When game 11 of the FIDE World Championship 2023 match started – 1. e4 e5 – on Monday, April 24, Chinese chess grandmaster Ding Liren, playing with the Black pieces, knew that he was running out of time.

With only three games to be played after game 11, the tension was high.

Ding, who, earlier, on Sunday, failed to take advantage of playing with the white pieces as game 10 ended in a draw on move 45 was leading black pieces, making it riskier to play for a win.

But the game that Indian chess grandmaster Vishy Anand described as a "low energy game” given the toll of the previous games, concluded in a draw in 39 moves, with the score now 6-5 in favor of Ding’s opponent, Russian chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi.

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After the tamest encounter of the 2023 FIDE World Championship, so far, three games remain for Nepomniachtchi and Ding to decide who becomes the 17th undisputed world chess champion in a 14-game match.

In case of a 7-7 tie, rapid playoffs will follow.

Asked about what changes are necessary to the world championship format, Ding said: "Now I think the tournament could be even longer."

Nepomniachtchi laughed.

All eyes are now turning to Ding’s second-to-last game with the white pieces, on Wednesday, April 26, to see if he can reduce the deficit in the last three games.