Leela zero

FIDE World Chess Championship: India’s young star D Gukesh and defending World Champion China’s Ding Liren played out a dramatic draw in their ninth-round clash at the Resort World Sentosa, here on Thursday.

This marked the sixth consecutive draw in their gripping series, leaving the championship still deadlocked at 4.5-4.5 after the first nine rounds.

Gukesh, with the white pieces, opened with the Catalan Opening, a popular strategy known for its solid structure and central control. The Catalan begins with the central pawn push d4, followed by Black’s knight move to f6.