Sentosa is a manmade island in Singapore. It’s a prime destination and Resorts World Sentosa is one of the most luxurious and prestigious retreats out there. This place will be the centre of attention as far as chess is concerned, for the next three weeks or so. This is where the world chess championship final will take place, featuring Ding Liren of China and India’s D Gukesh.
It’s a momentous occasion for Indian chess. After living under the glory of Viswanathan Anand forever, the country has found a second player who has qualified for this contest. After years of wait, the growth has been rapid and a number of Indian youngsters are in the forefront of world chess at the moment. Gukesh, at 18, is the youngest of them.
The Chennai boy has not betrayed emotions so far ahead of the 14-game match, where the player to get to 7.5 points first will be the winner. Talking to the official Fide channel, he said that Singapore is a good venue for him because this is where he had come for a family vacation with his parents before he started playing chess. It was also here that he won his first international title. In a way, Gukesh is back in familiar territory as the youngest ever challenger for the world crown.
“There are certainly some nerves, but I feel good about it. The only thought I have is to give my best and see what happens,” Gukesh said at the official pre-match press conference in Singapore. “It’s an honour and privilege to play for India in any kind of event, especially an event like the Olympiad or world championship. I take it very seriously. I’m going to face Ding Liren, who is one of the best players of the world for more than a decade.”
Ding, the 32-year-old defending champion has been among the elite of world chess for a while now. A former 2800-plus player, he has suffered a slump of late. Even otherwise, he is a newcomer to Singapore, playing his first-ever match in the country. Talking to the Fide channel, he said it felt warm “even in the winter” and that places in China are a lot colder at the moment.
He has also portrayed himself as the underdog in the prelude to this first-ever chess world championship final featuring two Asians. While it’s true that his performance has dipped after winning last year’s final against Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, there is also a line of thought in the fraternity suggesting that Ding is deliberately underplaying himself.
That preamble seems to have changed a bit. “It’s a warm country and I received a lot of gifts and a warm welcome from many kids this morning,” Ding said at the press meet. “It’s not so often that I play against a player younger than me. I have more experience than him. He is younger but has already displayed his maturity in many aspects… I know that he will not be easy to beat.”
Things said and done, this battle begins at an even keel. In a world championship duel, nobody is an overwhelming favourite or underdog. Recent ratings and performances notwithstanding, this is a fresh match and a high-pressure one. Holding nerves will be the key. Being high on emotions can be counterproductive. A huge few weeks for chess in Singapore it’s going to be.
Also Read: Why Gukesh is not the favourite in world chess final