World Chess Championship 2024: Gukesh vs Ding, every game analysed
The 2024 World Chess Championship was played in Singapore from 25 November to 12 December 2024. Ding Liren of China, the defending champion, played Gukesh Dommaraju of India, the challenger, over 14 classical games. Ding won Game 1, Gukesh won Games 3 and 11, Ding won Game 12, and the other nine games were drawn. With the score level at 6.5–6.5, Gukesh won the last game with Black after Ding's 55.Rf2. Gukesh won the match 7.5–6.5 and became world champion at 18.
| Game | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gukesh's colour | W | B | W | B | W | B | W | B | W | B | W | B | W | B | |
| Gukesh | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 7½ |
| Ding | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 6½ |
Games 1 to 3: a win each
Ding won Game 1 with Black in a French Defence. He pushed his a-pawn to a3, planted a knight on b2 and squeezed Gukesh's position. Game 2 was a quiet Italian, drawn by repetition after 23 moves. In Game 3 the queens came off early, Ding's bishop got stuck on c2, and Gukesh won to level the score at 1.5–1.5.
Games 4 to 10: seven draws
The middle of the match was close. Ding chose quiet openings with White: the Zukertort in Game 4 and the London System in Games 6 and 10. Gukesh pressed hardest with White. In Game 7 he was about +2.5 after move 43 but could not win, and in Game 8 he won a pawn and came close to two pawns ahead before Ding swung the game back. In Game 5 it was Ding who was about a pawn better, but opposite-coloured bishops held. All seven games were drawn, and the score was 5–5.
Games 11 to 14: the finish
In Game 11 Gukesh slowly took over a Réti Opening, and 28...Qc8 lost a piece. Gukesh led for the first time. Ding struck back at once in Game 12, outplaying Gukesh in an English Opening and winning with his d-pawn on d7. Game 13 was a French again: each side missed one chance around move 30, and Ding held a long rook ending. In Game 14 Ding defended an ending a pawn down for over 20 moves, then 55.Rf2 traded into a lost pawn ending. Gukesh won the game and the match.
The 14 games
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Game 1: Gukesh vs Ding, 0–1
Ding answered 1.e4 with the French Defence, took over the queenside with his a-pawn and knight, and won the opening game of the match in 42 moves.
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Game 2: Ding vs Gukesh, ½–½
One day after losing Game 1, Gukesh steered a quiet Italian with Black into a symmetrical ending and the game was drawn by repetition after 23 moves.
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Game 3: Gukesh vs Ding, 1–0
Queens came off on move 9, Ding's bishop went to c2 and never came back, and Gukesh won in 37 moves to level the match at 1.5–1.5.
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Game 4: Ding vs Gukesh, ½–½
Ding opened with 1.Nf3 and an early bishop trade on f8, the pieces came off steadily, and the rook ending was drawn by repetition after 42 moves.
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Game 5: Gukesh vs Ding, ½–½
Queens came off on move 9, Ding built a passed pawn on d3 and was about a pawn better, but the game ended in a drawn opposite-coloured bishop ending after 40 moves.
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Game 6: Ding vs Gukesh, ½–½
Both sides grabbed pawns in a sharp London System, Ding kept a small edge after the queens' dance, and the rook ending was drawn by repetition after 46 moves.
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Game 7: Gukesh vs Ding, ½–½
Gukesh won a pawn and pressed for most of the game, reaching about +2.5 after move 43, but two quiet moves let Ding back in and the game was drawn after 72 moves.
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Game 8: Ding vs Gukesh, ½–½
Gukesh won a pawn on move 25 and was close to two pawns better, but two inaccuracies swung the game to Ding, and the game was drawn after 51 moves.
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Game 9: Gukesh vs Ding, ½–½
Gukesh won a small edge after Ding's 17...Bxf3, gave it back with 20.Qb5, and the long ending was drawn after 54 moves with only the kings left.
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Game 10: Ding vs Gukesh, ½–½
Ding chose the London System, the queens came off on move 14, and a balanced bishop ending was drawn by repetition after 36 moves.
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Game 11: Gukesh vs Ding, 1–0
Ding got a good position from the opening, but Gukesh slowly took over, and 28...Qc8 lost the knight on c6. Gukesh won in 29 moves and led 6–5.
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Game 12: Ding vs Gukesh, 1–0
One game after falling behind, Ding outplayed Gukesh in a slow English, pushed his d-pawn to d7 and won in 39 moves. The match was level again at 6–6.
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Game 13: Gukesh vs Ding, ½–½
Ding chose the French again with the match level at 6–6. Gukesh pressed, both players missed a chance around move 30, and Ding held the draw in 68 moves.
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Game 14: Ding vs Gukesh, 0–1
In the last game Ding held a level ending a pawn down for over 20 moves. Then 55.Rf2 traded into a lost pawn ending, and Gukesh won the match 7.5–6.5.
Every position of every game was analysed by Stockfish 18 at full strength, with about 90 seconds of engine time per game. Most of that time went to one search of each position. The positions that mattered got a second look: Stockfish searched them again for its three best moves, which shows when only one move kept the balance. Each move is graded by how much it changed the mover's winning chances, on a scale of 0 to 100. A drop of 10 points or more is an inaccuracy, 20 or more is a mistake, and 30 or more is a blunder. A move that matches Stockfish's first choice is graded best, and the only good move in a position is marked as an only move. Evaluations are given in pawns from White's side: about +0.4 means White is slightly better, about -2.0 means Black is about two pawns better. The notes quote only evaluations and lines that Stockfish gave. About 90 seconds per game is a quick look, not a deep study, so treat small numbers as a guide, not a verdict.