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With his win today, Gukesh marked not just his first win in the Championships, but also his first classical win over his opponent Liren.
Gukesh in action against Liren at the Championships (X)
D Gukesh will be soaking in the sensation of claiming his first-ever win in the World Championship but the young Indian still remains wary of the task ahead, if he is to nab the World Title away from defending champion Ding Liren.
The third instalment of the final finished in favour of the Indian teenager as Liren ran out the clock following some incessant pressure from Gukesh.
With the win, Gukesh managed to tie the 14-match-final series at 1.5 points each.
“It feels great. I’m quite happy with my result, more so than the last two days. I got a nice position after Liren’s little hiccup in the opening, and I just managed to outplay the champion today,” Gukesh stated after his win today.
“I did not think I was winning completely, but I knew I was closer to victory. I had to be super precise not to give Ding any chances to draw the match. I made a couple mistakes too, but I think I recovered pretty well.”
Liren, similar to Game 1, was yet again fighting against the clock, as he was eventually left with a mere minute compared to Gukesh’s 10 minutes, a stretch where the Chinese GM would go on to ultimately lose out on time.
In fact, Liren’s loss today marked the first time since the 1993 Championship Final between Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short, where a player lost on time.
“I was pretty confident at that point. I thought about my position and knew I should be winning. I was not playing for time, I just wanted to finish off the game, ” Gukesh replied when asked about whether the time advantage added to his confidence in-game.
“It’s always a bit exciting to see your opponent so low on time. When you are in a winning position as well, it gets you going. But, I was in control of my emotions and finished off the game.”
With his win today, Gukesh marked not just his first win in the Championships, but also his first classical win over his opponent Liren.
“I thought I had prepared well in the first game. He surprised me yesterday as well. So, It’s always nice to win a game for the first time against such a strong opponent. I think it means more since I got the win in a World Championship, so I’m happy with the outcome today,” stated Gukesh.
With a day’s rest ahead for both competitors, an opportunity to reflect and relax arises after which the Championship shall resume with Game 4 on Friday.
