The challenger will have the white pieces in the opening game of the World chess championship. So D. Gukesh will make the first move against Ding Liren in the much-awaited World title match in Singapore on Monday.
That was decided on Saturday, during the opening ceremony, in which the players were asked to pick the cards. The World title match will be played in a best-of-14 games format, with the man who makes 7.5 points earning the right to be crowned the king of world chess. If it is a 7-7 draw, tie-breakers, of lesser time control, will decide the winner.
The general consensus in the chess world is that the 18-year-old Indian starts as the favourite. He goes into the match in top form, while Ding has been struggling. Gukesh, however, reiterated that form didn’t matter.
“I am going to face Ding Liren, who has been one of the best players in the world for more than a decade,” Gukesh said at the media event ahead of the match.
“My job is pretty clear — just go into every game as the best version of myself and play the best moves in the position.”
Ding, not for the first time, admitted his chess hadn’t been that great of late. “I reviewed my games from recent times and found that the quality was not so good and that my fighting spirit was not high,” said the defending champion. “I intend to review some of my best games and I need to find this kind of confidence and also the fighting spirit to perform better.”
Ding said he had been preparing for the match for the last three weeks. Gukesh, though, had been training for it ever since he became the challenger, by winning the Candidates tournament at Toronto, back in April.
“I have been looking forward to playing the World championship from the time I started playing chess,” he said. “The World championship is a special event. I have been working with my coach Gregorz Gajewski and my team of seconds. I have gained a lot from working with Gajewski. I have also been working with Paddy Upton, who has helped me with fitness.”
Ding could feel at home in Singapore. “Everyone here speaks Chinese,” he said. “There is no time difference back home, so many fans will be watching the match. Here I met many fans, who gave gifts and hand-written letters. That made me feel good.
Published - November 23, 2024 08:43 pm IST
