Chess Base

1. World Championship Game 2: A 23-move draw to cool things off

   The World Chess Championship in Singapore is heating up as reigning champion Ding Liren leads 1½-½ after two games. Tuesday's second encounter ended in a 23-move draw, allowing 18-year-old challenger Gukesh D to steady his nerves following a tough loss in the opening game. With Ding pacing himself wisely and Gukesh ready to strike back with the white pieces in game three, the stage is set for an intense battle before the first rest day. | Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

2. Fabiano Caruana analyses Game One in depth

   It's safe to say that a *lot* of digital ink has been spilt on Game One, and deservingly so. A casual scan of YouTube alone will turn up summaries and game analysis by every amateur and professional streamer under the sun. But in that tsunami of content some pearls really stand out, and one of those is the C-Squared video with incredibly insightful commentary by Fabiano Caruana.

3. It might not be close

   On Monday, Ding Liren, the reigning world champion, began a match in Singapore to defend the title against the 18-year-old player Gukesh Dommaraju. According to many of the world's best players, and Ding himself, he is the underdog in the match. Never has a chess world championship titleholder seemed as vulnerable. But now Ding is up on the scoreboard after a remarkable win on opening day. This is what the New York Times published before the start of the match.