Context:
Gukesh Dommaraju of India defeated Ding Liren of China in the 2024 World Chess Championship.
World Chess Championship:
- Organised by – International Chess Federation (FIDE)
- Held every 2 years
- Features the defending World Champion and the Challenger
- Challenger is chosen through a qualification process called Candidates Tournament, which includes 8 of the world’s top players.
- Consist of 14 games.
- The player who scores 7.5 points or more wins the Match
- 1st recognized world championship was held in 1886 between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort.
- 2024 Championship – Held in Sentosa island in Singapore
- Notable Champions –
- Emanuel Lasker: Held the title for 27 years, the longest in history.
- Magnus Carlsen: Held the title from 2013 to 2023.
- Gukesh Dommaraju: Became the youngest-ever world champion at 18.
International Chess Federation (FIDE)
- Governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions.
- Formation: Established in 1924 (Paris, France).
- Constituted as a non-governmental institution
- Functions –
- Organizes the World Chess Championship and other major international chess tournaments.
- Maintains the Elo rating system to rank chess players globally.
- Sets the rules and regulations for international chess competitions.
- Promotes the development of chess worldwide, including educational programs and support for national chess federations.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements in respect of the 44th Chess Olympiad, 2022:
1. It was the first time that the Chess Olympiad was held in India.
2. The official mascot was named ‘Thambi’.
3. The trophy for the winning team in the open section is the Vera Menchik Cup.
4. The trophy for the winning team in the women’s section is the Hamilton-Russell Cup.
How many of the statements given above are correct? [UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Answer: b
Explanation:
The 44th Chess Olympiad was hosted in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, marking the first time the event was held in India.
The mascot was named Thambi, meaning “younger brother” in Tamil, reflecting the local culture.
The trophy for the open section is the Hamilton-Russell Cup, not the Vera Menchik Cup
The trophy for the women’s section is the Vera Menchik Cup, named after the first Women’s World Chess Champion.