D Gukesh is not letting Ding Liren’s recent poor form affect his preparation for the FIDE World Chess Championship, saying that for him it’s clear that he’s facing an opponent who has been one of the best players in the world for the last decade.
It was an indication into Gukesh’s pre-match mindset, where nothing is being left to chance or taken for granted. Ding, on the other hand, said that he feels peace and a lot of energy, with just two days left to go for the world championship to begin in Singapore. That is a welcome sign for his fans, especially after an interview last month where he conceded that he would just be trying to limit the damage and stall Gukesh’s momentum in this match.
Here are some other excerpts from what the two players said at the pre-world championship press conference:
Their feelings before the World Championship match
Ding Liren: Last time I was very nervous. But this time I feel peace and with a lot of energy. I hope we can produce the same exciting matches as last time. Last time we really managed to get a lot of spectators to join us. This is my first time in Singapore. Although it’s not a very big country, there are many famous places to visit. My friend already suggested some places to visit. Very warm country. This morning many fans from many countries gave me a very warm welcome, and gave gifts including hand-written letters.
D Gukesh: I’m very glad to be here. It’s a world championship, it is a very special event. I was looking forward to being here since I started playing chess. I’m very happy to be in Singapore. There are certainly some nerves. I won’t say I’m super calm. I’m super excited and I’m sure I’ll be nervous.
It’s an honour and privilege to play for India in any event. An event like Olympiad or World Championship, it’s such a big event. To carry the hopes of Indians is a big honour for me.
On their opponent
DL: It’s not often I played against someone younger than me. I have more experience than him. He’s younger but he displayed his maturity in many aspects. He’s not easy to beat of course. I hope we can perform our best.
“It’s not so often to play against a player who is younger than me. The last time I played against Nepo, he was older. But here, I am the older one, and I have more experience than him. He is younger, but he displayed his maturity in many aspects, so he is not one easy to beat. I… pic.twitter.com/KVjuxYjI0v
– International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) November 23, 2024
DG: For me it’s pretty clear. I’m going to face Ding Liren who is one of the best players in the world for a decade. My job is pretty clear. If I keep playing good chess and stay in good spirits, I’m confident if I do the right things.
On their preparations
DL: I started to prepare for this three weeks ago, with my coach and seconds. We analysed opening lines, played some games. It is the common routine for a World Championship match. I spent more time than last time on preparation. I have brought two seconds with me here to Singapore.
DG: Since the moment I qualified, it has been the main thing on my mind. Me and my team prepared in the best way possible. [Grzegorz] Gajewski is here and some other team members. Super happy with preparation. I cannot reveal all the team members now, it is Gajewski and a few others.
On their form
DL: I reviewed my games from recent times. And I saw I played not so good. Also my fighting spirits were not so high. I made many short draws. I drew in much better positions. I don’t know exactly the reason. But it’s far from my peak performance. I intend to review some of my best games to regain some inspiration to see how I can beat such a strong player. I think I need to re-find confidence and fighting spirit to perform better.
DG: I feel good. I am eager to start playing. I know I can handle any kind of nerves. Even if heart is beating fast and nervous. I know I can handle that. As long as I’m confident in my skills, I don’t have anything to worry about.
On the risk and reward of winning vs not losing
DL: I think it is quite important, especially with the game in equal, it is a psychological problem if you try everything to win desperately or you settle for a normal game. This would be a choice. Like the last game of my last match [against Ian Nepomniachtchi], I tried too hard to play for a win in an equal position, and nearly misplayed it, and I just barely survived in a very difficult position.
DG: It’s a very important thing to find the right balance. As in everything, there always needs to be some balance. It’s not easy to always maintain this, but we’ve played so many games, we can learn from experiences, and do our best in the situation. It depends on the situation, but it’s something that every player needs to keep in mind.
On the new time controls
The new time control will see each player get 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting with move 41. Last year, players had 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 60 minutes for the next 20 moves, and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game with 30-second increment per move starting with move 61.
DL: It is quite a short time control, with not so much time for thinking. Last time, I remember the second time control had more time to think, but this time only 30 minutes. It’s like Olympiad or the other important tournaments. Maybe this time control will produce more interesting games. We are used to play very fast games. I think we can handle it.
DG: This time control is a bit shorter than the previous world championships, but I’ve already had experience with this time control in the Candidates. It was the same in Toronto. It’s something to keep in mind, that it’s a bit shorter, but I think it’s a very nice time control. It’s a nice thing that I already have experience this year playing in the same control.