Hory-making Ding Liren becomes first man from China to become world chess champion

Ding Liren made hory on Sunday after emerging from a four-game rapid tiebreak to beat Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 2023 World Chess Championship. The two were inseparable with seven points each after the 14-game showdown in the classical format at Astana.
This is the first time in hory that a Chinese player has become a world champion in the open category. China now holds the world championship title in both the open and the women’s category.
What was even more mind-boggling in Ding’s victory was that Ding wouldn’t even have made it the world championship match had Magnus Carlsen not decided to forfeit his right to defend his crown. Ding was the runner-up in the Candidates Tournament, where again, he had gotten a last-minute entry.
All through the 14-game World Championship, Ding was never ahead on points. One day before the event started, he moved out of the hotel that is hosting the event because it didn’t feel good. In fact, in the early days of the contest he appeared shaky and mentally fragile (Ding in fact used the word depressed to describe his mental state), spending a lot of time in the first two games cooped up in his private lounge. He even revealed his team had contemplated getting him a doctor at some point. Then, in the middle of the world championship, his preparation on Lichess were leaked online, another blow to his already shaky campaign.
All of those setbacks seem like they happened a year ago.
As Ding claimed his title as the 17th world champion, he covered his face in his palm while his Russian opponent walked out of the playing hall. It took a few moment for Ding to leave his chair.
“It was a very emotional moment when I won. I know myself, I knew I would cry and burst into tears. It was a tough tournament for me,” he admitted at the press conference.
He also added that he wanted to celebrate his victory travelling. First place on his mind? “Turin stadium to watch my favourite team, Juventus, play,” he said.
Ding’s predecessor, Magnus Carlsen, congratulated him on Twitter pinning a tweet of Ding making the decisive 46th move with the following words: “Self-pinning for immortality. Congrats Ding!!!”
Ding was asked how long he had dreamt of being the world champion. “I never dreamt of becoming world champion. For me it’s not so important to become world champion. I always wanted to become the best player in the world.”