The FIDE World Championship match is held every two years. It features the defending world champion and a challenger, chosen through a qualification process culminating in the Candidates Tournament, which includes eight of the world’s top players.
Ding and Gukesh, the youngest challenger in championship history, will vie for the crown over a best-of-14 format.
The pair have met three times, with Ding beating his Indian opponent twice and drawing once. And it was the Chinese player who took the first game on Monday.
It is a contest that has attracted fans from all over the world.
Mr Mohit Bhagwati and his family had planned their holiday around the tournament. But after failing to secure tickets for day one, they decided to push back their return flight.
“Gukesh is representing our country. He’s the pride of our country. We are rooting for him, so we’ve come all the way to support him,” said the 36-year-old attending the event with his 7-year-old son Nakshatra.
“Chess is running in the veins and arteries of all the children in our country right now, thanks to Gukesh and Vishy Anand.”
Viswanathan ‘Vishy’ Anand is an Indian chess grandmaster, and a five-time world champion.
“We were heartbroken (by the result on day one),” said Mr Mohit. “We’ll only go once he wins!”
In Singapore for a quick stopover after a business trip, Malaysian Kenneth Lim took the chance to catch his first international chess meet.
“I haven’t played (competitively) in more than ten years, so this is mostly opportunistic,” he said.
“How often do you get the chance to see a (World) Chess Championship, or any form of championship? So this was a good opportunity.”
A TREAT FOR SOME
For local chess aficionados, the multi-day event is an opportunity like no other.
“I was quite surprised that they put in a bid but it was a pleasant surprise. It’s good that the Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) has initiated this,” said 48-year-old Martin Lee.
“It’s really superb. I’m very proud of Singapore,” said Mr Lee’s wife, Ms Pan Yilin. “It’s a treat for them to come here and it’s a treat for us to have them here as well.”
The pair, who purchased tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday, said that they were looking forward to meeting chess legends in the flesh.
