The Russian grandmaster, playing under a neutral flag, put himself back in front yesterday only to produce an error-strewn performance today to allow Ding to respond at the St. Regis Astana Hotel in Kazakhstan’s capital.

The Chinese star, playing with white, got on top when he stopped black from advancing on the queenside in the opening stages.

Nepomniachtchi played into Ding’s hands with his impulsive moves as black’s position deteriorated.

Ding continued to hold the upper hand before the game ended after 44 moves and four hours of play.

"I guess I played one of my worst games ever, nearly every move was bad," said Nepomniachtchi.

"In some way, it was like a mirror from yesterday's game - the same material, the same patterns.

"The tension is high.

"Sometimes you can't perform at your best."

Ding said he was delighted to pick up his second win of the match to draw level at 3-3 after six rounds.

"In general, I felt like I was in good shape during the whole game," added Ding.

"I was not influenced by yesterday's loss.

"Today I was struggling to find which opening to play just before the start of the game.

"I had many choices.

"At the end, I decided to play something that I was more familiar with and I tried to stay calm after yesterday's loss."

Competition is due to resume on Tuesday (April 18) following a rest day.