The World Chess Championship Drama

[@reddo3758]

your videos keep getting worse

[@Dav.d808]

pin of shame and truth

[@fazzbeargaming468]

PIN OF SHAMEE

[@Checkmate_Edits]

Ah yes

[@astronish.]

pin of shame

[@masteryashy]

PIN OF SHAMEEE

[@justmazen3168]

Ding's rook move to prevent draw by prepetual check in the last game made me root for him even more, man got titanium balls

[@askdrten]

Yes, Titanium balls

[@Antony.101]

​@@askdrtenصصصصصصذسصصص🎉🎉🎉س🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂شك

[@bloody_me_put-in]

Titanium balls has ling diren balls.

[@MacThePersian]

That move rattled nepo so bad I could see it in his face.

[@MrMaxBoy]

Titanium is not magnetic too! So he can pass through the metal detector without getting cought. Wow, that's how he won that match. He's nuts!

[@michaellisinski2822]

A word to describe Magnus: "Dominance". A word to describe Ding: "Resilience".

[@redteddy135]

a word to describe nepo: "second"

[@gavantha]

@@redteddy135you didn’t have to go that far dawg 💀

[@MingChilling-]

@@redteddy135 you know murder is a federal crime right?

[@watchdogbypass]

@@redteddy135 stop it he’s already dead

[@Marqui1015]

@@redteddy135 bro why you gotta do him dirty like that 💀

[@zoa666]

Ding Liren’s story is straight out of a movie, hope to see it composed! It truly is inspiring.

[@TrackpadProductions]

If his story was a film, it would probably be criticized as unrealistically overdramatic. It's _amazing_ to me that this actually happened.

[@timg2655]

The best underdog story in chess history. Last second candidate replacement. Won last game of candidates. Won last rapid game of WCC. Doesn't even sound real.

[@Zoruk_]

It would be a really great story if he beats Magnus in the next world championship

[@ironeagle4274]

I respect Ding, however, as a Hikaru fan, I would have much preferred a WC match with Hikaru and Ian.

[@DMHR100]

@@ironeagle4274 If Hikaru went second, Magnus wouldn't have forfeited the title.

[@unjourdef2]

The Rg6 move will forever be remembered as the Ding Chilling Gambit

[@mbapum6363]

Ian Nepomniachtchi Wall defense gambit, Declined Ding Chilling Variation

[@TreX0578]

​@@mbapum6363That was a mouthful

[@jamesnightingale2788]

Rg6 was a pretty good move also

[@itzyuzuruclips]

Ding Chilling Gambit indeed

[@bayani7626]

bro made me spill my coffee lmao

[@Nic77408]

Ding’s journey was so special, but I feel so bad for Ian! I was Team Ding from the beginning but Ian has come so close so many times 😢. Here’s a list of Ian’s close calls… still yet to win a world championship in classical, rapid or blitz: 2nd in World Rapid Championship 2013 2nd in World Blitz Championship 2013 2nd in World Rapid Championship 2015 2nd (Ding first) in REGION Blitz 2016 2nd (top 3 tied for first) World Rapid 2016 3rd in World Rapid 2017 2nd (beat Carlsen) Super Tournament 2017 3rd Tata steel 2019 2nd in World Rapid Championship 2021 2nd World Chess Championship 2021 2nd Fischer Random 2022 2nd World Chess Championship 2023

[@Chess_lover11]

True Both players deserved it but in the end, Ding won, so congratulations to him 🙌👏

[@hindustanimapper]

This will be the top comment. Remember me when you're famous bro...

[@xusion794]

My heart was bleeding when I saw him broke apart 😢.

[@rinunderscore]

Best of luck to Ian always! Congrats to Ding! 🎉

[@alkaragini5003]

So sad for Ian as he caught his way through everything but lost on the other side very happy that ding got the championship as he equally worked for it and also equally deserved it.

[@abhishekiyer8816]

The guts it takes to play rg6 in that game declining a draw in a freaking TIEBREAKER that too in a time disadvantage, believing in himself at such crunch moment is what changed his life. The journey was just beyond inspiring and amazing these are the stories that prove trying with every ounce of strength you got is what that matters he fought till the very end and he deserves that title.

[@plumber1337]

Bells of gold, heard all around the world.

[@askdrten]

Indeed people who comment here probably aren't real chess players... that refusal to draw with such low time left, even all the commentors expect 99% tie but Ding stung them with his choices. It's that choice to put himself into a pin, refuse to draw, in a low time SETS DING APART FROM EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!!! DING DESERVE TO WIN 100%

[@jrobinson3k1]

I'd love to hear Ding's story on what gave him confidence to do that. I know Ian was extremely rattled by the end of the game...I wonder Ding sensed that earlier and knew he had a strong psychological advantage.

[@jinshuozhang3104]

I think at that moment it's pure chess in his mind. If he had thought about anything else, he wouldn't dare to do it.

[@sunshinepower2918]

@@jrobinson3k1 pretty much because Nepo lost his only upper hand in that match (time remaining). I can imagine Ding's thought process goes like this, if they decided to draw and play in blitz, why not continue to play the current match when you have 2 pass pawns advantage and time on both sides are almost equal?

[@rainbuckets]

The sheer mental fortitude Ding showed, especially after The Freeze, is what makes him special. Coming back after that collapse on that stage.. toughest man in chess.

[@awmdanger9677]

Long story short, Ding accepted the Karjakin Gambit, Non-Magnus Variation, teamed up with the guy who wore Pink Coat, and went on to win against Ian and the World Chess Championship.

[@Negritis]

Ian had the greatest Marshall players in his team, yet didn't dare to face it

[@cedricrickdelsol9767]

Ding's story is so inspiring that it completely transcends the chess community; in the past few days, I've had several friends come up to me and be like "You're into chess, right? Have you heard about Ding Liren?" People that don't even know how the pieces move are absolutely stunned by this story. That's just insane

[@askdrten]

Absolutely agree!

[@noahpancakes6507]

stop capping lol

[@noahpancakes6507]

aint no one and i mean no one heard of ding liren thats a fact

[@arneshpal7702]

Stop capping, none of the people I know knows anything about this ding chilling guy 💀

[@denonimophantom]

there are very few moments where you can feel the emotion off someone in a sporting event, but with Ding, it radiated eminently. there comes a point where the intensive focus he put on the game was so locked in, you realize you're not just witnessing a chess game anymore, you're witnessing the battle of a lifetime. he didnt react at all played Rg6, he didnt need to waste energy doing that. he just had to put every ounce of commitment into the position in front of him and in that rising star's moment, Ian trembled at the courage and sheer willpower Ding Liren had. completely thrown off guard, Ian tried his best but had no clue what to expect as Ding turned the board into his play area, and expertly maneuvered the pieces as a moving army of their own. the flashbacks of his life hit him all at once, building up inside, yet, he still refuses to react, until Ian finally resigns, knowing his efforts would ultimately be futile. Ding then broke down crying. tears of joy. but not just joy. relief. pride. respect. he wasn't just the World Chess Champion in that moment, he was a tired man, who earned the right to rest with a crown on his head

[@shennyboi110]

I've seen hundreds of people say they support Ding, I am one of them- primarily because of his humility and innocence seen in interviews, but I had no idea he had such an insane process in getting into the WCC! What an awesome story 💯💯

[@victorkao1472]

For sure. As someone who actually followed the events one by one, I was absolutely shocked each time Ding pulled through

[@revanth2628]

You have 69 likes on your comment.. so I'm leaving this comment instead of liking it and disfiguring the holy number 😂

[@shennyboi110]

@@revanth2628 I appreciate your service

[@revanth2628]

@@shennyboi110 i see now the holy number is no more, so you get your well deserved comment upvot😂😂✌🏻

[@juliatruchsess1019]

Also noteworthy is Ding's 100-game unbeaten streak 2017-2018, a record at the time.

[@zhaokangqu1571]

As a person who supports both Ding and Ian. While I congratulate Ding for winning the World Chess Championship, I also feel pity for Ian that he did not win the 2023 World Chess Championship. But can we honor Ding's journey? A lot of people in Gotham are mad that this video was made for Ding instead of Ian. But I don't think it's Gotham's fault, much less Ding's. No one is wrong in the process, it's just - Chess is brutal. As the WWC result only one person can be crowned at WWC 2023 is Ding. Please accept the reality that Ding is the person who actually became the world champion as a respect for his journey. I think that's why he deserves to be made a video for from GothamChess. I believe that if Ian wins the WWC, Gotham will definitely make this video for Ian. No matter who the winner of WWC is, he should be respected!

[@BigFish2027-9]

I totally agree. As someone who supports Ding, I was sad to see the comments denying this video and Ding.

[@РоманДубровин-л9м]

I don't see any comment from people who "are mad that this video was made for Ding instead of Ian". I see a lot of comments from people who get fun bullying Ian because he is second and already dead.

[@Chelo._.]

@@РоманДубровин-л9м 100% agree

[@Blobfish3561]

@@РоманДубровин-л9м I don’t see a single comment bullying ian

[@marcus2724]

this is truly inspirational... everytime the situation was like "yeah you can try, but a win doesn't guarantee you anything "... this man said "ok, let's try anyway"

[@ankitmallik6264]

This year's fide championship was really interesting, Ding is actually really brave. Hats off to him.

[@aryansen4280]

I was supporting ding but when I saw the way Ian looked at the trophy and the pieces falling off his side of the board I genuinely felt sad it was completely heartbreaking

[@bkn1210]

its great how ding liren went from zero to hero. what a legend.

[@42617a]

He was top 5 in the world, not exactly zero lol

[@freds_chess]

​@@42617aeven now, many, many many people know 3 chess names. hikaru, magnus and levy. no one else.

[@JacobsKrąnųg]

@@freds_chess they are often just content consumers, not actual chess fans, who cares

[@mothudimothudi2946]

What do you mean zero... The same guy who is in top 3 and was 2800 3 months ago?!

[@Rl-tn1ys]

@@freds_chess i agree with @Jakub Krwkowski with you even watch a couple chess tournaments or even attend them, you would know and hear the name Ding Liren. hikaru, Magnus, and levy all have a big internet presence

[@williamshake7559]

Levy, Pin this story: TLDR: As they say, "Fortune favors the brave", and opportunities can only be seized by those with the skills to do so. Quick summary of feats Ding needed to pull off to earn this title: 1. 100 classical game streak without a loss (to gain 2nd highest rating) 2. Net positive in 30 classical games in a month (to become active again) 3. Win 4 rounds in Candidates against the Strongest players in the world (To qualify as a challenger to Nepo) 4. Win 3 games in the world chess championship against the mighty Nepo to equalize the match 5. Crush Nepo in tiebreaks, aiming for a win when Nepo was ready to settle for a draw ------ Ding's story actually began in 2018, where most of the world was still recovering from Magnus vs Caruana world championship, where Magnus beat Caruana in tiebreaks. The world had thought there would be no one who can ever overthrow Magnus as no one can beat him in either classical, or tie breaks (even if they managed to get there). Then, comes along Ding Liren, who skyrocketed in his ELO due to completing 100 classical games against grandmasters without a single loss. He goes on to defeating Magnus carlsen in the Sinquefield cup (which was a classical tournament) in tiebreaks. The world at the time was shocked, here comes a future champion candidate who had the potential for overthrowing Magnus himself. Magnus in an interview, pointed to Ding Liren as the opponent that confuses him the most. Then, the pandemic hit, right when Ding was at an all time peak (2nd highest rated in the world after Magnus, who is the world champion). Forcing him to be unable to participate in any over the board competitions for 2 whole years. The problem is, that means he misses out on any of the tournaments required to win in order to qualify for the Candidates tournament, which determines who can face the world chess champion. So the only way for Ding to qualify was via Rating, where he needed to be both active and the highest rated. During this time, Nepo plays in the 2021 World chess Championship, and got crushed by Magnus. Prior to 2022, the Candidates tournament, always had a qualification spot for the highest rated ACTIVE player (other than the champion). They removed this qualification milestone in 2022. All hope seemed lost once again for Ding as he now has no way to qualify. Luckily, Karjakin who qualified as one of the 8 was disqualified due to his political comments on social media, opening up the rating qualification once more. Ding Liren goes on to play 30 classical games in a month while netting a positive ELO gain in order to remain as an active rated player in order to qualify based on the highest rating rule. Then, during the candidates, and potentially jet lag, Ding Liren loses the first round to Yan Nepomniachtchi who is out for blood after losing in 2021 to Magnus, in his comeback story for revenge. (Nepo also goes on to winning the Candidates tournament). Coming from a terrible first game, the rest of the first half of the games were all ties. Hope was all but lost for Ding Liren to win the candidates as he was in 2nd to last place. Suddenly, during the second half of the candidates, Ding wins 2 games in a row, loses 1, and wins a third. Putting him and Hikaru as potential 2nd ranked in the tournament if Hikaru can draw or win, OR if Ding can win. Facing each other, Ding won on demand, earning him 2nd place. However, 2nd place is not good enough to play the championship. He needed first. That is when mother fortune finally smiled upon Ding, and Magnus decided to not defend his title. And suddenly, we get a championship between two challengers, Nepo and Ding. Ding understood that he had not been active in the last couple of years and his chess has become rusty. His playstyle had peaked. He needed to reinvigorate his chess in order to compete with someone as experienced as Nepo. So he plays in Wijk Aan Zee, a classical tournament of one of the highest calibers a few months before the championship. There, he faces Richard Rapport, the artist of chess, who is a top 10 chess player with innovative ideas for openings and a unique playstyle. He goes on to recruit Rapport after that tournament to create his small team of seconds to face Nepo in the championship. Then, during the world chess championship, Ding, due from nervousness, a small team of seconds compared to Nepo, and inexperience, loses the 2nd game in the match. The world watching had lost all hope that Ding can turn this around as Chess is a highly drawish game. Meaning it is possible for Nepo to maintain this lead until victory. But Ding said No. Ding chilled himself and went on to fight back for a win in game 4 with a reinvigorated playstyle thanks to Rapport, leading to an exciting blow for blow, win for win against Nepo in games 4-7, where Nepo again regains a 1 point lead. That is when things went terribly wrong. Someone had found Ding's preparation online. This prep leak meant that Ding's chances of coming back were nigh as Nepo and his large team can just study all of Ding's planned openings for the championship. But Ding once again, said No. He chilled himself and went on to win the 12th game, equalizing the match once more. The classical portion of the match ends in a draw by the 14th game. During Tie breaks, in the 4th game, Nepo essentially offers Ding a draw through a potential 3-fold repitition, hoping to get into blitz tiebreaks where he has an advantage. Ding once again, said No. In a chilling moment, Ding goes on to Pin his own Rook to his King, and essentially said that he is still in this to win this, no matter the outcome. He goes on to crushing Nepo in that game and winning on demand. That is how Ding Liren, for the first time in the match, got to one up Nepo, winning the game, which wins the entire tournament on the spot. That is the story of how Ding Liren, against all odds, became our 17th (and chillest) World Chess Champion.

[@agift4u240]

Amazing story❤

[@epicgamer4551]

I know he didn't win, but a video on the indomitable will of Ian Nepomniachtchi would be pretty cool as well!

[@yzfool6639]

😂 Hilarious!

[@Quixotic-rr8qu]

i agree

[@garfinkelc11]

He's finished second in 4 world championships in the 504 days from December 12 2021 to April 30 2023; 2021 Classical to Magnus, 2021 Rapid to Abdusattorov, 2022 Fischer Random to Hikaru, and 2023 Classical to Ding. Absolutely brutal.

[@thespasmaniandevil]

He literally just got domited

[@altrfryd5859]

Ian deserves no story because he did not win the world Championship match so please don't say nonsense

[@deepaklachman9340]

This story deserves a whole 2 hour documentary with all the struggles and emotions and everything

[@HeisenbergFam]

I like how some people doubted Ding Liren only for him to do ultimate Ding Chilling move and become a champion

[@GRLe0]

I think Mr. White is addicted to KZbin

[@GiddyGuy867]

dammit how many youtubers do you watch I have 5 alts on youtube with different recommendations and you appear in the comment sections in each video I watch

[@just-shaquille]

i liked it when ding liren said "it's chilling time" and chilled all over the place.

[@duogaming7629]

kzbin.infoqDTatJcCRhs?feature=share how did he do this😂😂

[@yassir6359]

Using god as a username is no joke brother

[@TheIndispensableOpposition]

@@yassir6359 idk man seems legit to me

[@yassir6359]

@@TheIndispensableOpposition no brother , he is a man like us who eats sleeps and sh*ts he has no right to call himself god , Gd will frown upon him

[@erikpasquale9902]

@@yassir6359 its real man

[@Kaisir08]

Always hoped ding would win but it was still heartbreaking to see nepo in that state when he lost but congrats to ding on his jojrney

[@askdrten]

My heart goes out to Nepo, he put up one of the best fight of his life - probably even more so than against Magnus.

[@unddozahaz]

Ding liren is straight up an anime protagonist. He had a 1 in a million shot to become world champion and he clutched up with ice in his veins during that rapid game. What a guy.

[@nutronite199]

I am so happy that Ding is world champion, and I think he really deserves it!

[@badboy-xz5tw]

kzbin.infoqDTatJcCRhs?feature=share he does man❤

[@noahpalmer6653]

Crazy that hikaru also hadn't played much classical but nearly got that seconds spot. Would've been interesting to see him play in the world championship.

[@revanth2628]

But winning against Hikaru is really something, that dude is like on a god tier of defence. Ding did really well and owned his spot to qualify eventually for the WCC.

[@LOLBTLOLBT]

He is still salty about the lost

[@cheya111]

Ding Liren has always been the second best player in the world after Magnus. Covid and the travel restrictions made us forget about him. So, it makes total sense Ding gets the title after Magnus relinquishes it. Had Ding been active, we would have never seen Caruana or Ian in the world stage with Magnus. That's just the truth. In the end, the best player won once he was given the opportunity. Just rate the endgame of these players, Magnus and Ding endgame plays are superior to the others. The other players may get the best prep, memorizing stockfish lines, good tactics, when it comes to the endgame they will never beat Magnus or Ding Liren. In game 14, in a totally winning position, Ian could not convert because Ding played the last 45 moves the computer would have played to draw the game. Ian could not do the same in the last game of the playoff when a draw was possible.

[@thatonepianoguy_]

We need a big budget movie version of this, now

[@eman331]

God damn, definitely worth the entire watch. The last moments of the final match, for the uninitiated, don't do justice to how much grit and fight Ding had to go through to win the World Championship. Also, Tania Sachdev's commentary about Ding winning, while accurate, her word's can only be understood to a certain extent. Great summary of the grit and fortitude that this guy had to go through. Definitely movie worthy.

[@victorhuynh4031]

Ding story to be the world Chess champion we all can related in life. Never give up and keep fighting even in a slightest of hope everything will turn around. Hardtime never define a true character of a man but fought through the hardtime against all odd is a mark of a champion. Never give up hope fittingly crowned Ding LiRen champion in World Chess championship.

[@Dreamybull1312]

the indomitable human spirit of ding liren

[@SkillerEPChess]

I'm so happy for ding, I was rooting for him since I heard Rapport was his 2nd, He helped Ding create some creative masterpieces, legends

[@robotonom6627]

This man deserves to have a film made about him🏅

[@STARPLATINUM6969]

I was rooting for ding but nepo's sad face made me emotional

[@DevilishlyDutch]

Witnessing Ding's story was like living in a story, that was incredbile

[@mister-8658]

I love how everybody calls ding Lauren a underdog when his peak rating is 67 points higher then Ian nepo.

[@farisshah4852]

Everyone keep saying poor nepo and pities the man, but not many talks about the struggles and achievement of my man Ding, the challanges he's endured and his tremendous efforts to win the world title. Absolutely deserved. Congrats Ding!

[@sarrystylesofficial]

So much respect for Ding, he never gave up

[@jimmythemathwise6719]

Ding Liren is a legend.

[@Philson]

Ding Chilling his way to the top.

[@eliloewen5185]

Insane Story! would be epic if you showed ding's immortal game in 2017

[@musicowl4272]

yeah

[@System.Error.]

Maybe adding Sinqufield cup Ding vs Nepo would be interesting

[@TheLoxely]

Truly a movie-like journey. Incredible fight from Ding to stay in it no matter what happened. From the brink of defeat, multiple times, to World Champion. Pretty incredible stuff

[@askdrten]

Oscar Award 2024: Best Documentary: My Journey (Ding Liren) by Levy Rozman

[@green2537]

Ding deserves everything thus far, as a result of his hard work

[@askdrten]

What Ding did wasn't luck. It was calculated from the beginning, to not play for draw, to mix things up, to take risks.... DING deserve to be the man who may change classical chess or at least open people's eyes for some time-control-change or rules change or whatever - to make classical chess more interesting instead of boring draws...

[@iNeoKF]

No amount of motivation ever helped me. I'm currently applying for scholarship and have faced a lot of rejection but the lengths Ding went to, just renewed my self motivation!

[@minikawildflower]

I remember this candidates second place game, when we all heard Magnus might not compete, but we all were questioning what he'd really do, and whether Ding's win would matter, and then to have it turn out this way is amazing.

[@SussyTequila]

The story was crazy! Ding Chilling to Ding Winning 🏆

[@rockrocks]

Just imagine going from barely playing classical for a couple of years and then instantly getting catapulted to the world championship and WINNING IT. Ding Chilling for the win🍦❄️

[@fortniteomega1726]

thats crazy bro 💀

[@zaki8921]

He’s just asian bro 😈

[@laptopacer3231]

"You can't stop an avalanche with a horse" - Levi 2023

[@SuperLol]

Mad respect to Ding Liren and huge congratulations! All chess players of this day and age have something to learn from this man, in chess or in life. Truly inspiring resilience and humble personality.

[@strat0caster124]

I dreamt of Ding becoming a title contender and even becoming the new world chess champion ever since his Sinquefield Cup win against Magnus in 2019. Can't believe it has already been 4 years, and can't believe that after ups and downs, Ding pulled it through and won the WCC tiebreaks. An absolutely amazing journey.

[@TheLfamily24]

Damn that Qa2 was when Ian was breaking down. I get chills every time I think about it

[@jasmint6703]

So appreciative you covered this arc. This is why I was rooting for him during the FIDE world championship. He did not disappoint. Best high stakes chess match I have ever witnessed.

[@sunmeet]

Feels like Magnus just wanted to give Ding a chance by not defending. And if Ding wins Magnus can enjoy arrogant Ian’s loss.

[@sunmeet]

@THE Programming Fool! the post match interviews suggest otherwise. I guess rude is a better way to describe his behavior

[@dezed3542]

The stars literally aligned for Ding that’s incredible

[@AragornAnimations]

I still don't wanna let go of Magnus but it's impossible to deny how awesome Dings story has been.

[@willembouma]

i think Ding wasn’t supposed to make the Candidates 😂

[@yeetmaaster747]

We're all just pawns in a Ding Liren chess game. Not many have it in them to comeback from such difficulties but he did. Now he really is chilling.

[@juicetime910]

you could say ding is chillin, or ding chillin

[@iBridgee]

Ding Liren’s story is straight out of a movie, hope to see it composed! It truly is inspiring.

[@Ragondarknes]

I was already excited when he made it to the candidates. What an incredible series of events.

[@Zierk11001]

Hey Levi you forgot to mention that Dings prep got leaked and Nempo made a comment about it after game 10. Even more impressive that Ding had to call an audible for the rest of the championship.

[@Dario_Salvi]

This is the most epic story in chess history, at least that I know.

[@lubl]

Netflix’s gotta bring the Ding‘s Gambit

[@yarrmrichard]

This is why reality is more impressive than any fiction… And you are Levy such a great storyteller that it give me goosebumps !

[@T1J]

its gonna be hilarious when magnus decides to come back and stomp everyone and get his championship back. he's basically playing the game on hard mode now because he has no competition

[@richardschremmer9766]

Levy, all respect to you for digging this out for us. Great work. Best chess reporter on the planet!

[@funnyguy-ln3jp]

3:27 Li, Di VS *Di* (ng), *Li* ren

[@Jesseyt4U]

today stare was historical. he Locked my soul into a cage.

[@jaysalvaterra1484]

Ding is such a legend, glad to see more content about him!

[@Yo-Itz-Ayden]

King Li Win 👑

[@badboy-xz5tw]

kzbin.infoqDTatJcCRhs?feature=share this same thing man😂😂

[@WhyGamingYT]

The King🥶

[@Jimenem]

Ding Chilling 🥶🥶🥶

[@o_s-24]

Li lost the first game of this vid 😂

[@eifbkcn]

Li Di didn't do that well

[@Vegas324]

Bro straight up just lived through a movie 😭

[@estevaobrito871]

Simply the greatest comeback someone can talk about. I felt even more satisfied with his victory when I remember that, in another yt video regarding Ding's trouble during the match, I commented something like "I'm still confident he can win". Ppl started arguing about how it'd be from tough to impossible for that to happen, talking about ELO difference, pressure, experience and this and that. With his victory proving those people wrong, Ding Liren's world championship journey became an inspiration story for me I never thought I'd witness, specially during the time when I've never been more interested in the game ever.

[@LouisGedo]

Liren deserves heaps of praise for his journey and achievement!!

[@marceloakol396]

Watching this gives me another reason to never give up on my dreams.. A true Champion Ding Liren 👑

[@syedrushaan4670]

I feel like Nepo had fully anticipated that ding would take the draw and when ding played the Rg6 move ian was just shook and panicked

[@simonb4689]

I knew that story and craved a deep dive in video format. Thank you for delivering.

[@Destin._.]

He uploaded this 2 minutes ago. You typed this 2 minutes ago

[@simonb4689]

@@Destin._. yeah I was the first comment. What's your point?

[@GXT_ROGUE]

Ding is such a loveable character

[@shawndonq135]

what an absolute legend. The fact he believed in himself until the very end is what got him to where he is now. That was just an awesome and inspiring thing to behold. Beautiful

[@Christopher-tayso]

Don’t forget dings prep was leaked

[@xusion794]

Well I felt sad for Nepo losing 2 world championships in a row, but the more that I think of it, the more I think that Ding deserved it more. His comeback was absolutely mind boggling. Cannot Congrat him more 🔥🔥

[@o_s-24]

They'll probably have rematch next wcc. But honestly I want Hikaru vs Ding

[@Blinkers2007GameDev]

@@o_s-24 Me too. I want Hikaru to win. I know he can.

[@areedkhalid6549]

I really want hikaru to get through to the wcc. No matter he wins or not, i just wanna see him play wcc

[@AL-vd8by]

​@os bro I can already see goofy ah openings from both of them

[@o_s-24]

@A L imagine Hikaru playing bongclound in otb classic 😂

[@shrinivasganti90]

Ding is awesome. Levy is such a prize for the chess community, the excitement is infectious. Amazing job Levy keep em coming

[@tommonk7651]

Just a fantastic story! One of the greatest in chess history…. Congrats to Ding.

[@TheArizus]

This story really deserves an Oscar. I'm speachless

[@_mvr_]

The thing about this match is that Ding didn't feel like he had anything to lose, and Nepo did I think Ding's humility is what made him champion

[@tacoman78]

Levy is the kind of guy to see a snack and ask ‘Is anyone gonna eat that?’ and not wait for an answer

[@electroAM]

no we're not starting this...

[@TrackpadProductions]

I've _100%_ seen this comment on this channel before.

[@samuellinn]

Don't even start this trend again

[@darkscythe3874]

@@TrackpadProductions I was thinking the same thing

[@Benja944]

Reused comment

[@chandrasnyder3567]

He was determined to fight until the end, no matter what obstacles were in his way!! Congratulations to Ding Liren!!

[@o_s-24]

Honestly, I still don't know how Ian walked willingly into a discovered attack in game 12. But yeah Ding needs a tv show I guess

[@oceanmadrosci3381]

Nah, Nadal comeback at AO 2022 final was greater

[@lightning77125]

One cannot help but admire this man. He is one of the humblest guys in chess, yet had to go through some of the hardest times in chess but persisted through. Amazing!! It would have been so heartbreaking had Ding lost Game 18. He worked so hard, and I'm glad he got to where he did. He is not just a champion of chess, but a champion of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.

[@hasinabram6745]

ding is the perfect example of the "last goal wins"😂

[@CompleteIdeal]

There are even more fascinating details to this. Fabi was a clear 2nd in Candidates, but thinking that 2nd place meant nothing, he pushed too hard for wins and lost many games instead of drawing them (or so I hear). Before the last game of classical in the WCC, Ian mysteriously lost his sleeping pills-not all of them, but only the bottle that was really effective. Ian went into tiebreaks on only 2 hours of sleep. Ding's ancestors really looking out for him.

[@owaiskhatri6205]

Ngl, but after learning more things like these, i think ding doesn't deserve the win i think he just had the luck... (i think this thought may be the byproduct of me wanting nepo to win)

[@CompleteIdeal]

@@owaiskhatri6205 One detail from the press conference after game 12 stands out to me: Ding said, "I was not thinking about everyone watching, I was just looking at the game, and actually trying to tell myself how important this is." A fire of pure focus burned within him in some critical moments, something that eluded Ian. Even if it's not the same next time, Ding's fundamental will to triumph earned him this year's title well, in combination with destiny.

[@tomate3391]

@@CompleteIdeal But that was in another context. He was asked about if he is nervous, and he felt too calm, and then only, to try to focus himself, he said what you mentioned.

[@CompleteIdeal]

One can say Ding got lucky, but it's ridiculous to suggest he didn't deserve it. A competition is just an event, and if Nepo's mental strength or lucky stars failed him for that event, there is no sense in which he "deserved" to win it unless there was cheating or mismanagement.

[@CompleteIdeal]

​@@tomate3391 Well, I interpreted it as a profound form of focus, but there is no right interpretation as it would be different if he lost, same for Rg6, if Nepo managed to draw that it wouldn't seem so significant. But that's the nature of the game, the opponent's error is needed for the brilliancy.

[@maxfailmezger5219]

"He had to be brave and run" -Levy Rozman 2023

[@victorkao1472]

In all 3 major arcs, he was trailing behind at first. He loses, he loses, and he loses again, but he never gave up. He powered through each tournament, and against all odds, a miracle happened. Ding made a remark that “he was considering retiring from chess if he didn’t manage to win the wcc, but life is unpredictable, and sometimes decided in the last minutes”

[@xx765]

The Rook G6 was nothing tactical, it was pure heart.

[@user-qr9ru8bb3e]

After the game that Ding froze, you said in your video that if Ding could come back after frustrating failures like this, he would be the toughest man in the world. And he did, and I agree with you, he is the toughest!

[@flytoheights1]

@4:12 Not waging much. +200 points rating difference is huge in Chess. 200 points means you are expected to win +75% of the time.

[@omegacyborg]

When I started to watch the Recaps, I just randomly chose a side and the Side I chose happen to be Ding's Side, I'm so glad that my random guess would be this amazing

[@axegas76]

The match was incredible. Good for Ding the King.