FIDE President pleased with India’s bids to host World Championship Match

India Bids to Host World Chess Championship Match

FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich has expressed his delight at receiving two bids from India to host this year’s World championship match. Both Chennai and Delhi have thrown their hats into the ring, along with Singapore, to conduct the highly anticipated match between reigning World champion Ding Liren of China and Candidates winner D Gukesh.

In an exclusive interview with Sportstar, Dvorkovich highlighted the significance of having strong bids from national governments to support international sports federations. He praised India for emerging as an excellent host of major international chess events, citing the successful organization of the Chess Olympiad in Chennai a couple of years ago.

The FIDE president also commended the 17-year-old Gukesh for his participation in the World championship match, noting that his presence would inspire young chess enthusiasts worldwide. Dvorkovich emphasized the rapid growth of chess globally, attributing part of the sport’s popularity surge to the hit series “The Queen’s Gambit.”

Dvorkovich also mentioned his collaboration with Viswanathan Anand, FIDE’s deputy president and five-time World champion, whom he values for his wealth of experience in the game. Regarding the recent suspension of the Russian Chess Federation by FIDE’s Ethics and Discipline Committee, Dvorkovich stated that they would appeal the decision to defend the interests of the players.

With India’s strong bids and the excitement surrounding the upcoming World championship match, the chess world eagerly awaits the final decision on the host city for this prestigious event.