SINGAPORE, Dec 11, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - In a large room separated from spectators 
by a one-way glass panel, two combatants Wednesday faced each other in a 
silent battle of cunning, calculation and patience.

World chess champion Ding Liren, 32, from China, is defending his crown 
against 18-year-old Indian prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, who is seeking to make 
history by becoming the youngest ever undisputed titleholder in the sport.

Excitement has gripped chess enthusiasts since the World Chess Championship 
duel opened in Singapore on November 25.

Hundreds of fans, locally and overseas, have flocked to a posh Singaporean 
hotel to watch the matches with players relying more on a mastery of strategy 
than brute force.

Vivaswan Damle, 29, from Pune in India took leave from his work as an 
investment advisor to fly to Singapore.

"I was expecting Gukesh to dominate but Ding has been quite strong," he told 
AFP, adding that he still expected his compatriot to win.

The score is tied at 6-6, with only two more games to go.

He praised Singapore's smooth organisation of the tournament.

"The security is good, the fan zone is good because you get to interact with 
multiple people," he said.
- 'Inspire the kids' -

Singapore, one of Asia's richest countries, outbid the Indian cities of 
Chennai and New Delhi for the right to host this year's tournament, offering 
itself as a more neutral venue.

Singaporean Preeti Aggarwal, 42, brought her eight-year-old son Aadi Singal 
to the venue on Wednesday with the boy's own chessboard.

At the fan zone, the boy laid out his chessboard and waited for a friend to 
arrive and they began playing.

"He likes to play chess, so I want to encourage him. And this is a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity for kids in Singapore to see the world champion 
competing," she told AFP.

"I'm sure this is going to inspire the kids a lot."

Other fans just lazed on beanbags and watched the match live on television 
screens, with commentary on the intricacies of the moves.

Interactive screens where fans can read information about their chess idols 
are placed around the room.

Nearby is a bigger and special room for VIPs and paying fans where they can 
watch the players through a one-way glass panel.

While no roaring crowds of thousands are present, the struggle inside the 
carpeted arena is intense. It is a battle of the mind where every move is a 
strike and every counter is a parry.

For Singaporean financial consultant and chess enthusiast Lee Peng Keong, 43, 
the tournament has exceeded expectations.

"Chess is already doing well in Singapore. But with this World Chess 
Championship, it's just going to create another level of boom," he said.

"Singapore is a very ideal platform to showcase this tournament."

He is rooting for Ding, a native of China's so-called "chess capital" of 
Wenzhou.

"It's really very exciting. There were so many draws and then all of a sudden 
there were two decisive games," Lee told AFP.