The FIDE World Chess Championship match between reigning champion Ding Liren and 18-year-old Indian challenger D Gukesh will be held at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore from November 23 to December 15. This marks only the second time in the championship’s 138-year history that it will be played in Southeast Asia, following the infamous 1978 duel between Viktor Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov in the Philippines.
Resorts World Sentosa, an integrated resort spanning over 49 hectares, offers a unique setting for the championship. It features Universal Studios, marine theme parks, a casino, and luxury hotels. Singapore’s successful bid to host the match, which carries a prize fund of $2.5 million, prevailed over competing bids from New Delhi and Chennai in India.
Gukesh, the youngest-ever challenger, and Ding are set to face off again at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis before the World Championship match. If Gukesh emerges victorious against the Chinese grandmaster, he will become the youngest world champion in history.
In conjunction with the championship, the Singapore Chess Federation has organized several side events. The Singapore International Open, a top-level open event, will be held from November 29 to December 5, offering a total prize fund of S$100,000. The Singapore national age-group championship will also take place from November 24 to 28.
Kevin Goh, CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation and chair of the local organizing committee, expressed his hopes that the match will not only be a thrilling spectacle but also a catalyst for chess growth in Singapore. He drew parallels to the Fischer-Spassky match in Iceland, which significantly boosted the popularity of chess in the country.
The Singapore Chess Federation aims to leverage the championship to promote the game’s benefits for various social groups and establish Singapore as a hub for major chess events in the future.
