In a tightly contested World Chess Championship duel, Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi faced off against Ding Liren from China in the fourth encounter. Playing with the black pieces, Nepomniachtchi pressed hard but ultimately the game reached its conclusion after 47 moves, with Ding emerging victorious.
With four games completed, the match stands at a balanced two wins apiece, signaling a gripping race to claim the title. The next battleground between Nepomniachtchi and Ding is scheduled for April 15, continuing the high-stakes sequence of classical games that will decide the crown in this year’s clash for the world championship.
Coverage of the fourth installment was published online by socialbites.ca, which provided a detailed recap of the game and its turning points for followers tracking the duel in real time.
Rules governing the match specify a 14-game classical portion. If the score is tied after these 14 games, players will contest a 4-game rapid tie-break, and should that segment fail to produce a winner, the competitors will proceed to blitz games to determine the champion. The structure ensures a clear pathway to a decisive outcome, even if the classical games unfold with equal intensity and close results.
Looking back to the wider context, Nepomniachtchi had earned his spot in the title match by winning the 2022 Candidates Tournament, while Ding Liren finished in second place behind him, with Azerbaijan’s Teimour Radjabov placing third. Reports from July noted that the then-current world champion Magnus Carlsen declined to participate in a match against Nepomniachtchi, which opened the door for Nepomniachtchi to challenge for the crown in a confrontation against Ding Liren. The decision reshaped the race for the world title and set the stage for this year’s duel.
In a separate, unrelated note from the broader chess world, a Kenyan player faced disqualification after participating in a tournament while dressed as a woman, a move that sparked discussion about the rules and interpretations of eligibility in competitive play.
As the match progresses, fans and analysts alike are watching for clues about each grandmaster’s preparation, psychological resilience under pressure, and the evolving dynamics of the players’ openings and endgame handling. The coming games are expected to shed light on whether the momentum favors Ding or Nepomniachtchi as they inch toward a decisive result in the world chess championship race. [Source: socialbites.ca]