Dev Patel, the newly-elected secretary of the All India Chess Federation (AICF), has announced that India will bid for the hosting rights of the highly anticipated World Championship clash between D. Gukesh from India and defending champion Ding Liren from China. Gukesh, at just 17 years old, became the youngest ever challenger for the world title by winning the Candidates Tournament in Toronto.
Patel, who is only 24 years old and heads the Gujarat Chess Association, expressed his confidence in India’s ability to host the best world championship possible. He emphasized the importance of making chess a popular sport in the country and stated that he will reach out to FIDE, the apex chess body, to initiate discussions on hosting the event in India.
In terms of potential venues, Patel mentioned that Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh are in contention to host the World Championship. Drawing on his experience running