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World Chess Champion
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Ding Liren (born 24 October 1992) is a Chinese chess grandmaster and the current World Chess Champion (as of 2023/24). He became the first Chinese player to hold the title after defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in a thrilling match in Astana. Known for his resilience and positional understanding, Ding went on a 100-game unbeaten streak in classical chess from 2017 to 2018, a record at the time. Ding's path to the title was miraculous: he only qualified for the Candidates Tournament because Sergey Karjakin was banned, and he only played the World Championship match because Magnus Carlsen abdicated. Despite struggling with form and mental health issues post-championship, he remains a history-maker for Asian chess.
17th World Chess Champion (2023–Present)
First Chinese male player to become World Champion
Three-time Chinese Chess Champion (2009, 2011, 2012)
Took a massive hiatus from chess in 2023/24 citing mental fatigue and illness, leading to a significant rating drop
Criticized for arguably being a 'paper champion' due to Carlsen's absence and his own poor tournament form after winning the title
Winner of the Sinquefield Cup (2019)
Gold Medalist at the 41st and 43rd Chess Olympiads
Went 100 classical games unbeaten (2017–2018)