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Page 1 — “I used to be hard to beat, now I’m more vulnerable”
Page 2 — “I wasn’t armed to the teeth” Page 3 — “No, no. We’re not like that”
In April 2023, Ding Liren became world chess champion. He then disappeared for months. It wasn’t until January that he was seen again at a major international tournament. From Friday he will be playing in an eight-day tournament in Weissenhaus on the German Baltic Sea coast.
TIME ONLINE: When we spoke a year ago in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, you said you didn’t like being “too famous.” A little later you became world champion, and now you are…
Ding Liren: …pretty famous (laughs).
TIME ONLINE: And how does that feel?
Ding: I have mixed feelings. Of course I’m very happy about the title. I cried after the last game.
TIME ONLINE: There you sat alone behind the stage in your relaxation room and tears came to your eyes…
Ding: But after that I couldn’t sleep anymore. I struggled with insomnia for months. My doctor prescribed me medication and I went to the clinic twice.
TIME ONLINE: Is there an explanation?
Ding: After the match I felt like an old soldier who fought a tough war. I was very exhausted.
TIME ONLINE: Are you feeling better now?
Ding: My sleep has improved. I’m still taking medicine. This helps.
TIME ONLINE: A number of world chess champions had problems after winning the title because they no longer had a goal. That wasn’t your problem?
Ding: Already. It’s hard to win a higher title than this (laughs). I want to win more trophies. But it’s not that easy. Before the tournament in Wijk aan Zee in January, I said I would fight for victory. Then I came ninth out of fourteen. This wasn’t the place I wanted.
TIME ONLINE: Do you feel under pressure because people expect more from a world champion?
Ding: Sometimes I feel the obligation. Before the tournament in Wijk aan Zee, I played again, a quick tournament in China. I got to the semi-finals, then lost twice and came fourth. That’s not ideal. But what should I do? I have to be happy with it.
TIME ONLINE: You canceled everything after the World Cup and disappeared for months… Before the last World Cup fight you were thinking about retiring from chess. Is it still relevant?
Ding: I will definitely play the next World Cup and want to win a few tournaments. I also want to be the best player in the world in terms of rating.
More on the topic: Ding Liren
Chess grandmaster Ding Liren: “I don’t like being too famous”
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TIME ONLINE: There was a time when you were undefeated forever…
Ding: 100 games in a row!
TIME ONLINE: Until Magnus Carlsen beat your record. Your chess suffered during the Corona period.
Ding: My style has changed too. I used to be a very solid player. Of the 100 games, 39 were wins and 71 were draws. After that I started playing more aggressively. More wins, more defeats.
TIME ONLINE: Was that intentional?
Ding: It just happened. I used to be hard to beat, now I’m more vulnerable.
TIME ONLINE: Do you like this better because it’s more interesting?
Ding: It would be better to maintain balance. Sometimes I don’t have as much control over the positions as I used to. Then things get wild.
TIME ONLINE: Young players usually play very aggressively, very tactically, and the older they get, the more solid they become.
Ding: For me it’s the other way around. Maybe because I train differently now. But I don’t want to say any more about that.
TIME ONLINE: At the World Cup in Astana you often surprised your opponent Jan Nepomnyashchi.
Ding: I was surprised too. I lost so many games.
TIME ONLINE: But you always came back. The chess audience was quite skeptical at the beginning of the World Cup, because Magnus Carlsen wasn’t playing and so on. But after the match a lot of people said that this was really…
Ding: …exciting to see. Yes, we both are very vulnerable, easy to hit.
In April 2023, Ding Liren became world chess champion. He then disappeared for months. It wasn’t until January that he was seen again at a major international tournament. From Friday he will be playing in an eight-day tournament in Weissenhaus on the German Baltic Sea coast.
TIME ONLINE: When we spoke a year ago in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, you said you didn’t like being “too famous.” A little later you became world champion, and now you are…
Ding Liren: …pretty famous (laughs).
TIME ONLINE: And how does that feel?
