Chess - The Upcoming 2024 World Championship

The 2024 World Chess Championship match will commence in a couple of weeks.

(All credit for the image above goes to Chess.com)

I previously talked about the first 5 games in 2018's World Championship match between then reigning champion GM Magnus Carlsen and challenger, GM Fabiano Caruana.

Some spectators sportingly clubbed their second names, calling it the Battle of the Cars!

That was the first ever time I discussed any world level event right as it happened, let alone Chess - about just any kind of game (or sport for the physical audience).

2021's World Chess Championship was when I found quite enough time to talk about all games between still reigning Champion GM Magnus Carlsen and challenger, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.

As I mentioned above, high intellect on any top 2 world players in any game/sport, has, for the most part, been out of my expertise.

In November 2018, I happened to win a state level Chess tournament early on, which was part of the reason I was invested in the greatest Chess event ever of the time.

I shall try to make it a point to commentate on every game of this championship, having been unable to attend to 2023's championship, with GM Ding Liren emerging as the new World Champion, up against returning challenger GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Who do I think will win, between GM Ding Liren and challenger, GM Gukesh D?

While I have only recently gathered intel about both players (In Magnus's case, it became all the easier knowing him over the course of his long reign), I was thrilled by both players' games played this year. 

To learn of Gukesh's aggressive style to the extent of his consistency towards the endgame was refreshing.

To see Ding's balanced take as he went on to win Gukesh earlier this year was equally as compelling. As a defensive player, I fancy balance over attacking play that thwarts my structure.

Before I unveil my take on who could (or will) win, most people see the odds in Gukesh's favor following the win in the 2024 Budapest Olympiad, noting that Ding might not be entirely in his initial form. GM and former World Champion Garry Kasparov mentioned that he does not consider this event a true championship.

Overall, as per existing games played between Gukesh and Ding, Ding has won 2 while drawing the rest, supposedly out of 5 overall. But perhaps there's more at stake than just saying, 'May the better player win.'

Previously in 1972, when it came down to champion GM Boris Spassky up against challenger, GM Bobby Fischer, Fischer supposedly had not won any game against Spassky up until Game 3 of the championship. Game 6 had him ahead of Spassky at 3.5-2.5, as he went on to winning the championship with 12.5-8.5.

Gukesh's only current win with Ding was in a game of Fischer Random (Coincidentally back with the Fischer effect to this sequence).

I am no expert in telling how either one's form factors into the championship. If Ding prevails, it will feel like he administered sort of a Spassky likeness in his experience as the reigning champion. Should Gukesh win, it shall mark an extraordinary achievement as not just the second World Champion from India, but as the youngest in FIDE World Championship history.

Quite simply put, my take as a defensive player has found a fitting grasp in Ding's balanced style of play. I even took the personality quiz on Chess.com and the results said that I am a Technician, and that Ding Liren is an example of one.

I should suppose a personality test by the official Chess site of the world takes the edge in inference over opinion.

I for one look forward to this championship. While Ding hasn't lost to Gukesh in Classical Chess yet, and has even addressed the pressure walking into this year's championship, he has the Spassky edge going for him. Gukesh on the other hand, is just as brilliant, and might step up his Fischer building streak. But, as it stands now,

I say Ding Liren.