Gukesh vs Ding: A Historic Chess Battle Begins (2024)

18-year-old Indian chess prodigy D. Gukesh is set to face reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren in a historic 14-game match in Singapore. This clash of generations promises a thrilling battle as Gukesh aims to become the youngest World Chess Champion ever, while Ding seeks to defend his title.

CONTENTS:

• Gukesh challenges Ding in historic WC match
• Gukesh battles Ding for historic chess title
• Gukesh-Ding: Chess Battle Begins in Singapore

Gukesh vs Ding: A Historic Chess Battle Begins (2024)

Gukesh challenges Ding in historic WC match

Gukesh vs Ding: A Historic Chess Battle Begins (2024)  Singapore is hosting the 2024 World Chess Championship, where two exceptional players, Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh and reigning champion Ding Liren, will face off in a 14-game series starting November 25.

Ding, the defending champion, faces a formidable challenge against Gukesh, a rising star who has delivered remarkable performances throughout the year.

A Battle of Contrasting Journeys
Ding, a 32-year-old Grandmaster from China, has faced difficulties since winning the title against Ian Nepomniachtchi in April 2023. He took a break from competitive chess to focus on his mental health, which impacted his form and led to a drop in rankings from world number 2 to 23. However, he has a solid head-to-head record against Gukesh, with two victories and a draw, including a win at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament.

Gukesh, 18, has experienced a meteoric rise in the chess world. Currently ranked fifth globally, he became the youngest-ever champion of the Candidates Tournament in 2024. His accomplishments include leading India to its first FIDE Chess Olympiad victory earlier this year, earning comparisons to five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.

A Potentially Record-Breaking Win
If Gukesh wins, he will become the youngest World Chess Champion in history, surpassing Garry Kasparov, who won the title at 22. This victory would also make him only the second Indian to claim the title, after Anand.

Singapore, a prominent hub for global chess, provides an ideal backdrop for this high-stakes match. Gukesh highlighted the significance of India’s chess revolution, with both the men’s and women’s teams achieving major successes at the Olympiad.

As the championship begins, chess enthusiasts worldwide await a thrilling contest that could reshape the chess world and solidify Gukesh’s position as one of its brightest talents.

Gukesh vs Ding: A Historic Chess Battle Begins (2024)   At just 18 years old, Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh is aiming to become the youngest World Chess Champion in history. The championship, taking place at Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa, pits him against reigning champion Ding Liren in a series that carries the weight of over a century of tradition, dating back to 1886.

Gukesh has already set records as the youngest player to compete in the World Chess Championship and the youngest-ever winner of the Candidates Tournament, which earned him this opportunity.

For the first time in a decade, an Indian other than Viswanathan Anand is competing in the World Chess Championship. Anand, a five-time world champion, last played in 2014 when he lost to Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen, who dominated the chess world for nearly a decade, chose to step back from the championship matches due to the intense preparation involved, leaving the title open for other challengers.

Gukesh earned his place by making history in the Candidates Tournament, while Ding Liren, the reigning champion, was selected to fill Carlsen’s spot after finishing as a runner-up in the Candidates competition.

The championship is scheduled to run over three weeks, with 14 match days and four rest days. All games will start at 2:30 PM IST.

Game 1 begins on Monday, November 25, followed by Game 2 on Tuesday, November 26, and Game 3 on Wednesday, November 27. The first rest day is on Thursday, November 28. Games 4 to 6 will take place from November 29 to December 1, followed by the second rest day on December 2. The series resumes with Games 7 to 9 from December 3 to 5, with another rest day on December 6. The final games, 10 to 14, are scheduled between December 7 and December 12. If needed, tie-breaks will occur on Friday, December 13.

The prize pool for the World Chess Championship totals $2.5 million. Each win during the series earns players $200,000 (approximately ₹1.68 crore). If the match concludes in regular games, the remaining prize money will be divided equally. If tie-breaks decide the champion, the winner will take home $1.3 million (approximately ₹10.9 crore), while the runner-up will receive $1.2 million (around ₹10.1 crore).

As Gukesh seeks to carve his name into the history books and Ding Liren fights to retain his title, the 2025 World Chess Championship promises a gripping contest of strategy and resilience.

Gukesh vs Ding: A Historic Chess Battle Begins (2024)   In Singapore, the buzz of a World Chess Championship match might be elusive if you’re not closely following the chess world. Despite its low-key presence in the city, the championship marks a significant moment as it returns to Southeast Asia for the first time in 45 years. The last time the event graced the region was in 1979 in Baguio, Philippines. This year, the event is historic in another way—it’s the first time two Asian players, Ding Liren of China and India’s D Gukesh, are competing for the title.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich explained the rationale for hosting the match in Singapore, noting the strong chess connections of both India and China to the city. Kevin Goh, CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of bringing such a prestigious event to Singapore.

Singapore, a nation striving to establish itself as a global hub for major sporting events, is no stranger to hosting world-class competitions. While they narrowly missed hosting the 2023 World Athletics Championships, they successfully secured the 2025 World Aquatics Championship. With its world-class facilities, Singapore has welcomed some of the biggest names in sports, and now chess has joined that list.

For Ding and Gukesh, the reception in Singapore has been warm, despite the city-state’s rainy monsoon season. Ding shared his delight at receiving hand-written letters from fans upon arrival. However, the build-up to the event has been relatively subdued compared to the 2023 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, which was celebrated with vibrant displays across the city.

The contrasting personalities of the two contenders were evident during the pre-match press conference at Capitol Theatre. Gukesh, 18, was cheerful and social, engaging with his father Rajnikanth, his coach Grzegorz Gajewski, and fans eager to meet him. In contrast, Ding maintained a reserved demeanor, sitting quietly among the media, seemingly lost in thought.

Gukesh vs Ding: A Historic Chess Battle Begins (2024)   Although Gukesh admitted to feeling nervous, he expressed excitement about the opportunity. Ding, who has battled mental health challenges in recent months, spoke of finding peace and focusing on the game. While Ding has struggled with his form—his last Classical game victory was in January—he has revisited his past triumphs to rediscover his best play.

Their approaches to preparation also differ. Ding admitted he had only been fully committed to training for the past three weeks, joking that his coach calls him lazy. Gukesh, meanwhile, described his preparation as an intense learning journey that began immediately after his Candidates victory in April.

Despite these differences, Ding remains aware of his experience advantage, a key factor he highlighted during the press conference. As the defending champion, he has already navigated the pressure of a world championship, overcoming numerous challenges in last year’s match against Ian Nepomniachtchi.

The match begins with Gukesh holding the advantage of the white pieces in the first game. This offers the young challenger a chance to establish early momentum. However, Ding, who staged a dramatic comeback to claim his title last year, remains confident.

“Everyone wants to win first, but the one who wins last smiles the brightest,” Ding remarked with a chuckle.