Reigning world chess champion Ding Liren has expressed concerns about his upcoming title match against 18-year-old Indian challenger D Gukesh, admitting that he feels like the underdog. In an interview with Magnus Carlsen’s YouTube channel, Ding acknowledged Gukesh’s impressive form and his own recent struggles.
“Clearly, I’ll be the underdog approaching this match,” Ding said. “Gukesh is in top form… I hope I can become a totally different player and at least give him a fight to slow down his pace… to have some winning chances.”
Ding’s concerns stem from his longest-ever winless streak in classical chess, which has lasted since the beginning of the year. He admitted to lacking the same eagerness and ambition to win as before.
“Maybe I’m not so eager to play… I don’t have the same ambitions to win… I’m worried about losing very badly (to Gukesh), hopefully it won’t happen.”
Despite his concerns, Ding remains determined to put up a fight. He believes that Gukesh’s lack of experience in classical chess could give him an advantage.
“I’ve only lost to him (Gukesh) in freestyle chess, not in classical. So maybe I can give him a fight… I hope you will see the same me from the last world championship match. Although I’m playing so badly, still so many players love and support me, so maybe I need to show that I deserve this kind of support. If I continue to play so badly without any fighting spirit, I may not deserve it.”
Fellow grandmasters Wesley So and Anish Giri offered their perspectives on Ding’s situation. So suggested that Ding may be struggling with external pressures, while Giri emphasized the importance of accepting one’s struggles as a step towards recovery.
Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen believes that Ding needs to avoid making safe choices on the board and take advantage of the chances he gets against Gukesh.
“I don’t think you can prepare for the intensity of the Championship without actually playing it. A lot of people find it tough to both play it and recover from it. What I think has happened with Ding is that he has not completely recovered from that World Championship yet and you could argue that the only thing that could make him completely recover is to win this one,” Carlsen said.
Carlsen advised Ding to approach the match with a fresh mindset and focus on playing his own game.
“If I was in his (Ding) position I would try to think that everything that has happened in the last few years… none of it matters. If he wins the World Championship, all that would be quickly forgotten. So, he has very little to lose. Just treat every game like a normal game and ask himself what would he have done five years ago?”
