Tag: RichardRapport

Ding Liren, the reigning World Chess Champion, faces an uphill battle in his upcoming title defense against rising star Gukesh. Despite dropping out of the top 20 in live ratings and lacking a classical win in months, Ding’s former second, Richard Rapport, believes he has the resilience to mount a comeback.

Rapport, who witnessed Ding’s emotional journey during last year’s World Championship, emphasized the champion’s character and ability to perform under pressure. He believes that the match will be far more competitive than many expect.

“I think how he will play the match is going to be very different from how he plays these tournaments,” Rapport said. “He knows he has a chance to defend his world title. I don’t think the match will be as one-sided as maybe people back in India would like it to be.”

Rapport also praised Gukesh’s recent performance at the Olympiad, where he scored 9/10 and led India to a team gold medal. However, he cautioned against underestimating Ding’s fighting spirit.

“Gukesh has been in great shape, but the match will have surprises in store for us,” Rapport said. “Ding has shown that he can pull off incredible things, even when he’s not in top form.”

Rapport’s experience as Ding’s second was both draining and rewarding. He recalled the moment when Ding clinched the title in the final game.

“The drum roll… you know that he’s going to win the game, because Ian played on for kind of forever,” Rapport said. “Ding was kind of under pressure in that game, and then he played actually reasonably well and he consolidated that and we were all like, ‘oh, shit, this is going to blitz’. And then he played Rg6.”

Rapport expressed doubt about attending the World Championship match in Singapore, but he praised Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi for their contributions to India’s success at the Olympiad.

“Both Gukesh and Arjun are capable of scoring many wins… It’s useful for team events, especially because, in these events, you only need one win,” Rapport said.