Singapore to host 2024 World Chess Championship Match

The Singapore Chess Federation, supported by the Government of Singapore, has won the bid to host the FIDE World Championship Match 2024. The Match will feature the defending Champion Ding Liren from China and the Challenger Gukesh D from India and will take place between November 20 and December 15, 2024

FIDE received three competitive applications for hosting the World Championship Match – from New Delhi (India), Chennai (India), and Singapore. 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.

“We are delighted that for the first time in the history of FIDE, a match for the World Championship will take place in Singapore. Not only is Singapore one of the most iconic global tourist and business hubs, but it is also a thriving chess center with great ambitions and talent,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said.

Photo: fairmont.com

“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.

“FIDE is genuinely happy to bring the FIDE World Championship Match to Singapore. 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!” FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said. 

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

Singapore’s bid was submitted on May 31, 2024, and the inspection of the venues took place on June 11 and 12. Four possible venues are being considered for the Match, and the final decision on the exact location will be announced in due course.

The Match, which boasts a sensational prize fund of 2.5 million USD, is set to take place between November 20 and December 15, 2024.

About the FIDE World Championship Match

The FIDE World Championship Match is one of the most important and widely watched chess events globally. Held every two years, it features the defending World Champion and the Challenger, chosen through a qualification process culminating in the Candidates Tournament, which includes eight of the world’s top players.

The defending Champion is Ding Liren, who won the title after defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in Astana, Kazakhstan, in April 2023 on tiebreaks. The Challenger is the 18-year-old Gukesh D from India, who won the Candidates Tournament in April 2024 in Toronto.

The World Championship Match will consist of 14 games. The player who scores 7.5 points or more wins the Match, and no further games are played. If the score is equal after 14 games, the winner is decided by a tiebreak.