The weight of expectations and of posing a challenge sits on the shoulders of teenager D Gukesh when he takes on the reigning champion Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship in Singapore from Monday (November 25).
Gukesh is aiming to become the first Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the coveted title. The 18-year-old Grandmaster is the in-form player, who already displays the poise of a champion. What remains to be seen is how he handles the pressure of the big occasion.
Liren had won a match of fluctuating fortunes against Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia in 2023 to be crowned the world champion but since then, the Chinese has suffered from mental health issues and competed very less compared to Gukesh in the last year.
"My job is pretty clear — just go into every game as the best version of myself and play the best moves in the position. If I do that, if I keep playing good chess and stay in the right spirits, even with his recent form dip or even at his best, I don't think it really matters," Gukesh said ahead of the fortnight-long contest.
"If I do the right things, I'm confident I have all the chances in the world," he asserted.
Liren admitted that Gukesh is the favourite at this point but expects an interesting battle.
"He is younger, but he displayed his virtue in many aspects. If we can both perform our best, it will be a great match," the 32-year-old has stated.
This year's tournament marks the first time in 138 years that two Asian players will be pitted against each other in the marquee clash, that is offering a prize fund of $2.5 million.
World Chess Championship format
The match consists of up to 14 classical games with first player to score 7.5 points clinching the title.
The time limit is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes up until the end of the game, with a 30-second increment per move from move 41.
A player agreed draw is not allowed before move 41.
If players are locked after the 14 games, the World Chess Championship will go into a tie-break. In that, four-game rapid playoff with a 15+10 time control will be played. If no winner there, then we will head to a two-game playoff with a 10+5 time control. Then a two-game playoff with a 3+2 time control followed by 3+2 individual games until there's a winner.
World Chess Championship 2024: Full Schedule and Match Timings
World Chess Championship schedule
Round 1: 25 November
Round 2: 26 November
Round 3: 27 November
Round 4: 29 November
Round 5: 30 November
Round 6: 1 December
Round 7: 3 December
Round 8: 4 December
Round 9: 5 December
Round 10: 6 December
Round 11: 7 December
Round 11: 8 December
Round 12: 9 December
Round 13: 11 December
Round 14: 12 December
Tie-break: 13 December (if needed)
Closing ceremony: 14 December
What time will World Championship games begin?
The World Chess Championship games will begin at 2:30pm IST.
Where to Watch the World Chess Championship 2024 Live?
The World Chess Championship 2024 match between D Gukesh and Ding Liren will be live streamed on FIDE social media handles (YouTube, Twitch), Chess.com social media handles (YouTube, Twitch).
