Sawt Falasteen - Indian teen admits to 'some nerves' in bid for world chess crown

The 18-year-old will begin a best-of-14 series for the title against reigning champion Ding Liren of China on Monday in Singapore.

"The world championship is a very special event and I have been looking forward to being here since I first began to play chess," he told reporters.

"There are certainly some nerves but I feel good about it and I'm eager to start playing. My only thought is to give my best and see what happens."

Gukesh earned the right to challenge for the title after his sparkling performance at the Candidates tournament in Toronto in April when he topped a field of eight grandmasters to become the youngest-ever world championship challenger.

Victory in Singapore would see the teenager surpass Garry Kasparov, who was just 22 when he beat Anatoly Karpov in 1985 to be crowned world champion for the first time.

Despite his youth Gukesh is regarded by chess experts as favourite to win, given his strong recent performances and Ding's struggles.

Ding became the first Chinese player to be crowned world champion when he defeated Russia's Ian Nepomniatchi in Kazakhstan in April 2023 but his performances have dipped since.

The 32-year-old took a nine-month break from chess last year, citing personal difficulties and depression.

He has yet to regain his form and was unable to win a game while representing China at the Chess Olympiad two months ago.

Ding nevertheless struck a confident tone on Saturday.

"The last time, in my first world championship match, I was very nervous," he said.

"But this time I feel peace and a lot of energy.

"It's not often that I play against a player who is younger than me.

"Although I have more experience than him, he has displayed his maturity in many aspects so he won't be easy to beat."

G.AbuGhazaleh--SF-PST