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Indian GM D Gukesh remains strongly in contention for the World Chess Championship 2024 title, holding incumbent champion Ding Liren to another draw in the sixth game. This was the third consecutive draw, leaving both players tied on three points apiece, still shy of the required 4.5 points to win the title. The sixth game was a draw after 46 moves. This was the fourth tie in the match. Ding Liren, 32, won the first game, and Gukesh won the third. The second, fourth, and fifth games all finished in draws.
Gukesh's performance in such a high-stakes competition, especially at the age of 18 and facing a seasoned player like Liren, demonstrates his mental toughness and ability to deal with pressure. Gukesh gives mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton credit for his strong mental health and confidence. His training helped Gukesh to deliver the best performance in India’s historic Chess Olympiad winning performance in Hungary in September.
Very Enjoyable and helped mentally as well as physically: Gukesh
During a recent interview, Gukesh mentioned how Paddy's coaching helped him prepare for games mentally and physically. "I have been working with Paddy for the last few months in preparations for this match," Gukesh said. "First of all, it is very enjoyable the work we do. We have had a lot of conversations. He has helped me a lot to mentally and physically prepare for the match in different ways," he added.
However, Gukesh didn't reveal much about his conversations with Upton on coaching. "Probably after the match maybe it would be nice to go to all the details. But yes, I can say that our work together has been very enjoyable and very important for me in preparation," he stated.
Upton impressed with Gukesh's maturity and self-awareness
Weeks ago, Paddy Upton, in an interview, described his experience on coaching 18-years Indian chess master. He said, "I’ve been very impressed with his maturity and his thinking, specifically in his self-awareness of what he’s thinking about, and what’s going on for him. He has a self-awareness that is beyond his years. He’s a chess genius. But he’s got amazing self-awareness and ability to self-regulate."
He even compared Gukesh's skill with Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir. "You have guys like Virat Kohli who have that ability to deliver in a World Cup final exactly like he did earlier this year. He had a very average tournament but then when the final came, you can look to someone like him and the way he steps up," he added. The World Chess Championship 2024 is underway in Singapore and is in its seventh round, where Gukesh plays against Ding Liren, Chinese chess grandmaster.
