Game 1: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, ½–½

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 1

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Position after 25.Qd2. Here Ding (Black) opted to advance a pawn with 25...c6?!, rather than initiate the trade of rooks on the d-file.^[62] Anish Giri and Jan Gustafsson disapproved of the move as it created a long-term weakness of Black's queenside pawn structure.^[63][64] After the continuation 26.Rxd8+ Nxd8, Nepomniachtchi (White) countered with the move 27.Qf4!, giving White a near-winning advantage as Giri speculated that Ding overlooked the threat of 27...Qb7 28.Qc7!, rather than the move 28.Qb8.^[63]

The first game of the match, a 49-move draw, was played on 9 April. Nepomniachtchi began with 1.e4, with both players quickly playing into the Ruy Lopez. Nepomniachtchi surprised commentators with the rare sideline 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Re1, and, in the words of Erwin l'Ami, obtained a "risk-free position and long-term structural edge".^[65] Nepomniachtchi missed a tactical opportunity early with 14.Nf5 (14.h3! would have set up 14...Qxd4? 15.Nd5!!), but the game otherwise stayed mostly level until the move 25...c6?!, with Nepomniachtchi quickly playing 26.Rxd8+ Nxd8 27.Qf4!, forming a battery towards Ding's weakened queenside and gaining the initiative. With Ding low on time, a few inaccuracies by Nepomniachtchi (30.Ng3 and 31.f4) allowed Ding to force a trade of queens and consolidate his position, reaching an equal endgame by move 38. A draw was agreed on move 49 after just under five hours of play.^[66][30][67]

Ding, in the post-game press conference, provided insight into his morale during and following the game: "I'm not happy; I'm a little bit depressed. During the game, I felt a flow of inconsistency. In the first part of the game, I couldn't concentrate and think about chess. My mind was full of memories and feelings. Maybe I couldn't calculate because of the pressure of the match."^[63]

Game 2: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, 0–1

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 2

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Position after 11...Na5. Ding took 33 minutes to play 12.Nxf6+?! instead of 12.Nxc5, later identifying during the post-game press conference that the move weakened his position as the continuation 12.Nxc5 Bxc5 13.dxc5 Nd7 would have maintained Ding's advantage.^[68][69] Nepomniachtchi's aggressive response of 12...gxf6 13.e4? (much better was 13.dxc5 with chances to retain equality)^[70] 13...c4! consolidated a strong pawn structure and allowed his rook to occupy the open g-file.^[31]

The second game of the match, a 29-move win for Nepomniachtchi, was played on 10 April. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 Ding played 4.h3, a move that had never been seen before at master level. Nepomniachtchi said at the press conference that he initially wrote 4.g3 (a standard move which would have led into a Catalan) on his score sheet, before realizing 4.h3 had been played.^[68] Alexander Shabalov stated that "[4.h3] definitely comes from Richard Rapport, Ding's second",^[71] which Ding confirmed.^[68] Nepomniachtchi decided to play 4...dxc4 and treat the game as a Queen's Gambit Accepted, on the basis that White's h2–h3 is not particularly useful in that line.^[72] After playing most of his moves almost instantly, Ding took over 30 minutes to play the move 12.Nxf6+, later identifying the move as a critical moment, saying he had only looked at 12...Qxf6 and entirely overlooked Nepomniachtchi's response 12...gxf6. Ding's follow-up 13.e4?! was criticized for weakening his position; commentators recommended 13.dxc5 with approximate equality. Nepomniachtchi subsequently took over the initiative: his move 18...f5! was highly praised; it set the spectacular trap 19.exf5 Rxd4!! 20.Nxd4 (other moves avoid mate but lose material) 20...Rxg2+ 21.Kf1 Rxf2+! 22.Kxf2 Qh2+ 23.Ke3 Bh6#. Nepomniachtchi confirmed in the post-game interview that he felt that he was winning after 18...f5.^[73] Ding avoided this trap with 19.Bc2, which was nonetheless a concession—Ding's previous play seemed to be aimed at putting the bishop on f1.^[68] After 20.Bg5, Nepomniachtchi sacrificed an exchange with 20...Rxg5!, gaining the d-pawn and a dominating position after 21.Nxg5 Nxd4, and the e-pawn shortly afterwards. Already after move 20, Ding had less than 20 minutes remaining on his clock to Nepomniachtchi's 60, and he would need to play 20 more moves to reach the time bonus at move 40. Throughout the remaining moves of the game, Ding's time dwindled and his position worsened, until, after 29...e5, leaving the rook on d4 no safe squares, Ding resigned with less than a minute remaining on his clock.^[68]

Game 3: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, ½–½

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 3

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Position after 27.Nb5. In the post-game press conference, Ding identified 27...d4!? as a way to attempt to press for an advantage, but decided it to be too risky. After 27...Nc7, the game was drawn by threefold repetition with 28.Nd4 Ne6 29.Nb5 Nc7 30.Nd4 Ne6.^[74]

The third game of the match, a 30-move draw, was played on 12 April. Commentators noted it represented a much improved performance by Ding. The game, a Queen's Gambit Declined, followed a game which Ding had previously drawn as Black against Anish Giri in an online rapid game in 2022 until 17.N1e2. Nepomniachtchi later stated that he had looked at the game prior to the round. Ding identified 21...Nxd7 as a critical moment where he began to play for a win, but chose to invite a repetition after 27.Nb5 with 27...Nc7. In the post-game interview, Ding stated he had considered 27...d4 as a potential move to continue playing for a win, but decided it would have been too risky. The game was drawn by repetition shortly afterwards.^[75]

At the post-game press conference, Ding stated, "I was not happy with the result. I was trying to play for a win at some point, but I couldn't find a way to break through. So, I think a draw is a decent result for both of us."^[76] Nepomniachtchi made comments to the same effect, remarking that "The Queen's Gambit Declined is a very solid opening, so you're not going to achieve much. The most common case is when both sides play reasonably. It is hard to disrupt the equality."^[74]

Game 4: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, 1–0

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 4

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Position after 28...Nd4?. Ding responded with 29.Rxd4! cxd4 30.Nb3, with the knight ready to win back the d-pawn. The knight was stronger than a rook under the circumstances of the position, due to White's space advantage and the closed state of the board.^[77]

The fourth game of the match, a 47-move win for Ding, was played on 13 April. The game began with an English Opening, Four Knights Variation. Nepomniachtchi's 9...Nf4 followed an earlier game won by Ding's second Rapport, leading Anish Giri to speculate that he had confused some of his preparation. This was later confirmed by Nepomniachtchi in the press conference. 14...Na5 was also inaccurate, as the knight would have a difficult time getting back into play while Ding created a strong central presence. Ding made the dynamic decision to sacrifice a pawn with 15.c5 in order to create an advanced pawn center. 23...f6 was a move Nepomniachtchi later called "unnecessary"; it allowed Ding to play 24.e6, giving him a passed e-pawn and a strong pawn chain, but in return Black was able to establish the knight on a strong defensive square at d6. Nepomniachtchi was still in the game until he blundered with 28...Nd4?, a decision former world champion Viswanathan Anand described as "insane".^[78] Ding made the strong exchange sacrifice 29.Rxd4!, and after 29...cxd4 30.Nb3, the knight is ready to dominate the black position from d4.^[79] Ding said he originally considered 29.Qd3 as a response, but found the winning move after thinking for just over a minute, while Nepomniachtchi confirmed that he did not see it until it was played. Even though the position was completely lost for Black, Nepomniachtchi played on, with Ding precisely converting his advantage. Nepomniachtchi eventually resigned on move 47, bringing the match score back to equality.^[33]

Game 5: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, 1–0

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 5

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Position after 38.Rg4. The solid-looking move 38...f6 would run into 39.Nh4, with 39...gxh4 40.h6! destroying the black position, while any other move in response would allow the knight to get into the incredible outpost on g6. Rather than invite this, Ding played 38...Ra8, giving back the pawn with 39.Nxg5.^[80]

The fifth game of the match, a 48-move win for Nepomniachtchi, was played on 15 April. Nepomniachtchi was praised by commentators for his opening preparation, with many noting that he spent very little time making his moves until move 23, a time advantage which only grew as the game progressed. Anish Giri criticized the moves 19...Bd8!? and 20...Ne7!? by Ding, calling it "the most uncomfortable setup". Ding would later state, "I think the critical moment is that I should have played 29...Qf6 instead of 29...Nxf5." Commentators stated that 29...Nxf5 was not a poor move on its own, but 30...Qf6 was the mistake, suggesting that 30...Qd7 would have held the equality. Nepomniachtchi quickly launched a kingside attack, playing the pawn break 37.g5!, to which Ding's response 37...hxg5 was considered "losing completely" by Giri. After 38.Rg4, the natural-looking 38...f6, defending the pawn, would have run into 39.Nh4!, where 39...gxh4 40.h6! decimates the black position.^[81] 38...Ra8 was instead played, allowing Nepomniachtchi to regain the pawn with 39.Nxg5. Nepomniachtchi converted the positional advantage precisely, with the move 48.Rh6 convincing Ding to resign after 15 minutes of analyzing the position.^[82][80]

Game 6: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, 1–0

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 6

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Position after 27.h5. Commentators suggested that 27...Rxe5 28.dxe5 Qd8! would have given Nepomniachtchi an easier position to defend, as capturing the bishop with 29.hxg6? would have allowed perpetual check with 29...Qd1+ 30.Kh2 Qh5+. Instead, Nepomniachtchi played 27...Bc2?!, which allowed Ding to consolidate an advantage. Nepomniachtchi suggested 27...Bd3 as well, a move that would have led to a defendable though not equal position.[83] a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Position after 40...Rf8. Here Ding played 41.d5 after having thought for nearly 20 minutes. Despite not being the best option according to the chess engines, Ding would later finish the game by threatening the queen sacrifice 45.Qxg8+ Kxg8 46.Ra8+ Kf7 47.Rf8#, with the pawn on d5 preventing the king from escaping to e6. David Howell described the combination as "one of the most beautiful finishes to a world championship game in history".[84][83]

The sixth game of the match, a 44-move win for Ding, was played on 16 April. Ding played the London System, making this game the first time it has appeared in a World Championship match. Despite this, Nepomniachtchi said that he did expect to see it at some point. After 14...Nd7 15.Nxd7 Qxd7, 16.a5! fixed Nepomniachtchi's queenside pawn structure, giving the white position a small edge. With a lack of active plans, Nepomniachtchi began to prepare the pawn break 22...e5. Ding mentioned that his initial plan was to play 23.b4, a move that would have invited less counterplay than the game move, 23.Rb3. Despite Ding being much lower on time, it was Nepomniachtchi who allowed his opponent to consolidate his slight edge. 27...Rxe5 28.dxe5 Qd8! would have allowed Nepomniachtchi to fight on, as 29.hxg6? would allow him to force a draw by perpetual check via 29...Qd1+ 30.Kh2 Qh5+. Instead of this, 27...Bc2 was played, allowing Ding to win the b7-pawn. 32.Rc5? was a hasty move that could have let Nepomniachtchi back into the game if he found 32...Qxc3; however, 32...Qc1+ was played, giving the initiative back to Ding. As the players reached the time control, Ding spent 20 minutes on the move 41.d5, taking away the e6-square for a mating net. After 41...a2 42.Qc7 Kh7 43.Ng6 Rg8 44.Qf7!, Nepomniachtchi resigned, as the threat of 45.Qxg8+ Kxg8 46.Ra8+ Kf7 47.Rf8# is unstoppable.^[83][36]

On the game, Nepomniachtchi would state, "I played one of my worst games ever. Every move was bad… 27...Bd3 instead of 27...Bc2 was better, but even that was unfortunate." When asked about the frequency of decisive games in the match, Nepomniachtchi declined to answer, while Ding responded jokingly, "I guess we are not as professional as Magnus [Carlsen]."^[36]

Game 7: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, 1–0

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 7

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Position after 32.gxh4. Ding spent most of his remaining 5 minutes on the move 32...Rd2?, which allowed Nepomniachtchi to equalize, whereas 32...Be5 would have been much better, allowing Ding to have long-term pressure. After the natural 33.Re2, and with only 44 seconds on the clock, Ding played 33...Rd3? (mandatory was guarding the pawn with 33...Rd5, or giving check first with 33...Rd1+ 34.Kg2 Rd5), and after 34.Qxc5 Nepomniachtchi had a decisive advantage.^[85][86]

The seventh game of the match, a 37-move win for Nepomniachtchi, was played on 18 April. In reply to 1.e4, Ding deviated from his usual 1...e5, surprising his opponent and the commentators by opting for the French Defence, an opening last seen in a world championship match in 1978 (played there twice by Viktor Korchnoi; both games ended in a draw).^[87] Ding later confirmed in the press conference that he had "half-jokingly" suggested the French to his second, Richard Rapport, who then "insisted" that Ding play the opening. Nepomniachtchi chose 3.Nd2, the Tarrasch Variation. During the middlegame, Ding absorbed Nepomniachtchi's early pressure with accurate defence; however, by move 19 he was running low on time, having only 26 minutes to reach the time control with 21 moves to go. Despite this he found the strong exchange sacrifice 22...Nxf4! 23.Bxf4 Rxf4! 24.Rxf4 Bxe5, which gave him a strong bishop pair and some initiative; at this point commentators believed he had a slight advantage. With less than six minutes remaining on the clock for nine moves, Ding spent five minutes on the move 32...Rd2? (32...Be5! was best) which relinquished the advantage. He then blundered an important pawn after 33.Re2 Rd3?. Nepomniachtchi now had a winning position, and Ding resigned on move 37 with just 3 seconds left on his clock.^[85][86]

Game 8: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, ½–½

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 8

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Position after 31...Qh4. This move was simultaneously described both as "brilliant" and a "bluff". Ding could have won after 32.Qxd8, but had to carefully calculate whether this allowed perpetual check beginning with 32...Qe4+; Rafael Leitão identified the critical line as going all the way to move 43. Under time pressure, Ding could only "briefly check the line", and chose 32.Kd1?, losing most of his advantage.^[88]

The eighth game of the match, a 45-move draw, was played on 20 April. In response to the Nimzo-Indian Defence by Nepomniachtchi, Ding opted for 5.a3, the Sämisch Variation, inciting Nepomniachtchi to double his c-pawns with 5...Bxc3+ 6.bxc3. The move 12.h4! was given praise, with Ding temporarily giving up a bishop for an open h-file and a strong attack. Ding quickly gained the advantage, having a passed d-pawn and a strong g-pawn. As Ding began to pressure the black position, Nepomniachtchi blundered with 22...Bxe4??, giving him a completely losing position. As Ding pressed his advantage, Nepomniachtchi played 31...Qh4!?, leaving his rook en prise, but appearing to threaten a draw by perpetual check; Nepomniachtchi would later call it a "bluff", as White can escape perpetual check and win after taking the rook, but this was very difficult to calculate at the board.^[88] Ding, under time pressure, was able to only "briefly check the line", as he described in the press conference, and instead opted for 32.Kd1?, losing much of the advantage. After a few more moves, Nepomniachtchi sacrificed his knight with 37...Nxf2! 38.Rxf2 e4 to return the game to equality, with both players rapidly trading down to a rook-and-pawn endgame and agreeing to a draw after 45.Re8.^[89]

Game 9: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, ½–½

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 9

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Position after 26...Be6. Ding later said he anticipated the continuation 27.Bxb5 cxb5, sacrificing the exchange for connected pawns on the a- and b-files. Commentators and engines suggested this was the best move for Nepomniachtchi, but instead, he played 27.Bxe6, considered to be the safer, more human move.^[90]

The ninth game of the match, an 82-move draw, was played on 21 April. Against the Ruy Lopez, Ding chose the Berlin Defence. The first inaccuracy, 17...Rb8?! played by Ding, allowed Nepomniachtchi to build an initiative on the kingside; however, this initiative quickly faltered, with 23.Bg5? losing the advantage. Ding offered an exchange sacrifice with 26...Be6, allowing 27.Bxb5 cxb5, which would have given Ding connected passed pawns on the a- and b-files; however, Nepomniachtchi opted to trade bishops instead with 27.Bxe6, which was considered the "safer" move by commentators. Soon after, the players traded down into an endgame of rook, knight, and three pawns for White; versus rook, knight, and two pawns for Black. The pawn sacrifice 55...h3! by Ding received praise, splitting the remaining white pawns and rendering a draw nearly inevitable. Nepomniachtchi attempted to play on with his extra pawn, but a draw was eventually agreed on move 82.^[90][91][92]

Game 10: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, ½–½

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 10

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Position after 10.Qg3. Ding would later say he expected Nepomniachtchi to defend his g-pawn with 10...g6, but after 10...Kf8, Nepomniachtchi was able to quickly steer the game to an equal endgame. Notably, Nepomniachtchi had played the same position in a Titled Tuesdays online tournament game, having the white pieces against Jose Gabriel Cardoso.^[93]

The tenth game of the match, a 45-move draw, was played on 23 April. Ding once again chose the English Opening to begin the game, following the same opening as game 4, until Ding chose 4.e4 instead of 4.e3. The move 9...Bc5 came as a surprise to Ding, who spent 11 minutes on his response. After Ding found 10.Qg3, he was once again surprised by the reply 10...Kf8, as he had expected 10...g6 instead. Although he was clearly out of his preparation, Ding navigated the position well and was able to maintain a slight advantage. He entered the endgame up a pawn, but Nepomniachtchi comfortably held the draw. The players finished the game with bare kings, only the second game in World Chess Championship history to end with bare kings on the board, the previous occurrence being game 13 of the 2004 Kramnik–Leko match.^[40][93]

Game 11: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, ½–½

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 11

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Position after 18...Rb8. Nepomniachtchi could have pressed with 19.Qe2, but instead chose to liquidate into a drawn rook endgame with 19.dxc4.^[94]

The eleventh game of the match, a 39-move draw, was played on 24 April. Against the Ruy Lopez, Ding returned to the main line with 3...a6, as he did in game 1. Ding and Nepomniachtchi followed the same opening moves as their game in the 2020 Candidates Tournament until Ding played 8...Na5. 15...c4 was considered to be an intriguing move by Ding, inviting a double-edged game. However, instead of 19.Qe2, which would have preserved winning chances for either side, Nepomniachtchi chose 19.dxc4, inviting a series of exchanges that later led to a fully drawn rook endgame, with the players drawing by repetition only a few moves later.^[94][95]

Game 12: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, 1–0

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 12

a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Position after 27.Qxc4. This move initiated a series of inaccurate moves by both players. Nepomniachtchi played 27...Rag8?, missing the winning move 27...Nf3. There followed 28.Qc6? Bb8? 29.Qb7?? Rh6??, with Ding bringing the game to equality with 30.Be4. Commentators expressed shock at the sequence, with Viswanathan Anand describing Nepomniachtchi's play in particular as "pure nerves".[96] a b c d e f g h 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1 a b c d e f g h Position after 34...f5??. Commentator Robert Hess identified this move as "winning on the spot" for White. In the post-game conference, Ding stated that he had calculated the best move, 34...f3, but Nepomniachtchi "did not play accurately" and chose a losing move instead. Ding replied immediately with 35.Rxe6, and Nepomniachtchi placed his head on the playing table and covered himself with his hands as he realised he had blundered and given away the equality.[96]

The twelfth game of the match, a 38-move win for Ding, was played on 26 April. The game was a complex and error-ridden affair, with both players showing extreme signs of nerves. For the opening, Ding chose the Colle System, about which Nepomniachtchi would later say "I wasn't surprised," although he played the opening inaccurately and could have been punished with accurate play. Through the double-edged middlegame that developed after Nepomniachtchi allowed the shattering of his kingside pawn structure while having already castled short, play remained relatively equal until Ding made the first mistake with 19.Bc2?, allowing Nepomniachtchi to build pressure on Ding's king down the open g-file and gain the advantage after a series of further inaccuracies by Ding. Though not a mistake, Nepomniachtchi's 26...b4 was perhaps unnecessarily complicated when 26...a6 would have kept a more stable advantage.^[97] Despite the complexity of the position, Nepomniachtchi played 27...Rag8? instead of the winning ...Nf3 quickly, which instigated a series of mutual errors with 28.Qc6? Bb8? 29.Qb7?? Rh6??, finishing with Ding finding 30.Be4, leaving the position equal.^[42] Fabiano Caruana commented, "This is pure nerves at this point. It's no longer about chess." The game's newfound equality remained until Nepomniachtchi played 34...f5??, allowing Ding to take a free pawn with 35.Rxe6 and gain a powerful kingside attack. Nepomniachtchi spent 17 minutes thinking of a response to Ding's move, leaving him with 2 minutes and 36 seconds to reach the time control at move 40. Many commentators took note of Nepomniachtchi's body language at this point, associating "complete disbelief" to his expression. After a few more moves, Nepomniachtchi resigned, with Ding Liren equalizing the match with two games remaining.^[98][99]

Game 13: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, ½–½

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 13

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Position after 21.Be4. In this position, Ding spent 25 minutes to play 21...Re5?!, drawing confusion from commentators and giving up the slight advantage he had gained. 21...Rb8 and 21...Qg5 were identified by Rafael Leitão as moves that would have held the advantage. When asked about the move in the post-game press conference, Ding said he had considered 21...Rb8, but chose 21...Re5 to defend the knight on d5.^[100][44]

The thirteenth game of the match, a 40-move draw, was played on 27 April. It began with a Ruy Lopez, Closed Variation, similar to games 5 and 11 of the match. 10.Be3 was the first deviation from theory, a move never seen before at master level. The position remained equal until 18.f3?! by Nepomniachtchi, which allowed Ding to play for the pawn break ...d5. After 19...d5 20.exd5 Nxd5, Ding held a slight advantage. Ding spent 25 minutes of his clock to play 21...Re5?!, giving up the advantage he would have had after 21...Rb8 22.Bxd5 (the knight cannot be allowed to come to f4) Bxd5 23.Qd2, where he has the bishop pair. Nepomniachtchi later gave Ding a chance for an initiative after 23.Ne2; however, Ding played 23...Qe7, blocking the bishop on f8, rather than the superior 23...Qe8. Ding sacrificed the exchange with 25...Rxe4, and the players quickly liquidated into a drawish endgame where Nepomniachtchi was up an exchange, but down a pawn. Ding would later mention he considered playing for a win with 36...Ke6, but decided against it as he "didn't want to play a dark ocean kind of position". The players chose to repeat moves shortly thereafter, ending the game in a draw.^[44][101]

Game 14: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, ½–½

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 14

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Position after 12.Ng5

The fourteenth and longest game of the match, a 90-move draw, was played on 29 April. A win for either player would have resulted in winning the entire match and becoming world champion. Ding played 12.Ng5?!, which surprised many due to the fact that the knight could easily be attacked with 12...h6 (as in the game) and did not accomplish much, although the position was still near equality.^[102][103] Ding's 34.Ke2? was a mistake (34.Kd2! was accurate), but Nepomniachtchi relinquished his advantage with 36...e5?! (36...Rb3! was better), and with 38.b6! Ding liquidated into a drawn pawn-down rook endgame. Nepomniachtchi tried to create winning chances with 61...Kd7!, but Ding found the only drawing move 65.f4!. Nepomniachtchi was unable to make any progress and both players finally exchanged off the pieces and agreed to a draw on move 90.^[102]

Game 15: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, ½–½

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 15

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	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Position after 24...b6!!

The first game of the rapid tie-break ended in a 35-move draw. Ding avoided theory early with the move 3.c3, where the players then followed a 2019 game by Ding's second, Richard Rapport. Ding held a slight advantage for the majority of the game, but the inaccuracy 23.Rb1? returned the position to equality: 23.Rfc1! or 23.Qc2! would have been better. Soon after, Nepomniachtchi played a tactical shot that received praise from commentators, with 24...b6!! 25.cxb6 axb6!: the queen is untouchable, as after 26.Rxc7?? Nf3+ 27.Bxf3 Bxf3, mate arrives on the next move. Ding recognized this, and instead played the only move 26.Nb5!, initiating an exchange of queens. Soon after, Nepomniachtchi forced a draw by repetition on move 35.^[105][106]

Game 16: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, ½–½

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 16

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Position after 27...d3!

The second game of the rapid tie-break was a 47-move draw. For the sixth time in the match, the players returned to the Ruy Lopez. Nepomniachtchi gained a slight advantage through the opening, with Viswanathan Anand commenting that "[it] seems like White has something to work with." After 20...Nd5 by Ding (20...Bd5! was better), Nepomniachtchi allowed the game to return to equality with 21.exd6, initiating a trade of bishops: it was preferable to keep the tension with 21.Bg3!. The players simplified into an endgame of two rooks and a knight, with both players having six pawns and Nepomniachtchi holding a slight advantage. Nepomniachtchi could have maintained pressure with 27.g3, but the resulting pawn-down rook endgame would still have been holdable for Ding. He played 27.Rc5, allowing Ding to play 27...d3!, forcing the game into an equal endgame, where the players made a draw on move 47.^[105]

Game 17: Ding–Nepomniachtchi, ½–½

Ding–Nepomniachtchi, game 17

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Position after 23...a5. Although White is a pawn up, the opposite-coloured bishops mean that he has no realistic winning chances.^[105]

The third game of the rapid tie-break was a 33-move draw. Instead of 1.d4 and 1.c4, as he had previously played throughout the match, Ding began with 1.Nf3, going into a popular line that saw exchanges in the center and an even position. Nepomniachtchi forced more exchanges with the tactical 12...Nf4. Shortly after, the players liquidated into an opposite-colored bishops endgame on move 26, quickly drawing by repetition a few moves later.^[105]

Game 18: Nepomniachtchi–Ding, 0–1

Nepomniachtchi–Ding, game 18

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Position after 46...Rg6!

The fourth and final game of the rapid tie-break was a victory for Ding Liren, resulting in him winning the world championship. In another Ruy Lopez, Nepomniachtchi chose the "unusual" 13.Bb1!?, with both players making moves that appeared to indicate they were playing for a decisive game. The game quickly simplified into an endgame of queens, rooks, bishops, and pawns, with Nepomniachtchi having an extra pawn. Nepomniachtchi built a slight advantage, but a mistake, 35.Ra1?, allowed Ding to regain a pawn and return the game to equality. Two moves after Ding's brilliancy 42...Qe2!!, Nepomniachtchi gave Ding a chance to accept a draw by repetition; but after 44.Qe4+ Kg8 45.Qd5+ Kh7 46.Qe4+, instead of the anticipated 46...Kg8, Ding, who himself had gained an extra pawn in the meantime, instead signalled his intention to play for a win with the surprising 46...Rg6!, pinning his own rook, a move praised for its "boldness" by the commentators. From this point onwards, both players were under severe time pressure, with both clocks dropping to less than 60 seconds left. Nepomniachtchi responded inaccurately with 47.Qf5?! (47.h4 or 47.Rc2 would have held), allowing 47...c4!. After Nepomniachtchi played 48.h4?, Ding played the winning move 48...Qd3! in just two seconds. Engine analysis showed that the only move for Nepomniachtchi that would have held the draw was 48.Qf4!, a move Rafael Leitão described as "totally not human". After 49...Rf6? and 53...Rd6? by Ding, Nepomniachtchi exchanged rooks and brought the game back to near equality. However, Nepomniachtchi erred again with 59.Qc7? (moves that would have drawn were 59.h5 to control the g6-square, or 59.Bxg7! Kxg7 60.Qc7+ with a perpetual check), after which Ding found the winning move 59...Qg6. The final precise move from Ding was 62...h5! capitalizing on Nepomniachtchi's mistake 62.Kg2?. After 67...a2, Nepomniachtchi knocked some captured pieces onto the floor as his hands visibly trembled while searching for a move, clearly distraught; he resigned after one more move with less than 30 seconds on his clock.^[105][106]