Grandmaster D Gukesh paid dearly for unwarranted complications in his middle game as defending champion Ding Liren of China drew first blood by defeating the teenaged Indian in a high-pressure opening game of the World Chess Championship here on Monday. The victory with black pieces gave the Chinese an early lead in the 14-game showdown scheduled to last till mid-December. "It can happen; it's a long match. About my opponent's form, I expected nothing else. I expected the best version of him, and we have a long match ahead, so it's only more exciting now," Gukesh said after the game. Winning with black not just meant a full point but also huge psychological advantage for Liren in the USD 2.5 million prize money event because he entered the competition with patchy form. The first player to reach 7.5 points among the two will claim the coveted crown. Gukesh, the youngest ever challenger for the world championship crown, came up with an early surprise in the opening by pushing his kin