Ding Liren defeated Jan Nepomnjašnji today and became the 17th world chess champion!
After 14 slow-moving games, the champion was decided by four games of accelerated chess (game tempo 25 min + 10s per move). After minor excitement in the first three games, the 4th seemed to be headed for a draw. Nepo had a slight initiative with the white pieces and an advantage on the clock, but he could not do more than repeat the move.
However, Ding believed in his position and surprisingly refused to repeat the move. That moment seemed to change the psychological balance of power and soon Ding found himself in a much better position.
For the triumph, he still needed additional help, which came from a still shocked Nep, who in Cjnot played the queen on c7 instead of f7, which might have been enough for a draw and the continuation of the match. However, a new champion is here, for the first time from China.
Bonus video:
