Welcome to ESPN's live blog of the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship between reigning champ Ding Liren of China and his 18-year-old challenger Dommaraju Gukesh of India. Gukesh got off the mark in the 14-game Championship with a solid draw that Ding Liren ...

Ding Liren officially lost to D Gukesh on time in the Round 3 of World Chess Championship 2024, but it was the 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster’s excellent preparation and confident game that allowed him to win his first match.

Gukesh converted his advantage in the third game against Ding Liren. Winning Game 3 mattered even more as Thursday is the first rest day.

The reigning champion allowed Gukesh a fast start but slowly -- and then rapidly -- changed the tide of the match as he put the squeeze on in the latter half of the game. In the last thirty minutes of the first two hour time control, Ding took complete control and eased into a winning position soon into the next time control of half an hour.

With 40 moves to make in the first 120 allotted minutes without any increment, the complicated middle game had the desired impact on Liren and Gukesh was relentless in finding out some difficult yet perfect moves to increase the pressure.

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh, playing with white pieces, won Game 3 on Wednesday. Reigning champion Ding Liren lost on time after a mad scramble.

Indian challenger Gukesh picked up his first win of the final to level the overall scores at 1.5-each with Championship holder Liren.

Those following the 2024 World Chess Championship would spot the Queen's Gambit is the opening in Game 3 between Ding Liren and D Gukesh

D Gukesh trails reigning champion Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship in Singapore as they go into the third round on Wednesday. Liren had won the first round and drawn the second with Gukesh to lead the 14-game showdown by 1.