FIDE World Chess Championship Match Between Ding Liren and D Gukesh to be Held in Singapore
The FIDE World Chess Championship is set to make history as it takes place in Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, from November 23 to December 15. The match will feature reigning world champion Ding Liren facing off against 18-year-old Indian challenger D Gukesh.
This will be only the second time in the championship’s 138-year history that it will be played in South-east Asia, with the earlier instance being the controversial match between Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov in the Philippines in 1978.
Singapore won the bid to host the $2.5 million Ding-Gukesh match, beating out competing bids from New Delhi and Chennai. The match is highly anticipated, especially since Gukesh won the Candidates meet earlier this year, earning him the title of the youngest-ever challenger.
In addition to the World Championship match, the Singapore Chess Federation will be organizing side events, including the Singapore International Open with a total prize fund of S$100,000. This event will provide an opportunity for players like 17-year-old Siddharth Jagadeesh, Singapore’s youngest-ever Grandmaster, to compete on an international stage.
Kevin Goh, CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation, expressed his excitement for the event, hoping that it will not only bring attention to the game of chess but also accelerate its growth in Singapore. With the potential for Gukesh to become the youngest-ever world champion, the championship is sure to attract a lot of interest and excitement.
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