Grandmaster Gukesh takes on China’s Ding Liren to break India’s decade-long World Chess Championship jinx in Singapore

Published on Authored by C to I News Desk

For the next three weeks, several chess enthusiasts around the world will flock to Singapore, as the city state is hosting the World Chess Championship 2024. The high stake 14-game championship will see India’s teenage chess sensation, Dommaraju Gukesh, lock horns with reigning world champion Ding Liren of China.

Chess grandmasters D Liren (left) and D Gukesh shake hands while posing for a photograph ahead of the start of the Championship in Singapore. Photo courtesy: Maria Emelianova & Eng Chin An via twitter.com/FIDE_chess
Chess grandmasters D Liren (left) and D Gukesh shake hands while posing for a photograph ahead of the start of the Championship in Singapore. Photo courtesy: Maria Emelianova & Eng Chin An via twitter.com/FIDE_chess

The first game will be played on Monday, November 24 and will start at 5 pm (local time).

Liren and Gukesh will play for this coveted trophy. Photo courtesy: Maria Emelianova & Eng Chin An via twitter.com/FIDE_chess
Liren and Gukesh will play for this coveted trophy. Photo courtesy: Maria Emelianova & Eng Chin An via twitter.com/FIDE_chess

In April this year, Gukesh scripted history by winning the Candidates Chess Tournament to become the youngest ever challenger to the world title. He won it after drawing his final-round game against America’s Hikaru Nakamura. This is also the first time in 138 years that two Asian players will compete for the coveted title, which has evaded India since 2013, when Viswanathan Anand lost to Magnus Carlsen.

18-year-old Gukesh is the youngest challenger for the Championship in its history. Photo courtesy: Maria Emelianova & Eng Chin An via twitter.com/FIDE_chess
18-year-old Gukesh is the youngest challenger for the Championship in its history. Photo courtesy: Maria Emelianova & Eng Chin An via twitter.com/FIDE_chess

Gukesh, like Carlsen in 2013, is the challenger and is favourite to topple the Chinese. In September this year, just months before the championship, Liren praised Gukesh and predicted a strong fight.

“I can see my opponent (Gukesh) playing extremely well in this tournament. Maybe he is a favourite in the World Championship Match. He also has a higher rating than me,” Liren said in an interaction with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in the tournament’s mixed zone.

“I have dropped a lot since last year, but I will fight my best to try to overcome the rating difference,” he added in a rather candid admission.

Ding Liren was once the second highest rated player in the world. Photo courtesy: Maria Emelianova & Eng Chin An via twitter.com/FIDE_chess
Ding Liren was once the second highest rated player in the world. Photo courtesy: Maria Emelianova & Eng Chin An via twitter.com/FIDE_chess

Gukesh has gained 37 rating points since November 2023, with wins in the Candidates and Chess Olympiad. His peak rating was 2794. During the same period, Liren has lost 52 points. Once the second highest rated player in the world, with 2816 points under his belt, the Chinese grand master is currently the 23rd best player in the world.

Where to watch?

The match will be streamed on FIDE social media handles (YouTube, Twitch), Chess.com social media handles (YouTube, Twitch) etc.

Schedule

The two players will play one game every day for a total of 12 games from November 24 to December 9. After a rest day on December 10, game 13 and 14 will be played on December 11 and 12, respectively.

If it goes to the tiebreaks, it’ll be played on December 13.