India Bids to Host World Chess Championship Between D Gukesh and Ding Liren in Chennai

Add as a preferred source on Google

New Delhi, May 29: India has submitted a bid to host the World Chess Championship between D. Gukesh and defending champion Ding Liren of China. The event is scheduled for November-December this year.

The 17-year-old Gukesh became the youngest challenger for the world title by winning the Candidates Tournament last month. If India secures the hosting rights, the championship will take place in Chennai from November 20 to December 15.

The bid was submitted by the Tamil Nadu government. "We have received the bid from India," FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky told PTI. FIDE has not received other bids yet, but the deadline is May 31. Singapore is expected to enter the race but has not submitted documents.

"As of now no other country has bid for it but the deadline is till end of this week. Post that we will have a FIDE Council meeting next week. And after that due procedure will be followed and we will decide about the hosting rights," Sutovsky added.

If the All India Chess Federation (AICF) wins, it will need to spend about Rs 71 crore. The basic criteria set by FIDE for the 2024 edition include a budget of Rs 71 crore and a facilitation fee of USD 1.1 million (Rs 9 crore).

The tournament will last for 25 days, and approval of regulations is expected by July 1. FIDE has increased the prize money from USD 2 million (Rs 17 crore) in 2023 to USD 2.5 million (Rs 20 crore plus).

Gukesh's achievement at the Candidates has revived interest in chess. The Chennai-based teenager, mentored by five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, broke Garry Kasparov's 40-year-old record to become the youngest Candidates champion.

Kasparov was 20 when he qualified in 1984 to clash with Anatoly Karpov. India has hosted the prestigious event before, in 2000 and 2013. In 2000, Anand won his first of five world titles by defeating Alexei Shirov. In 2013, Anand lost to Magnus Carlsen of Norway.