Defending champion Ding Liren concedes Indian challenger D Gukesh could be seen as the favorite in their highly awaited world chess title clash in November, admitting his own performance has "dropped a lot" over the past year. (More Sports News)
Visuals from the event show a buzz of excitement, with people flocking to click pictures with Gukesh. On the other hand, Liren is giving interviews, adding to the mounting anticipation surrounding their upcoming showdown.
Both of them are currently playing at the 45th Chess Olympiad, where the Indian team is looking almost invincible with five consecutive wins. The quartet of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, and Arjun Erigaisi now leads, along with Ding Liren's China and the host nation, Hungary.
"I can see my opponent (Gukesh) playing extremely well in this tournament. Maybe he is a favourite in the World Championship Match. He also has a higher rating than me," Liren said in an interaction with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in the tournament's mixed zone.
"I have dropped a lot since last year, but I will fight my best to try to overcome the rating difference," he added.
The 31-year-old Liren is the highest-rated chess player in history, claiming a world title win in May last year by defeating Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.
After winning, he took some time off from the board, as he was battling depression. Liren returned this year at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, where he ended ninth.
Meanwhile, Gukesh, a winner of the Candidates Tournament in April became at 17 years and eight months the youngest challenger in the history of the event for the world title. In May, he will celebrate his 18th birthday.
The two will next clash in Singapore from November 20 to December 15 for the coveted title and a prize fund of USD 2.50 million.
Gukesh has mostly been zipped about his plans for the world championship and here too, when he was asked about the match against Liren. He said, "this is an important tournament. I am looking forward to playing some good chess. My focus right now is Olympiad."
Liren, also spoke about the possibility of India and China being locked in a close battle for the gold medal in the 11-round Olympiad in which the team with most points will win.
"We are two very strong teams. We have a chance to fight for the gold medal," he said.
On the other hand, Gukesh, said all participating teams are strong in his assessment. The Olympiad features 196 teams in the open section (men) and 184 in the women's competition.
"All countries are strong, we have to come everyday with the right spirit...We have a nice mood in the team, it's enjoyable," he said.
