CHECKMATING HISTORY

If Gukesh beats Ding, he will rewrite chess history by becoming the youngest to win the classical world championship since it started 138 years ago

- DEVANGSHU DATTA

The Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, is hosting a world chess championship that has already set records by the halfway stage. This features a head-to-head battle between the defending world champion, 32-year-old Ding Liren of China, and the challenger, 18-year-old D Gukesh of India.

The first world title match was held in 1886, with Austrian-American Wilhelm Steinitz beating the British-Polish Johannes Zukertort.

This is the first time in the 138-year history of the classical world championship that a match has featured two Asian contenders.

Gukesh is by far the youngest challenger ever, and obviously, if he wins, he will become the youngest ever world champion.

Beginning with a bang Readers may be wondering what "classical" means. In chess, it is shorthand for a long time control. This match will ideally be decided over 14 games played out at long time controls with alternating colours.

Right now, the match is tied after nine games. If the players are tied at the end of 14 games, there will be a series of four games at shorter time controls. And if that does not break the deadlock, the time controls will get progressively shorter until the match is decided (see accompanying box).

Gukesh has done something unimaginable by making it to a title match at 18 by winning an extremely tough Candidates Tournament in April, edging out seven top grandmasters.

The young man has been cited as world champion material since he became a Grandmaster at the ripe young age of 12. Apart from winning age group titles, Gukesh has picked up individual gold medals as the best top board player at two successive Olympiads, and spearheaded an Indian gold winning performance in 2024.