Ding Liren has produced some of the most memorable chess of the modern era — a mix of jaw-dropping tactical brilliancies and steel-nerved clutch performances when the title was on the line. Below are four genuinely famous games, described honestly. We’ve kept the focus on what makes each one special rather than dumping raw move lists — every result here is verified against reliable sources.
A quick note on how we do this: because a single wrong move can misrepresent a masterpiece, we describe these games in prose and point you to authoritative sources (Wikipedia, Chess.com, and the official championship records) to replay them move-by-move. What you’ll find below is the story of each game — why it happened, what made it brilliant, and where it fits in Ding’s career.
1. The “Chinese Immortal” — Bai Jinshi vs Ding Liren, 2017
If you only watch one Ding Liren game, make it this one. Playing Black in the Chinese Chess League in November 2017, Ding faced the young grandmaster Bai Jinshi in a Nimzo-Indian Defense and produced what’s now widely nicknamed his “Immortal Game.”
What makes it legendary is a stunning queen sacrifice: instead of retreating to safety, Ding threw his most valuable piece into the fire, then hunted the white king across the board with his remaining forces — including two spectacular, quiet rook moves that left commentators speechless. It’s the kind of game that gets replayed on YouTube millions of times and shows up on every “best games of the decade” list. For a player later famous for his caution, it’s a reminder of just how dangerous an attacker Ding can be when he smells blood.
2. The game that made him champion — Ding Liren vs Nepomniachtchi, 2023 (rapid tiebreak, Game 4)
The 2023 World Chess Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan was an emotional rollercoaster. Across 14 classical games, Ding and Ian Nepomniachtchi traded blows, with five of the first seven games ending decisively — a wildly unusual, high-tension match. When the classical portion finished tied 7–7, everything came down to a four-game rapid tiebreak.
After three tense draws, it all hinged on the fourth and final rapid game. Nepomniachtchi, playing for the win as White, over-pressed — and Ding, with the black pieces, calmly navigated the complications, picked up a dangerous passed pawn, and converted with the composure of a champion. That win sealed the tiebreak 2½–1½ and made Ding the 17th undisputed World Chess Champion — and the first man from China ever to hold the title. Given the pressure and the personal struggles Ding had spoken about beforehand, it may be the most human World Championship victory in years.
3. Striking first against the prodigy — Ding Liren vs Gukesh, 2024 (Game 1)
By the time Ding sat down to defend his title against 18-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju in Singapore in November 2024, many had written him off. His form and confidence had visibly dipped since winning the crown. So Game 1 was a genuine shock.
Playing Black, Ding reached for an old friend — the French Defense — a surprise choice at the very top level. Gukesh tried an early novelty, but when the young challenger overpressed, Ding pounced, seizing the initiative and converting a clean win. It was a statement: the champion had come to fight. The tabiya below is the kind of solid French structure Ding steered toward.
4. Fighting back when it mattered — Ding Liren vs Gukesh, 2024 (Game 12)
The 2024 match swung back and forth, and by the middle of it Ding had fallen behind. Game 12 was where he struck back, delivering what Chess.com called a near-perfect performance to level the score and keep the title alive. It’s a great example of Ding’s resilience: even under enormous pressure, and even when the momentum seemed to belong to his younger opponent, he found a way to produce world-class chess exactly when he needed it.
The story didn’t end happily for him — Gukesh eventually won the match 7½–6½ in the 14th game after a heartbreaking endgame slip by Ding. But Game 12 stands on its own as proof that, on his day, the champion could still play with anyone in the world.
Why these games matter
Put together, these four games capture the full range of Ding Liren:
- The fearless tactician of the 2017 Immortal.
- The clutch competitor who held his nerve to win the crown in 2023.
- The resourceful fighter who kept swinging in 2024 even as the tide turned.
For more on how he creates these moments — the calculation, the defense, the opening choices — see Ding Liren’s playing style and his opening repertoire.
How to get the most out of these games
If you’re an improving player, Ding’s games are a goldmine — but only if you study them the right way:
- Start with the Immortal. Play through the queen sacrifice slowly and ask why it works. The point isn’t to memorize the moves; it’s to feel how a material sacrifice can buy something more valuable — a trapped king with nowhere to run.
- Watch the 2023 tiebreak with the clock in mind. These were rapid games (25 minutes each), so the pressure and time-scramble decisions are part of the story. Notice how Ding stayed calm when his opponent over-pushed.
- Compare the two French Defense moments in the 2024 match. Ding’s Game 1 win shows how a well-understood, slightly offbeat opening can rattle even a brilliant, well-prepared young challenger like Gukesh.
- Don’t skip the losses. The 2024 match ended in defeat, and studying how a great player loses — the endgame slip in the final game, the swings of momentum — teaches just as much as studying the wins.
The best part: you can set any of these openings up on a real board and try the ideas yourself before you ever look at what the champions played.
Keep exploring
Back to the Ding Liren profile · learn his playing style · study his openings · or browse all chess players.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team · Facts verified against Wikipedia, the 2023 and 2024 World Championship records, and Chess.com, as of July 2026 · Last verified 2026-07-10 · How we verify content.