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D Gukesh’s first loss after 38 classical games without defeat comes just weeks before his World Chess Championship match against China’s Ding Liren. read more
 "D Gukesh suffers first defeat after unbeaten run in 38 classical games")
D Gukesh will take on Chinese Ding Liren in chess world championship match later in November. Image: PTI
In a surprising upset, Indian chess sensation and 18-year-old Grandmaster D Gukesh lost to Russian GM Dmitry Andreikin in the ongoing European Club Cup 2024 on Thursday. This was Gukesh’s first loss after 38 classical games without defeat and came just a few weeks before his World Chess Championship match against China’s Ding Liren.
Gukesh’s World Chess Championship match against the reigning world champions Liren will be played from 25 November at the Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. The championship will be played in a best of 14 classical games format and the first player to score at least 7½ points will win the contest.
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Gukesh qualified for the World Chess Championship by winning the FIDE Candidates earlier this year as he set the record of becoming the youngest challenger to the world title.
Liren struggles for form before big game
Liren had defeated Russian chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2023 to become China’s first male world chess champion.
However, the 32-year-old from China has been struggling for form recently and has not won a classical game since January 2024. He once had a peak Elo rating of 2816 and held the world No.2 rank position but he is currently ranked 23rd with a rating of 2728.
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“It doesn’t seem like I’ve been playing the way I used to… and their assessment is correct and I don’t know if I will ever reach that level again,” Liren recently told a newspaper over his lack of form.
In the real-time chess live rating, Gukesh is currently ranked No.5 in the world with an Elo rating of 2788.5.
Read: Will Gukesh vs Liren Chess World Championship match be a walkover for the Indian Grandmaster?
Besides looking to win the World Championship, Gukesh would also be aiming to cross the 2800 mark in Elo ratings. Viswanathan Anand is the only Indian ever to cross the 2800 mark.
India’s Arjun Erigaisi is on 2798 points and is currently ranked fourth in the world.
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English (US) ·