Sports
Ding grabs hold of the jaws of defeat.
Ding snatches draw from jaws of defeat
Gukesh has Ding on the ropes for most of Game 7 but the world champion digs deep to escape with scores level at halfway
Bengaluru: After a quiet game in his previous turn with the White, Gukesh arrived for Game 7, armed and ready to spill blood on the board. He drove daggers through Ding Liren and nearly mummified him before the reigning world champion returned from the dead with some stellar endgame defence to force a draw. The spectators’ arena broke into a rapturous applause as the players shook hands after a game that lasted 72 moves and over five hours. It’s the longest game played so far in this World Championship match and the contest remains tied at 3.5-3.5, with seven more classical games remaining.
It mustn’t be easy for Gukesh to reconcile with a setback like this, having had his opponent on the ropes through the greater part of the game. “It’s never pleasant to miss a winning position but I’m happy that I could outplay my opponent quite easily in the opening,” said Gukesh in the press conference that followed, “It’s a missed chance but he also missed some chances earlier in the match… but quite a few positives to take away from it. I guess the biggest lesson is to stay focused and convert good positions.”
The Indian teen won the opening battle on trotting out 1.Nf3 for the first time in this match and went on to uncork a rare, ingenious 7.Re1 move that was clearly cooked up by his team. It cast Ding right away into contemplation for over 20 minutes. “Re1 is a relatively new move and the point was to go dxc4-e4 and get a new position on the board… he didn’t react in a very precise way so I guess the idea worked,” Gukesh said.
Ding later admitted that he was completely thrown off by the move. “I came back from the toilet and was totally shocked,” he said. “I took a lot of time to come up with a reply. Even then it wasn’t accurate.” The world champion ended up responding with the principled 7. dxc4 which led to a fascinating fight for the centre. Ding was soon down to 24 minutes on the clock by move 21.
Gukesh went on to make the strategic mistake of rushing to trade the dark-squared bishops, and then went after Black’s c4 pawn. Here he perhaps overlooked Ding’s resource of springing his knight back into the game. Ding defended bravely and even looked like he might make it over the line alive, with a draw. All he had to do was manoeuvre his knight, hit move 41 and then figure out the rest. But nerves can make players do the inexplicable things. With the clock ticking down to its dying seconds on move 40, Ding blundered. Seven seconds on his clock, he pushed his King to the e5 square instead of galloping his knight to c8 – which would have kept his drawing chances intact. Leela Chess Zero right away pegged Gukesh’s chances for a win at 75 percent, from roughly 19 percent.
After the players reached time control, Ding was on the ropes. Down a pawn, with a weak king on d5 in an objectively lost endgame, he was again back burning through his clock, shaking his head, occasionally looking up at his opponent and trying to pick out the right move out of twenty-odd tempting, false continuations. Gukesh sat at the other end, hands folded across his chest, watching the reigning world champion suffer. Around move 44, Leela gave Gukesh 92 per cent chance of winning the game.
But after spending over 22 minutes trawling through defensive resources, Ding had a few answers. “I was fearing that I was getting outplayed,” Ding said, “But my position was maybe not so bad, I should be more confident of my position.”
Gukesh’s decision to go Bd1 on move 46 allowed Ding to stir up activity. It’s here that Ding brought his endgame skills and resilience to bear – not faltering, even though Gukesh found ways to keep the game going.
Ding’s idea was to restrict White’s bishop and drum up counterplay for his knight. Black’s knight was centralised, King was activated while White’s bishop was on the first rank. Ding went on to trade off the rooks and got rid of White’s final pawn to make a miraculous escape and take a half a point for his efforts. Ding’s team heaved a sigh of relief. “Today I did not give up in a very difficult position… My second (Ni Hua) said I saved my life,” Ding told Chess.com. In the end it was brilliant preparation from Gukesh, outplaying his opponent thoroughly before the reigning world champion dug deep and summoned a fightback. Gukesh was not quite able to see through his opponent’s resources in the endgame.
The match moves to Game 8 on Wednesday and Ding will have the White pieces. It’s possible he might want to play a solid, quiet game and we could see the fireworks back again for Gukesh’s game with the White pieces on Thursday.
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Vivo is gearing up to launch its latest addition to the V-series, the Vivo V50, in India in February 2025. According to industry sources, the anticipated launch date is around the third week of February, possibly on February 18.
Design and Display
The Vivo V50 is expected to feature a 6.67-inch AMOLED display, offering vibrant colors and deep contrasts. The design is reminiscent of the Vivo S20, which was released exclusively in China in December 2024.
Performance
Under the hood, the Vivo V50 is rumored to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset, ensuring efficient performance for multitasking and demanding applications. The device is expected to come in multiple configurations:
- 8GB RAM with 128GB storage
- 8GB RAM with 256GB storage
- 12GB RAM with 256GB storage
Camera System
Photography enthusiasts can look forward to a versatile camera setup. While specific details are still under wraps, Vivo’s V-series has historically emphasized strong camera performance, suggesting that the V50 will continue this trend.
Battery and Charging
The Vivo V50 is expected to house a substantial 6,000mAh battery, supporting 90W fast charging. This combination ensures prolonged usage and quick recharge times, catering to users with active lifestyles.
Operating System
The smartphone is anticipated to run on Android 15, providing users with the latest features and security updates.
Color Variants
According to recent certifications, the Vivo V50 will be available in multiple color options, allowing users to choose a variant that best suits their style.
Pricing and Availability
While official pricing details are yet to be announced, industry estimates suggest that the Vivo V50 will be priced around ₹39,990 in India.
The device is expected to be available through Vivo’s official channels and major retail outlets across the country.
Conclusion
The Vivo V50 is shaping up to be a compelling option in the mid-range smartphone segment, offering a blend of performance, design, and innovative features. As the launch approaches, more detailed information is expected to emerge, providing a clearer picture of what this device will offer to consumers.
Sports
Lionel Messi’s final jab at Cristiano in a million-dollar text message for Lyon’s Argentina player: “Don’t listen to Ronaldo”
French club Lyon stoked the flames of the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry in their announcement video for Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada.
With the January football transfer window currently open and clubs across Europe looking to add talent to their rosters for the run-in in the second half of the season, French team Olympique Lyonnais have made the exciting signing of Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada. Almada joins on an initial loan from Brazilian club Botafogo, but his announcement was made in style in the latest in a long line of iconic transfer videos.
The 23-year-old midfielder’s signing was announced through a video shared by Lyon in which he receives a text message from ‘Lionel’ along with a goat emoji, clearly meant to be the legendary Lionel Messi, Almada’s compatriot and teammate in the Argentine national team. The text sent to Almada in this video reads “Don’t listen to Cristiano, Ligue 1 is incredible.”
Lyon’s retribution for Ronaldo’s comments
The text provides a sneaky tongue-in-cheek remark from the seven-time French champions, who are referencing Cristiano Ronaldo’s past comment regarding Ligue 1 being a weaker competition than the Saudi Pro League, where he currently plies his trade for Al Nassr. Ronaldo had claimed there was a better standard of football in Saudi Arabia, with the French league considered the weakest of the ‘top five’ leagues in Europe.
Messi, meanwhile, spent two years playing in France, having spent a period in the capital with Paris Saint-Germain after leaving Barcelona. Messi was the latest star at PSG, playing alongside Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe, before the trio was broken up as they left France with Messi heading to Inter Miami, Neymar to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, and Mbappe finally getting his marquee move to Real Madrid.
Almada was part of the Argentina squad that lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022, helping Messi finally get his hands on the coveted trophy and firmly setting his status as the greatest of all time in stone. Almada has represented Argentina six times, scoring twice, and finally earned a move to Europe after playing for Atlanta United in the MLS and a brief spell in the Brazilian Serie A at Botafogo. Almada will be joining fellow Argentine Nicolas Tagliafico, who also made a cameo appearance in the announcement video.
Lyon currently sit in sixth place in the Ligue 1 table with half the season concluded, but will have intentions of fighting for spots in next year’s UEFA Champions League with a strong end to the season, in which Almada could play an important role.
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Jagbir suffered a heart attack while the doctors were treating him for the blocked artery.
Former India forward and hockey coach Jagbir Singh on Friday complained of chest congestion and was rushed to the hospital, where he suffered a massive heart attack during a procedure.
The two-time Olympian is here for the Hockey India League (HIL) with Team Gonasika.
Jagbir felt breathing problems during the team’s training session on Friday afternoon and was immediately taken to Apollo Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a blocked artery.
He suffered a heart attack while the doctors were treating him for the blocked artery.
“Jagbir felt breathing problems after he went to hotel following the Team Gonasika’s training session with whom he is associated. He was instantly taken to Apollo Hospital where he is under ICU now,” a source told PTI.
An excellent forward of his time, Jagbir is currently in ICU.
The 59-year-old former Air India employee represented India in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
He played for India between 1985 and 1996, winning a bronze medal in the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul and a silver in the 1990 edition in Beijing. In all, he earned 175 international caps.
Jagbir coached the Indian men’s team in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
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