As the clock ticks down to the most highly anticipated chess match of the year, the updated 2024 World Chess Championship odds are available!
Fresh off a stunning win at the Candidates Tournament, India’s Gukesh Dommaraju challenges defending champion Ding Liren for the world title.
Scheduled for November 20 to December 15 in Singapore, can Gukesh maintain his recent form to oust Diren? Continue reading to find the latest odds, analysis, and my World Chess Championship 2024 predictions!
World Chess Championship 2024 Betting Odds
The following betting odds on the World Chess Championship are courtesy of 22Bet:
- Gukesh Dommaraju (-303)
- Ding Liren (+350)
- Draw (+230)
The odds for the World Chess Championship have moved squarely in Gukesh’s favor since the markets opened. Days after Gukesh won the Candidates, Ding and his challenger opened with equal odds at -118.
Since April, the price has swung strongly on the Indian native’s side. Currently, at -303, Gukesh has a 75.2% chance of being crowned the new champ. 22Bet’s odds also suggest that there is a 30.3% chance of a draw, which is higher than Ding’s chances of winning!
You can find up-to-date World Chess Championship 2024 odds at 22Bet by navigating to Sports > Chess > World Chess Championship.
World Chess Championship 2024 Format and Key Info
The format for the World Chess Championship 2024 remains the same as last year’s event:
- The World Chess Championship 2024 features 14 rounds.
- The event is scheduled from November 20, 2024, to December 15, 2024.
- The first player to score 7.5 points or more becomes the World Chess Champion for 2024.
- Players cannot draw before Black’s 40th move.
- If the players are tied following the 14 rounds, the winner will be decided in a tiebreak (four rapid games with 25 minutes per side; first to 2 ½ points or more wins).
Time Control:
- 120 minutes per player for the first 40 moves.
- 60 minutes per player for the following 20 moves.
- 15 minutes per player for the remainder of the game.
Where to Watch the World Chess Championship 2024
The World Chess Championship 2024 can be watched for free online! Chess.com/TV will broadcast all rounds of the match.
Also, chess fans can watch the action unfold on Chess24’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Gukesh vs. Ding Head-to-Head Record
Gukesh and Ding have faced each other in two classical matches in their careers. Both games took place at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, with Ding winning both encounters.
Still, the 17-year-old Indian grandmaster earned a win versus Ding at the Freestyle Chess GOAT Challenge earlier this year.
Classical Games:
- Ding 1 – Gukesh 0 (January 2023)
- Ding 1 – Gukesh 0 (January 2024)
Rapid/Exhibition Games:
- Gukesh 1 – Ding 0 (February 2024)
Gukesh Dommaraju (-303) – Can the Rising Star Stay Hot?
17-year-old Gukesh became the youngest FIDE Candidates champion in tournament history. Additionally, the teenager is now only the second Indian player to qualify for the World Chess Championship. Now, 18, Gukesh is aiming to create more history as the first world champion from India since five-time winner Viswanathan Anand in 2013.
He was in unbelievable form to upset favorites Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Hikaru Nakamura. Caruana entered as the tournament favorite but failed to win on the final day to force a tiebreak with Gukesh. The 18-year-old won five matches and drew eight en route to the 2024 World Chess Championship.
When @DGukesh arrived at the Chennai Airport after winning the Candidates Tournament 2024! pic.twitter.com/nT9FPCz6BU
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) April 25, 2024
Gukesh had just an 8.9% implied probability of winning the FIDE Candidates 2024. Will this momentum carry over to the World Chess Championship?
Fortunately for this emerging star, he remains in hot form with the big day approaching in November. Gukesh hasn’t shown any signs of nerves or being overwhelmed by the new-found success. He is locked in and appears showing no letdown after capturing the Candidates.
You aren’t going to find many blunders in Gukesh’s game recently. He has won 11 of his previous 12 matches. At the 45th Olympiad, Gukesh took a draw against Richard Rapport, but otherwise, all wins! The talented grandmaster helped lead India to the men’s open competition title by scoring nine of ten points.
Gukesh has never beaten Ding in a classical format before. However, with his unwavering confidence, this could be the time for Gukesh to upend the defending champion!
Ding Liren (+350) – Will He Round into Form?
Ding is the defending FIDE World Chess Champion after beating Nepomniachtchi in a tiebreak in the previous edition of the tournament. It was an evenly played match, with Ding exploiting a hole in the fourth rapid tiebreak to win the title.
Ding Liren: "I started learning to play chess at four years old and spent 26 years playing and analysing. I've tried to improve my chess ability in many different ways and using different methods. I think I did nearly everything. Sometimes there are tournaments when you are not… pic.twitter.com/NPK1J8MnTX
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) April 30, 2023
I remind you that Magnus Carlsen conceded his championship, which opened the door for a new FIDE World Champion. Ding seized the moment to oust the Russian in a nail-biter in Kazakhstan. However, the native of Wenzhou, China, hasn’t been in his best form this year.
In the GRENKE Chess Playoffs, Ding came up short in a tournament that Carlsen prevailed in. The Chinese grandmaster lost twice to 19-year-old Vincent Keymer and also registered defeats against Daniel Friedman and Richard Rapport.
While Ding has stabilized slightly, he still doesn’t have that killer instinct that many of us are accustomed to with the reigning champion. In moments you expect Ding to rise up, he has faltered and encountered mental blocks. Astonishingly, Ding hasn’t won in 20 matches since the 12th Norway Chess Armageddon.
A recent draw against Caruana might be his best result recently. However, drawing has become a common theme for Ding, who has a draw in 14 of his previous 20 matches, and five losses. I had some confidence in Ding being mentally prepared for the World Chess Championship, but that hasn’t been the truth.
He had opportunities to spring into form in Norway, the Sinquefield, and the Olympiad, but folded. While Ding struggles with confidence, I am not convinced he is entirely interested in defending his title! He needs a clear mind to defeat Gukesh, so we’ll see if he can find a switch to find some drive.
World Chess Championship 2024 Predictions and Betting Pick
Ding has the talent to beat anyone in the world at the chess table. However, chess is just as much of a mental game as it is an activity that requires skills and wit. Ding has the talent, but he does not possess the focus and mental fortitude to compete with a red-hot Gukesh right now.
Gukesh is a talent on a huge upswing, and I don’t see that slowing down anytime shortly. He has the ability, confidence, and endgame strategy now to frustrate Ding. With Ding at full strength, this would have been an interesting championship against Gukesh.
The 31-year-old defending titleholder probably bypasses Gukesh if he were fully mentally invested in this event. However, Ding is playing like a grandmaster whose mind and heart isn’t in chess anymore. It appears more like a chore for Ding to play chess than an enjoyable endeavor — whereas the opposite is true for Gukesh.
These odds aren’t the most favorable, but Gukesh should probably be a -400 to -500 favorite right now. With that in mind, a -303 price on the Indian star isn’t the worst bet you can make on offshore sportsbooks! Consider backing Gukesh for your World Chess Championship betting pick, as his meteoric rise continues in Singapore.
Who Do You Think Will Win?
Do you agree with my World Chess Championship predictions? Do you believe that Gukesh can ride this momentum after capturing the FIDE Candidates title?
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