This Monday, November 15, at 17:00 (GMT+8), Singapore time, the World Chess Championship 2024 starts, and here we tell you the preview of the event.

Prelude to the Championship Battle Between Ding Liren and Dommaraju Gukesh

On Monday, November 15th, at Singapore’s luxurious Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren will defend his title against India’s Dommaraju Gukesh. After claiming the title in April 2023 against Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ding has shown a decline in his performance. Combined with Gukesh’s stellar year, which included victories at the Candidates Tournament and the Chess Olympiad with his team, the odds now favor the young Indian prodigy.

Elite grandmasters like Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Garry Kasparov, Wei Yi, Boris Gelfand, and Anish Giri widely back Gukesh as the favorite. Few voices, like Fabiano Caruana, still favor Ding, while others, such as Judit Polgar and Sagar Shah, offer more cautious predictions.

The stage is set for a gripping encounter between two worthy representatives of ancient cultures—an intellectual duel reminiscent of The Ramayana or The Mahabharata meeting The Art of War or the Tao Te Ching.

Ding and Gukesh’s 2024 Results (Classical Chess)

According to The Week in Chess database, Ding and Gukesh have faced each other twice in classical games this year. In January, at the Tata Steel Masters, Ding defeated Gukesh with Black pieces. In August, they met again at the Sinquefield Cup, where Ding, playing white, drew the game. Both games featured the Giuoco Pianissimo.

At the Chess Olympiad held in September in Budapest, Hungary, the two could have faced off in the seventh round, as both played on the first board for their respective teams. However, Ding or the Chinese team avoided the confrontation. This avoidance hinted at psychological preparation, with the Chinese team shielding Ding for his crucial title defense. Sun Tzu’s wisdom applies here:

“If the opportunity to attack the enemy wasn’t favorable, they waited for better times.”

This decision may serve Ding well, as he approaches Monday’s match with two psychological advantages: first, he has not lost any classical games to Gukesh this year; second, he has beaten Gukesh before, proving that the young challenger is not invincible.

In total, Gukesh played 71 classical games this year, with 41 draws, 24 wins, and 6 losses. With White, his main openings included the Italian, Queen’s Gambit, Nimzo-Indian, Queen’s Pawn, Sicilian, Berlin, and Catalan, along with occasional Grünfeld, Petrov, and English games. With Black, he frequently played the Ruy Lopez, Queen’s Gambit, Catalan, Italian, English, and Nimzo-Indian.

Ding played 49 classical games this year, resulting in 35 draws, 2 wins, and 12 losses. With White, his main opening was the English, followed by fewer games with the Italian, King’s Indian, and Queen’s Gambit. Occasionally, he used the Nimzo-Indian, Sicilian, Catalan, and Ruy Lopez. With Black, Ding mostly played the Giuoco Piano, with occasional games using the Nimzo-Indian, Reti, Queen’s Gambit, Ruy Lopez, Vienna, and Scotch.

Gukesh and Ding’s Preparation

Gukesh’s environment seems tailor-made for success, with his mental and emotional state primed for the first of the 14 games. This year has been monumental for Indian chess—winning the Chess Olympiad, Gukesh’s shot at the world title, and a promising generation of young talents benefiting from support by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the introduction of chess in some schools.

Adding to this momentum is the mentorship of Viswanathan Anand, a former World Chess Champion and a strategic mastermind. Anand has worked with many top Indian players’ coaches and established a chess academy that’s already bearing fruit. Every logistical and preparatory detail for Gukesh has been meticulously planned under Anand’s guidance. For more on this topic, read Chess in India and Uzbekistan: Coordinates of Ascent .

Polish grandmaster Grzegorz Gajewski, Gukesh’s main coach, demonstrates a deep understanding of Ding’s playstyle, having faced him before. In an article by Susan Ninan in the Hindustan Times , Gajewski noted that Ding thrives as the underdog and shines in critical moments—much like his championship match against Nepomniachtchi.

Gukesh’s team also includes South African mental coach Paddy Upton, who specializes in training elite athletes. According to an article in The New Indian Express , Upton praised Gukesh’s self-awareness and ability to handle pressure despite his young age (18 compared to Ding’s 32). Upton highlighted Gukesh’s clear life goals and his composure in high-stakes situations.

On the other hand, Ding Liren remains an enigma. The only known detail is that grandmaster Richard Rapport is likely assisting him, as he did during Ding’s victorious campaign last year.

Who’s the Favorite?

There’s no clear favorite. Both players know what it’s like to be underestimated and have experience in high-pressure situations. Ding is prepared to play from the shadows, while Gukesh is ready to face the best version of Ding Liren. The key will be how they recover from a loss.

For example, when Nepomniachtchi lost his first game against Magnus Carlsen during their world championship match, he struggled to recover mentally. A year later, Ding capitalized on similar weaknesses in Nepo to claim the title. It was clear that Nepo’s’ mental preparation was insufficient or even non-existent. At times it seemed that he just had to give himself a little more time to think and find the right move, but he never really did.. In contrast, both Ding and Gukesh share a methodical approach to classical chess, ensuring they will take their time to analyze deeply when needed.

Match Details

• Format: 14 classical games, each with 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, plus 30 minutes for the remainder of the game. The first player to score 7.5 points or more wins. If tied after 14 games, tiebreaks will include games with 15+10, 10+5, and 3+2 time controls.

• Venue: Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Singapore.

• Prize Pool: $2.5 million. Each game victory awards $200,000. The remaining prize money will be split equally unless tiebreaks are needed. In that case, the loser will receive $1.2 million, and the winner $1.3 million—making the consolation prize substantial.

• Sponsors and Partners: Google and RWS (sponsors); Sport Singapore, The Singapore Tourism Board (STB), and Chessable (partners).