On current form, D Gukesh is the favourite to win the World Chess Championship title against his Chinese opponent, Ding Liren, believes Indian teenage Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa.
The World Championship is scheduled to be played from November 25 till December 15 in Singapore.
Gukesh, who at 17 became the youngest player to win the Candidates Tournament in April, has had a remarkable 2024, leading India to a historic gold medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad.
In contrast, Liren has struggled this year, failing to secure a single victory in the Classical format since January.
"Gukesh is definitely the favourite, considering his recent form. But the World Championship is a different tournament altogether. I'm sure Gukesh is preparing really well. We'll see how the match goes," said Praggnanandhhaa, who is here for the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz Tournament.
The 19-year-old has been pitted against world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen on the opening day of the tournament, which will begin with the Rapid format on Wednesday.
Carlsen, who has won both the Rapid and Blitz formats in previous editions, returns to the tournament for the second time.
"It would be quite exciting to open with Magnus. I'm hoping to give my best and see what happens," Praggnanandhaa said.
"For sure, everyone is excited to play Magnus. It's also good for the tournament. He is the best player. It's really exciting for all players."
Having played in most editions of the tournament in Kolkata, Praggnanandhaa noted that his past experience would be beneficial.
"I've played a lot in Kolkata; except for 2019, I've played in all editions. My past experience has definitely helped me," he added.
Filipino-American GM Wesley So, also a part of the 10-member open field, echoed the sentiment, backing Gukesh for the upcoming 14-round World Championship.
"I'm looking forward to it. World Championship matches are some of my favourite events to watch in any sport. One of the best was the 2018 Magnus vs. Fabiano match; I watched till 3 in the morning. It was an explosion of ideas. It's going to be interesting," Wesley said.
"I know 99.9 per cent of the people are rooting for Gukesh because we're in India, and I'm also rooting for Gukesh. I talked to many GMs, and they think it won't last 14 games. We'll see what happens."
The World Championship, scheduled from November 20 to December 15, will consist of 14 games, with a time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remaining moves, and a 30-second increment starting from move 41.
The first player to score 7.5 points will win, and if the score is tied after 14 games, a tiebreaker will determine the next world champion.
