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Quisling, good question re. Caruana. He is an incredible calculator and his online commentary is astonishing to follow.

I used to be (mid 1990s into early 2000s) an active correspondence player (postal in those days). CC gives practically unlimited thinking time, so I developed the habit of always considering sacrifices and paradoxical moves. [For instance, I honestly felt Shirov's lauded 47...Bh3 vs Topalov (Linares, 1998) was not such a big deal and one of the first moves a CC player would have considered.]

As a horrid OTB player, I defer to Caruana. I was judging the position from a diagram with no clock ticking. But on reflection, the self-pin played by Ding was less risky than the term "self-pin" implies. Granted, had there been Rooks on the board I'd have considered the idea utterly inconceivable.

Absolutely fascinating insights, Geeker. Thank you. I agree the “self pin” term makes it sound more extraordinary than it was. I stole it from Magnus 🙈

I guess the only reason the "self-pin" (common chess term) works is a concrete variation...After 46...Rg6, when White pinned with 47. Qf5, Black advanced 47...c4 intending ...Qd3 when White would have to either trade Queens (losing) or abandon the pin.

Few (certainly not I) would have self-pinned in real time, but it was a combination of Ding's wanting to win (retreating the King to the 8th rank would likely have led to perpetual check) and accurate calculation.

Many GMs in that situation would have opted for draw via perpetual and rolled the dice on blitz games. All credit to Ding.

Funny thing: apparently the correct pronunciation of Ding's surname is "Lizhen", which is clearly shown by the Russian transliteration. The onsite FIDE reps pronounced it correctly, but the vast majority of English commentators stuck to "Liren".

Good old Mikhail is involved again in today's Times 28,592 - see @94, 95, 96, 97.
Opening popular with one chess champion going round India (7)

I don't think Ding will make it into cryptic crosswords, though his name is highly suitable for clueing other words.

Guardian article about the WCC:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/02/world-chess-championship-ding-liren-china-ian-nepomniachtchi-russia-astana

The author Sean Ingle posted additional material that didn't make it into the article:

https://twitter.com/seaningle

Thanks Geeker, they were really interesting and insightful.

I enjoyed your analysis of various moves in the games and was wondering what you, Paul or anyone thought of Ding's Qe2 move (I think it was) in the final game that the computer gave as a brilliancy - I don't really understand why?

brendan@126

Re Ding's 42...Qe2, if that's the move you mean. Hardly a brilliancy but possibly given an exclamation mark because it leaves his bishop hanging. However, if White plays 43 Rxc3 then Qe1+ by Black forks the king and rook.

Brendan, as far as I can tell (w. GM notes and engine assistance), Ding's pawn-grabbing with 40...Bxc3!? was the real gutsy move. This walked into (another! less publicized) pin with 41. Rc1, threatening to win the Bc3 with 42. Bd2.

In order to grab the pawn, Ding had to have foreseen the next two "only moves". First 41...Rf6 protecting the R with the g7 pawn so the Q could move out of the pin.
Then after 42. Qd7!?, 42...Qe2 seemed to have two purposes: (a) Pressuring f2 so Black could play ...Qxf2+ with perpetual check in some variations where the White Bishop moved from e3; (b) Breaking the pin, since capturing the Bc3 failed to the fork Paul mentioned.

Brendan, in the too much information category...

[The annotations at
https://www.chess.com/news/view/fide-world-chess-championship-2023-tiebreak-ding-liren
aren't bad.]

If White tried to win the pinned Bc3 with the direct 42. Bd2, Black got the aforementioned perpetual check after 42...Qd4 43. Bxc3 (after 43. Rxc3??, the check on f2 even leads to mate) ...Qxf2+ (see annotations at link).

Okay, thanks Paul, thanks Geeker and yes, it was move 42 - that makes sense now.

The on screen graphics gave it "!! - Brilliant, an unexpected amazing move" and the commentators, Fabi, Tania and Rob, all said they missed it.