World Championship’s longest game ends in a draw as Nepo maintains advantage

The battle between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren continues. This time, in the ninth game of the World Championship, the two men battled for almost six hours to get the better of their opponents. In the end, they had to settle for a draw.

The game might have lasted less if Ian Nepomniachtchi had accepted the draw after the 50th move, which sealed the outcome. But the Russian preferred to test his opponent for another 32 moves, making this the ninth longest game since the beginning of the match.

After this draw, Ian Nepomniachtchi still leads by one point (5-4). Both players will enjoy a day of rest on Saturday before the tenth game on Sunday.