'Once in a lifetime experience': World Chess Championship in Singapore thrills local, foreign fans

SINGAPORE: It is a battle watched by a ballroom of hundreds, streamed to an audience of millions, and fought by two men representing two nations of billions.

One is a young star, an 18-year-old who has shot to prominence. The other is a familiar face about a decade his senior.

In a room measuring 10m by 7m by 2.7m, the champion takes on the challenger.

Over the next few hours on Tuesday (Nov 26), the contest unfolds. They cross their arms, furrow their brows and shift in their seats. 

The crowd ebbs and flows but two men pay little heed. “Silence please” urge the placards held by volunteers, not that noise would have much effect anyway. 

Separated from the crowd by one-way mirror, the duo are oblivious to anything but the pieces in front of them.

Welcome to the World Chess Championship.

CHESS IN THE "VEINS AND ARTERIES"

Taking place between Nov 20 and Dec 15 at Equarius Hotel in Resorts World Sentosa, the tournament is being held in Singapore for the first time.

It pits the world champion, China’s 31-year-old grandmaster Ding Liren, against India's 18-year-old grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju.

The FIDE World Championship match is held every two years. It features the defending world champion and a challenger, chosen through a qualification process culminating in the Candidates Tournament, which includes eight of the world's top players.

Ding and Gukesh, the youngest challenger in championship history, will vie for the crown over a best-of-14 format. 

The pair have met three times, with Ding beating his Indian opponent twice and drawing once. And it was the Chinese player who took the first game on Monday.

It is a contest that has attracted fans from all over the world.

Mr Mohit Bhagwati and his family had planned their holiday around the tournament. But after failing to secure tickets for day one, they decided to push back their return flight.

“Gukesh is representing our country. He’s the pride of our country. We are rooting for him, so we’ve come all the way to support him,” said the 36-year-old attending the event with his 7-year-old son Nakshatra.

“Chess is running in the veins and arteries of all the children in our country right now, thanks to Gukesh and Vishy Anand.”

Viswanathan 'Vishy' Anand is an Indian chess grandmaster, and a five-time world champion.

"We were heartbroken (by the result on day one)," said Mr Mohit. "We'll only go once he wins!"

In Singapore for a quick stopover after a business trip, Malaysian Kenneth Lim took the chance to catch his first international chess meet.

"I haven't played (competitively) in more than ten years, so this is mostly opportunistic," he said.

"How often do you get the chance to see a (World) Chess Championship, or any form of championship? So this was a good opportunity."

A TREAT FOR SOME

For local chess aficionados, the multi-day event is an opportunity like no other.

“I was quite surprised that they put in a bid but it was a pleasant surprise. It’s good that the Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) has initiated this,” said 48-year-old Martin Lee.

“It’s really superb. I’m very proud of Singapore,” said Mr Lee’s wife, Ms Pan Yilin. “It’s a treat for them to come here and it’s a treat for us to have them here as well.”

The pair, who purchased tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday, said that they were looking forward to meeting chess legends in the flesh.

Although not a chess player himself, Mr Jek Lim bought two tickets for him and his 10-year-old son Evan. Accompanying them were two of his son's classmates and their fathers.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience that doesn't happen so often, so it's good to get them immersed in the environment and watch the ... players play," he said.

This is only the second time in the championship's 138-year history that it has been held in Southeast Asia, with the first being in Baguio, Philippines, in 1978.

SCF chief executive Kevin Goh said interest in the event had gone "way beyond" his expectations.

Some fans arrived four hours ahead of time on the opening day, which experienced a full house of 400, Mr Goh told CNA.

"Everyone is excited because nobody knows what to expect. Many chess fans have never attended a World Chess Championship in person … People wanted to come and see what it was like."

"It (day one) was better than I expected ... It was pretty overwhelming, I have to say," International Chess Federation (FIDE) CEO Emil Sutovsky told CNA.

"I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people coming. That shows that the choice of the match (location) can have a longer positive impact in the aftermath of the event."

Tickets for the weekends, like the opening day, are sold out. For the rest of the days, between 80 to 90 per cent of the tickets have been snapped up, Mr Goh estimated.

Aside from the main event, the venue also boasts a fan zone where attendees can watch the match, play chess and interact with various renowned players.

"Everyone is just enjoying the game," said Mr Goh. 

Tuesday's contest petered out into a draw, with Ding and Gukesh shaking hands to end the evening's proceedings.

But there are more days to come, more moves to be made, and for ardent chess fans, more to look forward to.