Adult Puzzle Books

India’s efforts to secure a home World Championships match for D Gukesh came to nought with Singapore pipping Delhi and Chennai to claim hosting rights for the premier chess contest which will pit the youngest Challenger in history against defending champion Ding Liren from China.

The Tamil Nadu government and All India Chess Federation (AICF) had submitted separate bids to FIDE, the world chess body.

The match, which will offer a prize money of USD2.5 million, will be held between November 20 and December 15 this year.

“After reviewing the bids and inspecting all potential host cities for their venues, amenities, event programs, and opportunities, the International Chess Federation has selected Singapore as the host of the World Championship Match,” FIDE said in a release.

The 17-year-old Gukesh had scripted history by winning the Candidates Chess Tournament in April to become the youngest-ever Challenger to the world title, bettering legendary Garry Kasparov’s 40-year-old record.

AICF secretary Dev A Patel was disappointed but not absolutely gutted, saying they could have just competed against the rivals in the best possible manner which they did.

“We placed our best possible bids, but it didn’t come in our favour. There’s no guarantee that we would have won. “We value the competition, so that’s alright; nothing wrong with it. We’re happy that India gave two bids,” Patel told PTI.

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said they are “delighted” that Singapore will host a World Championship match for the first time in the history of the game.

“Not only is Singapore one of the most iconic global tourist and business hubs, but it is also a thriving chess centre with great ambitions and talent,” Dvorkovich was quoted as saying in a release.

“I would also like to thank the other bidders – New Delhi and Chennai. Both cities are renowned chess hubs with a rich history of hosting chess events, and we are confident we will see major chess events there in the future,” Dvorkovich continued.

The AICF was “disappointed” at not winning the bid but the national governing body said it was proud of the effort made to bring the big-ticket event to the country.

“While we are naturally a little disappointed that our bid did not succeed, we are proud of the robust and compelling proposals put forth by us,” AICF president Nitin Narang stated in a release.

Narang said they will support Gukesh to the hilt in the historic match.

“We are confident that Singapore will deliver an outstanding championship, and we look forward to supporting our player, D Gukesh, as he competes for the title on the global stage,” Narang added.

FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said, “Chess is not just a popular game and sport; it is often seen as the epitome of the human mind’s ability to think strategically, to plan, and to foresee. Singapore embodies these same qualities. It’s a great match for the great Match!”

“We also expect multinational companies to seize an opportunity and join forces with FIDE and Singapore to make this event truly exceptional,” Sutovsky added.

Further explaining the reasoning behind FIDE’s choice of the venue for the much-anticipated clash, its PR officer Anna Volkova told PTI, maintaining neutrality was also one of the key factors while evaluating the bids.

“Neutrality was clearly a major factor in deciding the winning bid. Also, it was important for us to bring the FIDE flagship event to a new region. But it has to be said – all that would not work if Singapore’s bid was not good enough. It was very strong,” Volkova said.

Stay updated with the latest from Euro 2024. Explore Euro 2024 Match Today. Check Updated list of Highest Goal-Scorer in Euro 2024. CheckEuro 2024 Points Table and Euro 2024 Match Results and Euro 2024 Match Schedule .

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)