Man vs Machine has always been a common theme in competitive sport, when human and intuitive play is up against precise and programmed cold bloodedness.
Usually, when any Indian sportsperson faces a Chinese rival, it is generally dubbed as Man vs Machine, the south Asian mix of skill and frailties pitted against extreme Oriental preparedness. But that perception is reversed for the World Chess Championship this time as Ding Liren is showing his human side, at least in the build-up to the match, while Gukesh is managing himself superbly.The 14-game match starts in Singapore on Monday.
The 18-year-old Indian challenger is not playing exactly computer moves. He is all human but with computer-like precision and a deeper sense of calculation. On the other hand, Ding has suffered from mental issues and has frequently been showing his vulnerability under full media glare.
Henrik Carlsen, the one who knows what it takes to groom multiple world champions, told Take Take Take, “Gukesh is playing at the peak of human capacity. Way up there with Magnus (Carlsen), (Vladimir) Kramnik and (Garry) Kasparov. He is just a formidable bull. I am not sure what is going to stop him. Ding will try certainly. He is a difficult player to face at his best.”
But Gukesh is fallible too. After all, unlike a chess engine, he will also have to handle emotions and time trouble.
Henrik said: “If Game 1 is not a challenge for Gukesh, he is not human. From our experience in Chennai in 2013, I can say that it’s quite a challenge. Magnus was trembling with nerves.”
Therein lies a catch. Most experts believe that the starting phase of the series of games will be of great significance and hence Gukesh should strike early, and Ding must remain strong in this phase.
GM Abhijit Kunte, captain of India women’s gold medal team at Chess Olympiad, said, “Gukesh is in great form, as compared to Ding. Gukesh needs to score in the first few games. The more equal the series stays the more confidence Ding will gain. Early wins for Gukesh will finish him, like Anand did with Vladimir Kramnik in 2008.”
Of course, Ding has bounced back – thrice in his World Championship match against Ian Nepomniachtchi last year. But there is a general assumption that he is no longer the same player, having reached his Elo peak six years ago. And such comebacks are exceptions, not a norm. On the other hand, if Gukesh plays too freely or becomes over-ambitious, he may invite trouble.
GM and renowned trainer Swapnil Dhopade said, “The challenger always has a psychological advantage over the world champ as he has nothing to lose.
“But I have noticed an interesting psychological strategy by Ding. He is portraying himself as the underdog thereby releasing pressure and passing it on to Gukesh. But I am sure he wants to keep his WC title desperately.”
GM N Srinath, Chennai-mate of Gukesh who captained India to Olympiad gold recently, said, “Playing against a player of Ding’s class, Gukesh will of course not be able to score wins like he scores in Open events. But on the other hand, he doesn’t need to. He only requires one more win than Ding.”
Judit Polgar, arguably the greatest woman to have played chess, told FIDE channel, “Ding has much better experience and even knowledge. But chess is not about just that. It’s a sport.
“Technology is 24×7. The computer has begun to teach us chess now… they are our friends, having different roles in preparation. The chess principles are not so important now, but aspect of time management and concentration is.”
When Garry Kasparov lost to Deep Blue in 1997, he alleged that the ‘behaviour’ of the machine was tweaked. If Ding wants some respite, his play must interfere with Gukesh’s decision-making cells. And for that, he must revisit some of his machine-like days. Or, maybe, confuse the Indian with some human moves that had floored Nepo from better position in their last joust.