D Gukesh expressed his delight about playing in the World Championship in Singapore.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced Singapore as the host for the prestigious event ahead of New Delhi and Chennai.
“I’m super happy to play in Singapore,” Gukesh said on the sidelines of the Superbet Classic in Romania.
“I mean I was fine with playing anywhere, but Singapore… I have some very nice memories. I won one of my first international tournaments in Singapore and I’ve been on some nice family vacations there. It’s a very nice place and I’m very eager to go there and play the match,” he added.
The 2024 Chess World Championship match is now scheduled to be held in Singapore from November 20 to December 15 between the reigning world champion Ding Liren and the winner of FIDE Candidates, Gukesh.
Back in 2015, Gukesh won the Under-19 Asian School Chess Championships in Singapore. This was his first international tournament win and now life takes a full circle as he is set to compete in the World Championship in Singapore.
Responding to a question about the army of fans that would have been behind Gukesh had India hosted the match, he said, “It will be very nice if the match attracts a lot of fans and helps grow chess in Singapore.”