Bengaluru: India is likely to bid to host the World Chess Championship match between D Gukesh and Javokhir Sindarov, provisionally scheduled to be held between November 23 to December 17. This will be the youngest-ever match, with both players aged 20.
World chess body, Fide, announced the opening of the bidding process on Thursday, with the deadline set for May 31.
HT has learnt that the All India Chess Federation (AICF) is keen to place a bid and bring the match to India this time. Last time around, there were two bids sent from India – AICF proposed Delhi as the venue, while the Tamil Nadu government bid to host the Ding Liren vs Gukesh match in Chennai. Singapore – the only neutral venue in the mix – went on to bid eventually.
Uzbekistan will host the Chess Olympiad in September this year, and the FIDE elections will also be held during the event. It will be interesting to see how things play out should they bid to host the match.
Sindarov, who is from Uzbekistan, won the Candidates tournament earlier this month with a terrific run, posting the highest number of wins since the current format was introduced in 2013. The 20-year-old returned home to a rousing welcome and was bestowed with one of the country’s highest honours, the Order of ‘Mehnat Shuhrati’.
The match prize fund remains the same as in the 2024 match – $2.5 million. While the regulations are yet to be approved, the $200,000 incentive for winning a game, could remain.
India’s Gukesh, who became world champion at 18 beating Garry Kasparov’s record, after winning the 2024 match, is currently dealing with a dip in form. He won’t be the only Indian fighting for the next world title. India’s Vaishali Rameshbabu who won the Women’s Candidates this year, will challenge five-time world champion Ju Wenjun. With Indians in contention in both the title matches, AICF knows it has an opportunity.
The last time India hosted a World Championship match was in 2013 – when Viswanathan Anand took on Magnus Carlsen in his hometown, Chennai. Anand, who was grappling with his form then and not in favour of the match being held in Chennai, went on to lose.
