Indian chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, 18, is set to face reigning World Chess Champion Ding Liren in a highly anticipated match at the 2024 World Chess Championship, to be held in Singapore. The best-of-14-games showdown, which promises to be a thrilling battle between youth and experience, features a $2.5 million prize fund.
Gukesh, who has stunned the chess world with his rapid rise, aims to break a historic record held by Garry Kasparov. Kasparov became the youngest World Chess Champion at 22 in 1985, but Gukesh is hoping to achieve the same feat at just 18 years old. The young Indian grandmaster’s success in recent years has captured the imagination of chess enthusiasts worldwide, with many predicting he will become a major force in the game.
However, Gukesh faces a formidable opponent in Ding Liren, the 31-year-old Chinese grandmaster who clinched the World Championship title in 2023 after defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi. Ding, with a solid and methodical style, has had the upper hand in their past encounters, leading their head-to-head record with 2½-½ across three games, including a victory over Gukesh at the prestigious Tata Steel Tournament earlier this year. While Ding’s experience gives him an advantage, Gukesh’s meteoric rise and fresh outlook make him a dangerous challenger.
As the chess world watches, the 2024 World Chess Championship promises to be a historic contest, with the clash of two generations shaping the future of the sport.