Ding Liren vs. 15-Year-Old Kao: 'Super-Crazy' Chess Clash on Hong Kong Tram in Singapore

The number one player from the city, Jamison Kao, stated that he believes he could have emerged victorious in the match against the previous world champion.

A Hong Kong teen named Jamison Kao managed to draw an exceptionally wild chess match with Ding Liren, the reigning mainland Chinese grandmaster and ex-world champion, over the weekend—but even though he tied, the top player from the city stated he felt somewhat let down.

Ding stopped by for the Sunday Harrow Hong Kong Scholastic Open Chess Tournament, where over 100 schools participated.

On Saturday, Ding participated in a "simultaneous exhibition," where he faced off against 12 opponents, including Kao, as he rode a tram across town.

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Kao, who is 15 years old, has achieved the rank of Candidate Master with a score of at least 2,200 from the global chess authority, FIDE. This achievement serves as a foundation for potentially attaining even greater distinctions like International Master and Grandmaster.

“I never actually anticipated sparring with him prior to starting,” Kao stated. “I figured there might be a reasonable bout, but ultimately I believed I would come out as the loser.”

As the game moved from an extremely wild phase into the middlegame, transforming into a solid advantage for me, my focus shifted from questioning whether I could secure a draw to figuring out strategies on how to claim victory.

I was aware that my position was clearly superior, and I felt at ease settling for a draw even if I blundered.

Kao mentioned that as the competition approached its final stages, he felt unable to secure victory without taking risks, leading to a stalemate with his partner.

Following the match, I remained fairly pleased since I succeeded in drawing against Ding, who at his peak boasted an elo above 2,800. Nevertheless, I felt somewhat let down by my failure to spot the victory, something that later seemed rather clear," he stated.

Kao said that during the simul event, Ding established a winning position against the other 11 players early on, but skipped moves when returning to Kao to buy himself more time.

"I also discussed certain positions with Ding and came to a better understanding of the middle game," said Kao, who represented Hong Kong at the Asian Games in 2023. "Overall, I think it was a wonderful experience to play against such a strong player and learn so many new things."

Ding two years ago became China's first winner of the FIDE World Championship, but was unable to defend his crown last December, losing the last game to India's Gukesh Dommaraju.

The Chinese grandmaster had previously spoken openly about how he struggled with depression and took a nine-month break from the game after his historic 2023 win to focus on getting better.

Ding informed the Post that he has been participating less this season as he pursues a more regular lifestyle. According to him, a typical routine for him includes visiting the local market close to his residence in the seaside town of Hangzhou, along with engaging in badminton and football matches.

The 32-year-old is a keen football fan and supports Juventus. He has been spotted playing five-a-side games after tournaments in Singapore and said he would find time for a kick-around in Hong Kong.

"Initially, I aim to draw lessons from the [2023] World Championship," Ding mentioned when he felt too stressed.

There were too many concerns on my mind, hence I couldn’t get proper rest, and subsequently participated in several tournaments, yet the outcomes weren't satisfactory.

“I got numerous invites this year for major events such as the Grand Chess Tour, the Chess World Cup, or games in Russia,” he stated. “However, I turned down all these offers since I prefer to lead a simple life without being overwhelmed with commitments.”

An invitation turned out to be too enticing to refuse. In February, it was revealed that Ding has joined as the most recent prominent figure in chess to sign up for an esports squad before the Esports World Cup scheduled for July and August in Riyadh.

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The article was initially published on the South ChinaMorning Post (www.scmp.com), which is the premier source for news coverage of China andAsia.

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