12.4.24 Yet another opening move, this time 1.c4, was essayed by Ding Liren in the 8th game of the World Chess Championship Match being played in Singapore. On Black's first novelty, 7...f6, the players were in unexplored territory. The game continued without traditional direction into positions commentators described as "chaotic anarchy." The positions resembled those found in Freestyle Chess (aka FischerRandom or Chess960) rather than what one would expect in a classical World Championship Match. After a miraculous save by Ding and some missed opportunities by Gukesh, the players shook hands to agree to a draw on move 51. 

Conventional wisdom says that White, with the first move, has the advantage in a game of chess. That truism is being put to the test in this Match. Ding, playing the white pieces in Game 8, played the English Opening, but his opponent veered drastically off theoretical lines with 5...c6 and then further into the jungle with 7...f6. It is truly amazing how utterly bottomless chess actually is.

Gukesh posed his opponent many problems in the opening such that Ding had to react with what has been dubbed "The Ding Gambit." Playing 10.Ba3 in an already tricky position moved GM Peter Leko to state: "I love it!"

The structural integrity of White's position was in question after 17.Nc2 and after 22.Rb1 and 22...b5, Black was better. After 24...cxb5, GM Leko added, "I don't know how Ding can survive." Ding held on with admirable determination and Gukesh erred with 26...Rac5.

Ding burned copious amounts of time picking his way though a minefield but, on Black's 31st move, it was Gukesh who was now down on the clock.

After the 40-move time control had been reached and the dust was just settling, a last dramatic decine of a triple-repeat draw by Gukesh let the game continue until Black's 51st move.

The players with GM Maurice Ashley at the post-Game 8 press conference.

(image courtesy FIDE/Eng Chin An)

Fun Fact: Game 8 of the 2024 World Chess Championship marks the game in a World Ches Championship contest in which the greatest number of moves were made without White moving either the d- or e-pawns. On move 19 Ding played d3. This distinction was previously held by Max Euwe since the 18th match game of the 1935 World Championship with Alexander Alekine when Euwe played 14.d3.

The Match continues with Game 9 on Thursday, December 5th at 4:00 a.m. eastern (5:00 p.m. local time in Singapore).

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