Ding Liren and D. Gukesh at a media event for the World Chess Championship in Singapore

The challenger will have the white pieces in the opening game of the World Chess Championship. So D. Gukesh makes the first move against Ding Liren in the much-anticipated World Cup match in Singapore on Monday.

It was decided on Saturday, during the opening ceremony, where the players were asked to pick the cards. The world title match will be played in the best of 14 games format, with the man who scores 7.5 points earning the right to be crowned the King of World Chess. If tied 7-7, tie-breakers, with less time control, will determine the winner.

The general consensus in the chess world is that the 18-year-old Indian starts as the favorite. He enters the match in top form, while Ding has struggled. However, Gukesh reiterated that form did not matter.

“I will face Ding Liren, who has been one of the best players in the world for more than a decade,” Gukesh said at the pre-match media event.

“My job is pretty clear – just go into every game as the best version of myself and play the best moves in the position.”

Ding, not for the first time, admitted that his chess had not been very good of late. “I reviewed my games from the last time and found that the quality was not that good and my fighting spirit was not high,” said the reigning champion. “I’m going to review some of my best matches and I need to find this kind of confidence and also the fighting spirit to perform better.”

Ding said he had been preparing for the match for the past three weeks. However, Gukesh had been training for it ever since he became the contender by winning the Candidates tournament in Toronto in April.

“I’ve been looking forward to playing the World Championship since I started playing chess,” he said. – The World Championship is a special event. I have been working with my coach Gregorz Gajewski and my team of seconds. I have gained a lot from working with Gajewski. I have also worked with Paddy Upton, who has helped me with training.”

Ding could feel at home in Singapore. “Everyone here speaks Chinese,” he said. “There is no time difference at home, so many fans will watch the game. Here I met many fans, who gave gifts and handwritten letters. It made me feel good.