From the time I qualified, this has been on top of my mind: Gukesh

Roughly 48 hours before they descend into an intense battle, the reigning world chess champion and his challenger typically allow for some probing.

- Susan Ninan

They are asked about their teams, their minds, their preparation, and ambition for the match. Their answers might be revealing or deliberately anodyne, and both players get a glimpse of how squirmy or unruffled the other is. They might trash talk, take jabs at each other, and things can get snarky.

There was none of it on Saturday between China's Ding Liren and India's D. Gukesh, just two calm, lean guys in business suits who looked like they'd wandered off from a meditation room.

There's still some time for nerves to show up, ahead of their World Championship Match starting in Singapore on Monday.

Pretty early in the press conference, champion Ding was asked how he was feeling. His state of mind has, after all, supposedly been at the heart of him turning into a shadow of the player he used to be. His response was a touch comforting for chess fans who dread a one-sided blowout.