ON BOARD FOR MORE EVENTS

World body sees S'pore as 'hub' for chess tournaments, projects in the works

- Melvyn Teoh

Singapore's hosting of the Fide World Championship has been a winning move for the nation, with International Chess Federation (Fide) chief executive Emil Sutovsky noting that the hosts can be a "hub for future Fide events".

The 47-year-old said: "I like the enthusiasm and the attitude from the government, and I see that they are very serious about that (chess).

"I absolutely like how the local organising committee has been working tirelessly for several months, preparing for the event and I foresee Singapore becoming a real hub for future Fide events, not necessarily just a match, but as a top event (venue)."

In July, the Republic beat Indian cities New Delhi and Chennai for the rights to organise the Nov 25-Dec 13 world championship match between defending champion Ding Liren and challenger Gukesh Dommaraju, which the latter won on Dec 12.

It was the second time in the championship's 138-year history that the tournament was held in South-east Asia, after Baguio, the Philippines, in 1978.