Exclusive Interview with Ding Liren: Three Weeks of Preparation for 2024 FIDE World Championship

The reigning world chess champion, GM Ding Liren, shocked the chess world with his revelation at the 2024 FIDE World Championship opening press conference. He admitted that he had only been preparing for the match for three weeks, a stark contrast to his opponent, GM Gukesh Dommaraju, who has likely been working hard since winning the Candidates seven months ago.

In an exclusive interview with FM Mike Klein, Ding confirmed that his team, including the “very fun guy” GM Richard Rapport, had been working on ideas in advance. Despite the short preparation time, Ding expressed his increased motivation to win and his determination to no longer settle for a glorious defeat after reaching tiebreaks.

Ding also discussed his regrets over sitting out a match with Gukesh at the Budapest Olympiad, which China lost to India. He emphasized the increased competitiveness in the tournament, as the loser no longer automatically qualifies for the next Candidates Tournament.

Rapport, who is one of Ding’s seconds, was praised for his preparation of opening ideas and for creating a positive atmosphere during training sessions with his humor. The duo will face off against Gukesh in the upcoming 14-game World Championship, with Gukesh having the White pieces in the first game.

Chess fans are eagerly anticipating the showdown between Ding and Gukesh, with the match set to begin at 4 a.m. ET on Monday, November 25. Stay tuned for more updates on the World Championship coverage.