The Singapore Chess Federation, backed by the Singaporean government, has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2024 FIDE World Championship, which will feature China’s defending champion Ding Liren and Indian challenger Gukesh D and will take place from November 20 to December 15, 2024.
FIDE received competitive applications from three cities to host the World Championship Match: New Delhi (India), Chennai (India) and Singapore. After reviewing the bids and studying the venues, facilities, events programmes and opportunities of all the potential host cities, the International Chess Federation selected Singapore to host the World Championship Match.
“We are pleased that for the first time in FIDE history, the World Championship matches will be held in Singapore, which is not only one of the most iconic tourist and business centres globally, but also a vibrant chess centre with great ambition and talent,” said FIDE President Arkadiy Dvorkovich.
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“I would also like to thank the other bidders, New Delhi and Chennai. Both cities are renowned chess centres with a rich history of hosting chess events and I am confident that they will host large-scale chess events in the future,” Dvorkovich continued.
“FIDE is absolutely thrilled to host the FIDE World Championship matches in Singapore. Chess is not just a popular game and sport, it is often seen as an epitome of the human mind’s ability to think strategically, plan and see ahead. Singapore embodies these same qualities – a great combination for a great match!” said FIDE CEO Emil Stovski.
“We also hope that multinational companies will seize this opportunity and join forces with FIDE and Singapore to make this event truly special,” Stofski added.
Singapore’s bid was submitted on 31 May 2024, with venue inspections taking place on 11 and 12 June. Four potential sites are being considered to host the matches, with the final decision on the exact location expected to be announced in the coming days.
Boasting a staggering prize pool of $2.5 million, the match is scheduled to take place from November 20 to December 15, 2024.
About the FIDE World Championship
The FIDE World Championship Match is one of the most important and most widely watched chess events globally. Held every two years, it pits the defending world champion against a challenger, who has been shortlisted in a candidates tournament featuring the world’s top eight players.
The defending champion is Ding Liren, who defeated Ian Nepomnyatsi in a tiebreak to win the title in Astana, Kazakhstan in April 2023. The challenger is 18-year-old Gukesh D from India, who won the Candidates Tournament in Toronto in April 2024.
The World Championship Match will consist of 14 games. The player with 7.5 points or more will win the match and no further games will be played. If the score is tied after 14 games, a tiebreak will determine the winner.