Ding
Hikaru
Ding
 
Hikaru
 
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
1
17
34 turns without comments
18

Ding taking far too much risk here. By pushing his pawn, he's leaving Hikaru with a super dangerous central passer. It could pay off, but it's even more likely to end in a second win running for Hikaru!

-01:-05 e3
18
35
34 turns without comments
35
01:45 g6
36

??BLUNDER??

Pity for Ding. He had built up a winning position, but goes wrong with his choice of minor piece to move. He needed to step the bishop forward one square to take aim at the enemy king. That would have set up some nasty tactics.

07:58 Nd4
36
41
11 turns without comments
42

All of a sudden, only Hikaru can have any real hope of victory here.

01:21 Bd5
42
44
4 turns without comments
44

Ding's position appears to be falling apart here unfortunately. There's no way to defend everything in his center/kingside.

-01:-36 Rd2
45
60
31 turns without comments
60

Hikaru wins on time...again!

Brutal for Ding so far in his match-up, as he loses two positions that were in the first case equal and the second case potentially salvageable. The no-increment format is simply extremely ruthless, and especially favorable to the faster player. And few players in the world are faster than Hikaru Nakamura!

-01:-38 Rd3+