Nepomniachtchi uncharacteristically spent some time playing his opening moves and selected 3.Nd2, a move that the commentators described as "timid." Giri claimed that the French was likely "a big surprise for Ding himself," and given that his opponent hadn't played the opening competitively since 2013, Nepomniachtchi likely lacked deep preparation in these lines. "Wow! Unbelievable" - is huge, Oh my God!" - #NepoDing /uNHo10ccF8ĭing confirmed in the press conference that he half-jokingly suggested the French Defense to Rapport before the match, and his second "insisted" on this approach for game seven the day before. □□□ Twist on the first move: Ding Liren plays the French Defence! Naroditsky highlighted that "the last time the French Defense was played in a world championship match was in 1978 between GMs Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi" and Giri was quick to suggest that it was likely GM Richard Rapport's idea for Ding to play the opening in round seven. the French Defense.įor the first time in 45 years, the French Defense appears in a world championship match. Expecting 1.e5, Nepomniactchi was immediately shaken to see the pawn land on e6. Generally known for his "predictable" repertoire, as outlined by Giri, Ding has continued to stun the chess world, and in round seven, he avoided Nepomniachtchi's venomous Spanish and Italian setups by stretching out his arm and grasping the e-pawn. Tension has continued to brew in the match and with no two games looking remotely similar, it is clear that the players will continue to push the boundaries and innovate in order to get ahead in Astana. The live broadcast was hosted by GMs Anish Giri, Daniel Narodistky, and IM Tania Sachdev.
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