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World champion Ding Liren will face chess contender winner D Gukesh in the title clash later this year.
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Ding Liren will put his world championship title on the line against India’s D Gukesh later this year. The Chinese grandmaster, who occupies the last place in the rankings of the ongoing Norwegian chess tournament, won the title last year. Gukesh, meanwhile, emerged as the surprise contender when he won the contestants’ chess tournament in April.
The surprise victory of 18-year-old Gukesh in Toronto has raised the level of enthusiasm in India, with the sport seeing a resurgence of interest. He was helped by the rise of young chess players like R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi and R Vaishali.
Such is the interest that Delhi and Chennai have reportedly submitted their bids to host the World Championship match. Singapore would also be in the running.
However, the Chinese grandmaster would prefer to play the world championship final in Singapore rather than India. “If I can choose, I hope the World Championship will be held in Singapore. I’m not really looking forward to going to India for the championship final. People will support Gukesh if I play in India,” said Liren.
He also shared his thoughts on Gukesh’s game and added, “Gukesh has had a phenomenal rise to the top. I look forward to meeting him at the end of the year. He (Gukesh) is a powerful opponent. He performed really well. He’s a guy to watch.
Speaking about young Indian chess players, Liren said, “There are so many young talents in India. They are among the ten best in the world. I have a lot of projects in India.
The Chinese grandmaster named Magnus Carlsen as the toughest opponent he has faced and called him the “GOAT of chess.”
In the interview, Liren also spoke about his continued performance at the Norway Chess Tournament, his struggle with mental health and the need to take time off.
