Chess enthusiasts have been pondering the whereabouts of Ding since his last appearance in May at the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest, where he ranked eighth. This performance came just shortly after his victory in an intense 18-game championship match against GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. Post this, Ding chose not to participate in the Superbet Rapid & Blitz. He returned to Beijing, expressing a desire to explore new ventures that bring joy, though retirement isn’t on his agenda just yet.

His decision to opt out from events such as the Global Chess League, Chess.com‘s Speed Chess Championship, the Asian Games, and others has sparked conversation. In contrast, former world champion GM Magnus Carlsen has been quite active, participating in several tournaments throughout the year.

Despite his silence on the chess front, Ding made a public appearance recently as a commentator at the Chinese National Mind Games tournament, which has been taken as a positive sign of his possible return to the game. Confirming this, Ding communicated through an email to Chess.com that he has been dealing with an illness, which has been the primary cause for his hiatus.

At 31, Ding is firm on not competing in any tournaments for the remainder of 2023 but is looking forward to participating in the 2024 Tata Steel Chess tournament, which is yet to announce its participants. The chess world is also anticipating the next World Championship match scheduled for late 2024, where Ding will defend his title against the winner of the Candidates Tournament slated for April 2024 in Toronto, Canada.