World Chess Championship: Gukesh holds Ding with black pieces in tame Game 4

Singapore (The Uttam Hindu): India's Gukesh Dommaraju held reigning champion Ding Liren of China to a draw in Game 4 of their 14-game Final Match in Singapore, overcoming another surprise opening to fight for equality in a game in which both players spent time trying to keep the game going. Both players made small mistakes in the middle game to reach what looked like a rook-pawn ending but the position remained simple and drawish throughout and they decided to sign the peace treaty after 42 moves.

Both players now have two points from four games and will be back at the board on Saturday for the fifth game with Gukesh playing with white pieces. Ding, who had won with white pieces in the first game, came up with another surprise opening but Gukesh fought well, and a draw looked like the only outcome after the position got simplified after Ding tried to attack his rival's dark-colored bishop with a trade. But Gukesh came up with the right moves and kept things in control.

Ding opted for the Reti Opening, differing from the King Pawn Opening he chose in the first game, and it soon developed into what looked like the Zukertort Opening, which many experts believe is a very flexible opening. But things did not get complicated much as Gukesh came up with the right responses after the initial surprise element had worn off. Ding also decided to play safe and did not take any risks, though both of them spent an inordinately longer time thinking on some moves, and the game developed into a draw as the Chinese Grandmaster could not breach his rival's defense.