Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh will look to become only the second world champion after Viswanathan Anand as the teenager locks horns against Chinese GM Ding Liren in the World Championship showdown beginning on Monday, November 25. (Preview | Streaming | More Sports News)
The majority of the chess world is rooting for the 18-year-old in-form Indian, who has already displayed the poise of a champion. What remains to be seen is how he handles the pressure of the big occasion during the fortnight-long showpiece.
Speaking of his competitor Liren, the Chinese had won a match of fluctuating fortunes against Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia in 2023 to be crowned the world champion but since then, the reigning world champion has suffered from mental health issues and competed very less compared to Gukesh in the last one year.
"My job is pretty clear -- just go into every game as the best version of myself and play the best moves in the position. If I do that, if I keep playing good chess and stay in the right spirits, even with his recent form dip or even at his best, I don't think it really matters," Gukesh said ahead of the game 1 clash on Saturday.
"If I do the right things, I'm confident I have all the chances in the world," he asserted.
Gukesh would be looking to end a title drought for India that dates back to 2013, the year that five-time champion Anand lost the crown to Norwegian superstar Magnus Carlsen.
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When and where will the D Gukesh vs Ding Liren, FIDE World Chess Championship 2024 match be played?
The D Gukesh vs Ding Liren, FIDE World Chess Championship 2024 match will be played between November 25 and December 13 at the Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.
