NEW DELHI: Reigning world chess champion D Gukesh visited Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram on Thursday to seek blessings ahead of his much-anticipated World Chess Championship match against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov.The visit comes as Gukesh prepares for a defining test in his young career, with the Indian grandmaster set to defend his world title against a challenger who secured his place by winning the Candidates tournament earlier this year.Gukesh made history in 2024 when he defeated China’s Ding Liren to become the youngest world champion in the history of classical chess. He will now look to retain his crown against Sindarov, who has emerged as one of the sport’s most promising young talents.Gukesh’s visit to Neem Karoli Baba’s ashram adds a personal dimension to the build-up to the championship.As preparations intensify for the contest against Sindarov, the Indian grandmaster will be aiming to combine his technical preparation and competitive focus with the confidence needed to navigate the pressure of defending chess’s most prestigious individual title.Watch:The upcoming contest is already historic, with both players set to be 20 when the match begins, making it the youngest World Championship duel in chess history.According to the schedule confirmed by FIDE, the opening ceremony will take place on November 22, with the first classical game scheduled for November 24. The match will be held at the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Cologny, Geneva, Switzerland, with the final classical game slated for December 11. A tiebreaker, if required, will be played on December 12.The match will feature a maximum of 14 classical games, with the first player to reach 7.5 points claiming the title. If the scores are level at 7-7 after the classical games, the championship will be decided through tiebreaks.The players will have 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by an additional 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment introduced from move 41. The total prize fund stands at $2.5 million, with each player receiving $200,000 for every game won and the remaining amount split equally at the end of the match.
