The rapid play tie-break for the FIDE World Championship match ended on Sunday, April 30, with Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren crowned new World Chess Champion. Ding Liren: I'm quite relieved. The moment Ian resined the game was a very emotional moment. I couldn't control my feelings. I know myself, I will cry and burst into tears. It was a tough tournament for me. I would like to thank my friends. #NepoDing : Stev Bonhage pic.twitter.com/IC4P9wFFRK — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 30, 2023 Ding beat Russian chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi to become the first world chess champion from China. Ding defeated Nepomniachtchi in the last of the four Rapid tiebreaks, a stunning race against the clock, to become the 17th world chess champion. Ian Nepomniachtchi: I guess I had a chance and many promising positions. Probably I should have tried to finish everything in the classical portion, because it was a matter of one or two precise moves. #NepoDing : Stev Bonhage pic.twitter.com/9tYQEnaXPu — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 30, 2023 That was all after, a day earlier, the two finished the 14 classical games with an even score, 7-7, implying that the title would be decided on a rapid play tie-break, with 25 minutes per player and 10 additional seconds added per move. ALSO READ: World Chess Championship: Game 14 ends in draw, tiebreaks to follow During their tie-break showdown on Sunday, April 30, Ding proved he had the nerve, heart, and technique to prevail over Nepomniachtchi in the last rapid tie-break game of one of the most exciting and dramatic matches in chess history. All thouroughout the match, Nepomniachtchi had his chances, but just couldn’t close the deal. The final moments of the match. The emotions of the players say it all. #NepoDing pic.twitter.com/yllKJes14j — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 30, 2023 The prize fund for the match is two million euros, with the reward being split 60:40 between the winner and the runner-up.
