Ding Liren completed a most improbable journey to the summit of world chess on Sunday when he defeated Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in a heart-stopping tiebreak playoff to capture the sport’s most prestigious title.
The 30-year-old from Zhejiang province, who never once led in the three-week match at the St Regis Astana Hotel until the moment when victory was in hand, boldly played for a win from what looked to be a drawn position in the last of four rapid games. That fighting spirit paid off handsomely when a stunned Nepomniachtchi resigned after 68 moves, making Ding the first Chinese man to become world chess champion.
