In what appeared to be a much-needed boost ahead of a major title match later this year, Chinese Chess Grandmaster Ding Liren got back in the winning column at the 2024 Norway Chess event.
After going winless in his first eight matches at the prestigious tournament, Ding was able to outlast American star Hikaru Nakamura in an Armageddon playoff. The victory snapped a four-game losing skid for Ding and gave him renewed confidence as he looks to turn things around.
Coming into the final round of Norway Chess in last place, Ding acknowledged he was simply trying to avoid finishing dead last at the tournament he has competed in numerous times. As such, the win over world number two Nakamura served as a psychological lift more so than improving his standings.
According to Ding, he spent the tournament’s rest day watching numerous billiards videos in his hotel room to pass the time. The unorthodox decision to study snooker rather than traditional chess preparation seemed to pay off in his matchup with one of the world’s elite players. Ding stated the billiards videos helped him stabilize his game plan in Armageddon tiebreaks.
Ding will take the momentum from this breakthrough win into his upcoming title match against teenage Indian sensation D Gukesh for the world championship later this year. The question remains whether viewing billiards can spark a long-term turnaround in Ding’s form, or if this was simply a minor reprieve in what has been a trying 2024 season thus far for the Chinese star.
