Big money for each win, tiebreak tweaks for Ding-Gukesh WC match

Bengaluru: Win more games, take home a bigger prize money. The global chess body Fide has for the upcoming world championship match between Ding Liren and D Gukesh tweaked the prize fund distribution. Instead of a straightforward 60:40 split between the winner and loser (55:45 in case of a tiebreak), this time each win will be rewarded.
Of the $2.5 million prize fund, the players will receive $200,000 for each classical game they win and the remaining prize money will be split equally between them. This seems to have been done with an intent to discourage draws and incentivise decisive results. In last year’s title match between Ding and Ian Nepomniachtchi, 11 of the 14 classical games ended in draws.
Should the match be decided on a tie-break, the winner will receive $1.3 million and the runner-up $1.2 million.
“If someone wins (or loses) with a serious gap, it should be rewarded proportionally. We had the same principle introduced first in the Candidates,” Fide CEO Emil Sutovsky told HT.
The match will also see a departure from last year in tiebreak format. The 2023 match between Ding and Nepomniachtchi, which the former won in tiebreaks after scores were even following 14 classical games, provisioned for four rapid games of 25 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move. If scores remained level, a two-game blitz playoff of five minutes plus a 3-second increment per move, would have been played. The match didn’t go to blitz and an emotional Ding won it in the fourth and final game of the rapid playoff.
This time, a gradual decrease in time controls in the tiebreaks has been introduced. Four rapid games – 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move – will be followed by two more rapid games (instead of blitz) – 10 minutes plus a 5-second increment per move. If scores still remain tied, a two-minute blitz playoff of 3 minutes plus a 2-second increment per move will be played.
“We consulted both players before approving the new tiebreak format. 15+10 is commonly used for rapid format and both players opted for this one,” Sutovsky said.
While Gukesh’s primary strength is classical chess, Ding was ranked No.1 in the world in rapid chess with a rating of 2830, in July last year. The Chinese GM currently sits two spots lower. Gukesh, who doesn’t play rapid and blitz often enough, is ranked much lower. Their recent classical encounter at the Sinquefield Cup, billed as a prelude to their match, ended in a draw. Gukesh drew all his games at St Louis, finishing tied fifth. Ding, who has been struggling since his title win in 2023, appeared to be in better shape than in his previous tournaments this year and ended tied eighth in the 10-player field.
Which version of Ding will show up to defend his world title in Singapore remains to be seen. However, of the two, Gukesh perhaps has more reason to push for the match to be completed within the stipulated 14 classical games. What the Indian teen has shown through his performance in the Candidates, however, is his ability to thrive and deliver under pressure.