Wenzhou native Ding Liren, China's first male world chess champion, is gearing up to defend his title against the Indian chess sensation Dommanraju Gukesh, the youngest challenger in the history of the World Chess Championship.
The much-anticipated FIDE World Championship Match 2024 is scheduled to take place in Singapore from Nov 20 to Dec 15, with a substantial prize fund of $2.5 million on the line.
Last year, Ding clinched the world championship title after a thrilling rapid-play tiebreaker against Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi. However, following his victory, Ding took a hiatus from the chess circuit due to health reasons, missing several key tournaments including the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Ding made his return to the chessboard in January 2024 and has been gradually regaining his form.
The FIDE World Championship Match will consist of 14 rounds, with the first player to reach 7.5 points being declared the world champion. If the final score is a tie, the title will be decided by a rapid chess playoff.
This year's championship is unique not only because it features the shortest interval between matches but also because it is the first time the title will be contested between two Asian grandmasters.
