Singapore ‘a hub for future chess events’ after successful world championship

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s hosting of the Fide World Championship has been a winning move for the nation, with International Chess Federation (Fide) chief executive Emil Sutovsky noting that the hosts can be a “hub for future Fide events”.

The 47-year-old said: “I like the enthusiasm and the attitude from the government, and I see that they are very serious about that (chess).

“I absolutely like how the local organising committee has been working tirelessly for several months, preparing for the event and I foresee Singapore becoming a real hub for future Fide events, not necessarily just a match, but as a top event (venue).”

In July, the Republic beat Indian cities New Delhi and Chennai for the rights to organise the Nov 25 - Dec 13 world championship match between defending champion Ding Liren and challenger Gukesh Dommaraju, which

the latter won on Dec 12.

It was the second time in the championship’s 138-year history that the tournament was held in South-east Asia, after Baguio, the Philippines, in 1978.

Singapore Chess Federation chief executive Kevin Goh said the hosts have already reaped the benefits of hosting the top-level event.

He said: “We have seen the significant interest that has grown in this country and we really hope that young chess players will be inspired by this experience, being surrounded by world-class grandmasters during the event.

“We also hope that young players will continue to aspire to have strong ambitions to be good chess players.”

The grandmaster is also aiming for Singapore to host other events in 2025.

He added: “We will reconnect with some of the sponsors from the event as well as prospective partners who might want to come on board to support us next year.

“We definitely have plans to develop projects in regards to tournaments for people with disabilities and we definitely hope to put together a meaningful event next year.

“We are looking forward to having more like-minded individuals who want to contribute to the growth of this space in Singapore.”

After a thrilling 14-game battle fought over two weeks, India’s Gukesh – who won 7.5-6.5 to become the youngest world champion at 18 – and his fans were happy to celebrate his success.

At the prize presentation and closing ceremony on Dec 13, nearly 600 people were in attendance to witness the crowning of the 18th world chess champion.

Gukesh said after receiving his trophy: “I’ve lived this moment a million times in my head, this moment is the reason why I wake up every morning.

“I’d like to thank my parents and this win means more to them than it means for me.”

Hours before the presentation at the Resorts World Sentosa, hundreds of fans queued for the meet-and-greet session, bringing chessboards and other paraphernalia for the champion to sign.

Chess fan Gabriel Ang, 11, who was part of the crowd, said: “A lot of people were there at the fan zone, it was very sociable.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, because there are many countries in the world, and rarely (an event like this) will come to Singapore, so I took this chance to come today.”

Fellow fan Venkatesh Sridhar said: “It (the event) was a very neat organisation, which is the trademark of Singapore. From getting information related to the event or getting tickets, things always run smoothly here.

“It was an amazing experience, especially in the fan zone and there were a lot of kids playing chess. It’s always a good feeling to get thrashed by kids, because they’re so good these days.

“But of course, the experience in the viewing hall was also other-worldly. We could feel the intensity and feel the stress that the players are feeling just by sitting here.”