.