World Championship Game 1: Nepo gains edge, Ding holds

Game 1 of the World Championship match was a nervy affair. Ian Nepomniachtchi, playing white, got the upper hand out of the opening, eventually gained a pawn, but then failed to convert his advantage. Ding Liren, who might become China’s first-ever world champion, confessed in the press conference that he had difficulty focusing on chess at the start of the game, most likely due to the pressure of the match. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage