Gukesh vs Ding Liren: FIDE changes tiebreak rules for World Chess Championship

Gukesh vs Ding Liren: The FIDE World Chess Championship clash between the current World Champion is Ding Liren and his teenage challenger from India, D Gukesh, will have different tiebreak rules as compared to the last World Chess Championship, where Ding Liren had defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi.

At the 2023 World Chess Championship clash, Ding Liren had prevailed over Nepomniachtchi via the tiebreak. FIDE, the global governing body for chess, said that after consultations with both players, the format for tiebreaks was changed to introduce a gradual decrease in time controls.

What are new tiebreak rules for World Chess Championship?

The World Championship match is a 14-game encounter, with each game played in the classical format. The player who scores 7.5 points or more wins the World Championship Match. If the score after fourteen games is equal, then tiebreaks will be played in the rapid format first then the blitz format.

In the 2023 tiebreak, the rules stipulated that players will play four games of 25 minutes plus a 10-second
increment per move. If the score was still level after these four games, the match would proceed to the next tie-break stage, which was a blitz playoff. But in 2024, if the scores are level after 14 classical games, four games of 15 minutes (rather than 25 minutes) plus a 10-second increment per move. If the score remained level after these four games, a two-game rapid playoff of 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move would follow — this is an additional stage added.

In the 2023 world chess championship match between Ding Liren and Nepomniachtchi, the blitz stage of the playoff would see a two-game blitz playoff of five minutes plus a 3-second increment per move. If the score remained level after these two games, another two-game blitz playoff would follow, If the game is still tied, a single game of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move will be played. If this game is drawn, another game of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move will be played will colors reversed. This was to be repeated until there is a decisive result.

But in the 2024 world chess championship match between Gukesh and Ding Liren, if the score remained level after the two-game rapid playoff of 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move a blitz playoff would be played. In this stage, there would be a two-game blitz playoff of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment per move. If this did not yield a champion, a single game of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move would be played.

If this game is drawn, another game of 3 minutes for each player + 2 seconds increment per move will be
played will colors reversed. This will be repeated until there is a decisive result.

Gukesh vs Ding Liren match schedule

The full schedule for the Gukesh vs Ding Liren World Chess Championship 2024. (PHOTO: FIDE)

When is the next World Chess Championship match?

The tie-break, if needed, will be held on December 13, followed by the Closing Ceremony on December 14. The 2024 FIDE World Championship Match between Gukesh and Ding Liren will take place in Singapore’s Resorts World Sentosa, a premier resort known for its world-class facilities, from 20 November to 14 December.

How much is the prize money for World Chess Championship?

The total prize fund for Gukesh vs Ding Liren match is $2.5 million, with specific distributions based on game outcomes.

The prize fund will be distributed as follows: Each player will receive $200,000 for each game they win. The remaining prize money will be split equally between the players. If the winner is decided on a tie-break, the prize money will be divided as follows: the winner receives $1,300,000, and the runner-up receives $1,200,000.

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