D Gukesh is not letting Ding Liren’s poor form affect his preparations for the FIDE World Chess Championship, saying it is clear to him that he is facing an opponent who has been one of the best players in the world for the past decade.

It was an indication of Gukesh’s mindset before the match, where nothing is left to chance or taken for granted. Ding, on the other hand, said he feels peace and a lot of energy, with just two days left until the world championships begin in Singapore. It’s a welcome sign for his fans, especially after an interview last month where he admitted that he would just try to limit the damage and stop Gukesh’s momentum in this match.

Here are some other excerpts from what the two players said at the World Cup press conference:

Their feelings before the WC match

Ding Liren: Last time I was very nervous. But this time I feel calm 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 with us. It’s my first time in Singapore. Although it is not a very big country, there are many famous places to visit. My friend has already suggested some places to visit. Very hot country. This morning many fans from many countries gave me a very warm welcome and gave me gifts including handwritten letters.

D Gukesh: I am very happy to be here. It’s a world championship, it’s a very special event. I’ve been looking forward to being here since I started playing chess. I am 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 is an honor and a privilege to play for India in any case. An event like the Olympiad or the World Championship, it’s such a big event. Carrying the hopes of Indians is a great honor for me.

On his opponent

DL: It’s not often I play against someone younger than me. I have more experience than him. He is younger but he showed his maturity in many aspects. He is not easy to beat of course. I hope we can perform our best.

“It’s not very 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 showed his maturity in many aspects, so he is not easy to beat. pic.twitter.com/KVjuxYjI0v

– International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) November 23, 2024

GD: To me it’s pretty clear. I will face Ding Liren who is one of the best players in the world for a decade. My job is pretty clear. If I continue to play good chess and stay in good spirits, I am sure if I am doing the right things.

About their preparations

DL: I started preparing for this three weeks ago, with my trainer and seconds. We analyzed opening lines, played some matches. It is the usual routine for a World Cup match. I spent more time than last time on preparation. I have brought two seconds here to Singapore.

GD: Since I qualified, it has been the main thing on my mind. Me and my team prepared in the best possible way. (Grzegorz) Gajewski is here and some other team members. Super happy with the preparations. I can’t reveal all the team members now, it’s Gajewski and a few others.

On their form

DL: I reviewed my games from the last time. And I saw that I wasn’t playing very well. My fighting spirit wasn’t that high either. I did a lot of short draws. I pulled in much better positions. I don’t know the exact reason. But it is far from my peak performance. I’m going 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 regain the self-confidence and fighting spirit to perform better.

GD: I feel fine. I’m excited to start playing. I know I can handle any kind of nerves. Even if the heart beats fast and nervously. I know I can handle it. As long as I’m confident in my skills, I have nothing to worry about.

About the risk and reward of winning versus not losing

DL: I think it’s quite important, especially with the game tied, it’s a psychological problem if you try everything to win desperately or if you settle for a normal game. This would be a choice. Just like the last game in my last match (against Ian Nepomniachtchi), I tried too hard to play for a win in an even position, and almost played wrong, and I barely survived in a very difficult position.

GD: It is very important to find the right balance. As in everything, there must always be a certain balance. It is not easy to always maintain this, but we have played so many games that we can learn from experience and do our best in the situation. It depends on the situation, but it’s something 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 an increase of 30 seconds per move starting with move 41. Last year, players had 120 minutes for the first 40 move, then 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game in 30 second increments per move starting with move 61.

DL: It’s pretty short time control, with not much time to think. Last time I remember the second timer had more time to think, but this time only 30 minutes. It is like Olympiad or the other important tournaments. Perhaps this time control will produce more interesting games. We are used to playing very fast games. I think we can make it.

GD: This time control is a bit shorter than the previous world championships, but I already had experience with this time control in the candidates. It was the same in Toronto. It is something to consider, that it is a little shorter, but I think it is a very nice time control. It’s a nice thing that already this year I have experience playing in the same control.