FIDE officials to visit Chennai for World Chess Championship 2024 venue recce
Officials from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) are set to visit Chennai for a venue inspection for the World Chess Championship 2024. The inspection, scheduled for Friday, June 21, will be conducted by Kermen Goryaeva, Secretary of FIDE’s Planning and Development Commission, and Anna Volkova, Head of PR at FIDE.
“FIDE’s Planning and Development Commission Secretary, Kermen Goryaeva, and FIDE’s Head of PR, Anna Volkova, will be on duty for this,” stated a PTI report.
Chennai is one of the three cities bidding to host the prestigious World Chess Championship 2024. The other contenders are Delhi and Singapore. The bids for Chennai and Delhi were submitted by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and the All India Chess Federation (AICF), respectively.
The tournament is provisionally slated to run from November 20 to December 15, 2024.
Who will compete in the World Chess Championship 2024?
The World Chess Championship 2024 will feature Grandmaster Ding Liren of China defending his title against India's young sensation, Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh.
Ding Liren became the world champion last year after defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia in the 2023 championship match. Meanwhile, the challenger, Gukesh, earned his spot following an impressive performance in the Candidates Tournament 2024 held in Toronto, Canada.
Gukesh topped the eight-player chart with a score of 9/14, securing his place in the championship match against Liren. This victory made him the youngest contender for the World Chess Championship title.
Gukesh broke the legendary Garry Kasparov’s four-decade-long record of being the youngest champion of the Candidates Tournament. Kasparov was 20 years old at the time, whereas Gukesh clinched his spot at the age of 17.
Ding Liren has an edge over Gukesh in the classical format, having won both of their previous encounters. The Indian youngster now has the perfect opportunity to avenge his defeats and make his mark in the annals of chess history.
The World Chess Championship 2024 will be a best-of-14 game match, with the first player to reach at least 7½ points claiming the title.