The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has responded to allegations that China’s Ding Liren lost to India’s D Gukesh on purpose at the just concluded 2024 World Chess Championship match in Singapore. After Gukesh achieved history, Russian Chess Federation chief Andrei Filatov accused Ding of deliberately losing the match.
According to Russian media outlet TASS, Filatov has asked that the World Chess Federation (FIDE) conduct an investigation into the outcome. For the uninitiated, Ding made a critical mistake in Game 14, placing the Rook adjacent to his King, allowing Gukesh to become the youngest global chess champion.
The final game’s conclusion puzzled both professionals and chess enthusiasts. Filatov told TASS that the Chinese chess player’s tactics in the decisive phase were extremely suspicious and deserved a separate investigation by FIDE.
“Losing Ding Liren’s place is difficult, even for a first-class player. The Chinese chess player’s failure in today’s game raises many issues, and it appears to be premeditated,” he continued.
However, FIDE director Arkady Dvorkovich has dismissed suggestions that Ding purposely threw away the game. Dvorkovich argued that athletics is all about making mistakes and recovering from them.
Sports are about mistakes; without them, there would be no goals in football. Every athlete makes mistakes, but what excites us is whether the opponent can use a mistake,” Dvorkovich stated at the tournament’s closing ceremony yesterday.
Meanwhile, Gukesh secured the necessary 7.5 points, compared to his Chinese opponent’s 6.5, by winning the match’s 14th and final classical time control game, which appeared to be heading for a draw for the most part. As the winner, he will collect a staggering USD 1.3 million (approximately Rs 11.03 crore) from the 2.5 million prize pool.