Gukesh Defuses Ding’s 1.Nf3 Surprise As Game 4 Ends In Draw

World Champion Ding Liren was joined by GM Richard Rapport on the way to game four of the 2024 FIDE World Championship, and 1.Nf3 and the offbeat opening that followed was right out of the Rapport playbook. GM Gukesh Dommaraju reacted quickly and calmly, however, and neutralized the position with active play. Pieces were exchanged and the game ended in a draw by repetition on move 42, leaving the scores level at 2-2 with just 10 games to go.

This is a flash report. Come back later for full analysis, player quotes, and photos!

Game five starts Saturday, November 30, at 4:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 CET / 2:30 p.m. IST / 5:00 p.m. local time in Singapore.

Match Score