The rise and rise of Ding Liren
Calculating like a beast, being very solid, keeping accuracy and precision on his fingertips, having an excellent endgame technique, being the only Chinese to ever play the Candidates, posing problems to the World Champion from time to time; Ding Liren has an enviable list of chess skills.
Just around 2017, we were speaking of the Caruanas, Aronians, Karjakins. Even being in the World top 15, the Chinese wasn't in the frame. Fast forward about 2 years and one of the most worthy challengers and one of the biggest threats to Magnus Carlsen's reign is Ding Liren.
So where did he come into the picture? World Cup 2017. The then 24-year old played excellent chess through-out to storm into the finals, and book a spot in the next Candidates.
So what's next after establishing yourself as a world class player and contender for the World Title? Of course, your immortal game! Fascinating, insane, brutal, deadly, a la-Tal; take a seat as you are going to witness one of the greatest attacking games ever:
He probably used all the ingredients of a perfect attacking brilliancy: Acting energetically with the opponent's king in the centre, involving opponent's king in the game with a queen sacrifice, using energy of all his pieces, skillfully regrouping pieces, hunting the king all the way into enemy camp, finishing the game in style; you couldn't ask for more.
But he did. He went that extra mile, and then produced this, an unbeaten 100 game streak...
Followed by.... almost beating a certain Magnus Carlsen:
The World Champion himself admitted that it's tough to play against the Chinese; and only very recently was able to break his Ding jinx.
Ding's style is quite solid and positional, explained by the fact that he hardly loses but has an incredible attacking sense as well-- he's being termed as the greatest calculator on the planet currently.
And currently, he's leading the Sinquenfield Cup with 5.5/9 (along with Ian Nepomniachtchi). Have a look at the following flawless games:
Ding is now one of the strongest candidates for the world crown; will he be the one to dethrone Magnus?
