Ding Liren has become the 17th world chess champion, the first from China, after defeating Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi in a tie-breaker. Ding defeated Nepo in the last of the four Rapid tie-breaks. It was a fitting end to a contest that saw many ups and downs, with Ding snatching a victory from the jaws of a draw, a stunning race against the clock finally.

Ding Liren does not want to be famous. He says he does not 'want to be written about every day, or interviewed after every tournament. After creating the history for his country Ding remembered his legendary coach Chen Lixing who had paid special interest on Ding after having watched his passion, merit and calmness. Ding after overcoming emotional moments after he clinched the title looked in a same mood, maintaining the calmness. He likes to be by himself and make quiet exits after tournaments. However, the chess world, and more importantly, millions in China now have set their eyes on the 30-year-old, awaiting his return home. 

Despite being emotional in the moment he was declared champion, Ding tried to control and compose himself and in an interaction with FIDE, said, "It was a tough moment for me. I could not control my tears at that particular moment. But now I feel I am quite relieved. I do not want to become a star or a famous man. I do not want to be written by the journalists every day on me or interviewed every time after I participate in a tournament." 

Ding’s reserved personality has a lot to do with where he grew up in Wenzhou, a port in China. Being situated in a mountainous region, it has been isolated for most of its history not only from the rest of the country but also from the nearby provinces, making the local culture and language very distinct.

But Wenzhou is also the reason why Ding took up chess and why he is the first man from China who will compete in the World Chess Championship.

In 1995, chess legend GM Viktor Korchnoi traveled to Wenzhou to play a match against Xie Jun, the first women’s world champion from China. It garnered so much local excitement that China declared Wenzhou 'The City of Chess'. And so naturally, Ding’s parents decided to enroll him in a chess academy.

It was there that Ding simply excelled. He loved mathematics and solving problems. So chess became his obsession. Fate also intervened. Legendary chess coach, Chen Lixing, who has mentored many chess prodigies including Zhu Chen, who became China’s second World Women’s champion in 2001, was the coach at the Wenzhou Chess Association at that time. Lixing spotted Ding’s talent and took a special interest in him. Those formative years under Lixing’s tutelage proved crucial to Ding’s success.

Ding’s qualification for the World Championships final will undoubtedly give a huge boost to chess in China, but it’s one of those rare countries where the women’s game has by far outshone the men’s game.

Xie Jun became the first Chinese to win the Women’s World Championship back in 1991. By comparison, only in 2018, did Ding become the first Chinese to play in the Candidates tournament.

The women’s team has won the women’s Olympiad on four occasions, and since 2016, all the Women’s Championship winners have been Chinese, something that seems unlikely to stop anytime soon.