2024 Ding Liren - Gukesh, First Week

After last week's final pre-match post, 2024 Ding Liren - Gukesh, the Players (November 2024), the long-awaited title match between two Asian players finally started. It's expected to take at least three weeks, possibly four, to complete, so I'll follow the same format I used for the previous match, documented in 2023 Ding Liren - Nepomniachtchi, Wrapup (May 2023; NB: fide.com links no longer work).

The 'First Week' report (April 2023) for the Ding - Nepo match mentioned, 'Here are the game reports on Fide.com, both signed Milan Dinic'. We find the same writer for the first two pre-match articles in a series on the careers of the two players:-

• 2024-10-26: Chess king from China who defies the odds (worldchampionship.fide.com)
• 2024-10-28: From a school in Chennai to the World Championship match in Singapore (ditto)
• 2024-11-11: Gukesh Dommaraju: "I just want to enjoy the experience" (ditto; author?)
• 2024-11-13: Ding Liren ahead of his World Championship showdown with Gukesh: "A match is a match" (ditto; author?)

The report on the opening ceremony -- as well as subsequent reports for each of the games -- was signed 'IM Michael Rahal':-

• 2024-11-23: 2024 FIDE World Championship: Gukesh draws White in the first game (ditto, as are the following links)

Although Gukesh had White in the first game, Ding Liren won.

• 2024-11-25: Ding Liren takes down Gukesh in Game 1
• 2024-11-26: Gukesh: Today was a good day!

After the first two games, the score was 1.5-0.5 in Ding Liren's favor.

'Game 1 after 40 moves'
Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova