Thirty-year-old Ding Liren has become China’s first world chess champion after a rapid-play tie-break victory over Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in Kazakhstan on Sunday.
Ding takes over from Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, who chose not to defend his title after a 10-year reign.
After 14 first-stage games played in the Kazakh capital Astana, China’s champion and Nepomniachtchi finished on seven points each. Both won three times each and eight ended in draws.
During the tie-break stage, the contenders had only 25 minutes to make their moves and additional 10 seconds for each move played.
“I’m quite relieved,” said Ding, in comments posted after the match by FIDE, the International Chess Federation.
“The moment Ian resigned from the game was a very emotional moment. I couldn’t control my feelings. I know myself, I will cry and burst into tears. It was a tough tournament for me,” he added.
Credit: AFP
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