FIDE changes tie-break format for World Chess Championship between Gukesh and Liren

The World chess championship match between the defending champion Ding Liren of China and the challenger D. Gukesh from Chennai, to be held in Singapore from November 23, will have a new tie-breaker rule.

According to the regulations of the match released by the world chess governing body FIDE on Monday, the tie-breakers will see a gradual decrease in time control. The rapid playoff will begin with a set of four games of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move.

The last World championship, in which Ding defeated Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, the tie-breakers had four games of 25 minutes plus 10-second increment and if the tie hadn’t broken, the blitz playoff had to be employed. Blitz chess wasn’t required, as Ding won the fourth rapid game after the first three were drawn.

In Singapore, a two-game rapid playoff of 10 minutes (plus five-second increment) will be played if required after the first set. If the tie is still not broken, the blitz playoffs will be employed.

The 14 classical games will have a time control of two hours for the first 40 moves and then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from the 41st move onwards. The player who scores 7.5 points will win the championship, without having to undergo the pressure of playing the tie-breakers.

The match carries a prize-fund of $ 2.5 million. Each player will get $ 200,000 for every game they win, with the remaining amount to be split equally. If the match goes to the tie-break, the champions will get $1,300,000 and the runner-up $ 1,200,000.