If Gukesh wins, then there will be more than just a title in his lap as the total prize money of the championship is set at $2.5 million
The excitement among the world's chess community is touching the sky as India's rising chess star Gukesh Dommaraju is set to face the current champion Ding Liren at the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship today in Singapore. What can be termed a historic moment, for the first time in 138 years, two Asian players are competing for the sport’s most prestigious title.
The 18-year-old player, on winning, will become the youngest World Chess Champion ever. If he wins, then there will be more than just a title in his lap as the total prize money of the championship is set at $2.5 million. In Indian currency, it will be accounted for over Rs 20 crore.
However, it will not be given to only one winner. Each player is entitled to receive $2,00,000 or around Rs 1.68 crore for each game they win. The remaining prize amount will be split between the players equally. However, in case the winner is decided on a tie-break, then the winner will receive $13,00,000 or around Rs 10.9 crore, while the runner-up will receive $12,00,000 or around Rs 10.1 crore.
The final will take place from November 25 to December 13, 2024.
Indian prodigy D Gukesh won the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament to qualify as the World Championship challenger. On the other hand, China's Ding Liren is defending the title he earned post defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 2023 FIDE World Chess Championship in the four-game rapid tiebreaker.
Currently, Gukesh holds 5th rank with a rating of 2783 and Liren ranks 22nd with a 2728 rating on the FIDE live rating list. According to a recent ChessGoals.com survey, 85 per cent of members feel that Dommaraju has a higher chance of winning the title against 15 per cent who believe in Liren.
Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov was the youngest player ever to win the championship at the age of 22 in 1985.