2 min readMar 18, 2026 06:40 PM IST
Former world champion Ding Liren, a predecessor on the chess world’s throne before India’s D Gukesh, was recently removed from the FIDE ratings list because of him having played too few games to be considered an “eligible” player for the list.
Ding, though, has no qualms at this. In fact, in an interview recently, he opened up about enjoying his current situation.
“I quite enjoy my current situation. What I mean is, being a player with an inactive rating, who seldom participates in elite invitationals. I’m enjoying this rare moment of leisure,” Ding told Jonathan Zhi in a written interview.
Ding had become the 17th world champion after outlasting Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 2023 World Chess Championship. But a year later, Ding lost the crown to India’s Gukesh in Singapore. Ding’s world championship defeat had come after he had experienced a wretched run of form right after he became world champion. His own predecessor on the world champion’s throne, Magnus Carlsen had even gone on to say that he feared Ding was “permanently broken.”
At the 2024 World Chess Championship against Gukesh, Ding had stunned the chess world by winning the first game. His defeat to Gukesh was not a slam dunk as had been predicted by others. He had, in fact, only let go of the dream of remaining world champion in the 14th and final game of the World Championship, where had made a blunder in the endgame.
Asked about his motivations these days, Ding replied: “I keep up playing the occasional game online: it doesn’t require arduous pre-game preparation, just undivided concentration in the moment. The process itself is rewarding.”
When asked what advice he would give his past self, Ding said: “I wish my younger self had studied more and persisted in academics a bit longer, not letting it fall to the wayside. That way, later years of life might be richer. People always dwell on the things they didn’t do (or paths they didn’t take).”
