GM Ian Nepomniachtchi shook up the third round of the 2023 FIDE World Championship by beginning his game against GM Ding Liren with a new first move, setting the stage for a fresh opening battle with 1.d4. Ding chose the Queen’s Gambit Declined in response and the game ended in a draw by repetition after 30 moves. Nepomniachtchi leads the match by one point.
The Chinese challenger will have the white pieces in game four, which begins on Thursday, April 13, at 15:00 Astana time (2 a.m. ET/11:00 CEST).
After Ding suffered a loss in game two, the chess community was buzzing with anticipation. A big question was: which approach would Ding adopt in game three? Would he come out with a fiery and aggressive strategy, or opt for a more calm and solid approach as Black? Ultimately, Ding adopted the solid approach and chose to play the Queen’s Gambit Declined.
In the press conference, Ding was open about being surprised by Nepomniachtchi’s first move. “I didn’t expect it, especially for this game. Although he has played it recently, it is not his main weapon. So, it came as a surprise this time.”