Ananya Lohia , Chennai - Reigning World Champion D Gukesh has said that defending his title in India would be “super cool” as the bidding window for the upcoming World Chess Championship nears its deadline. The Indian grandmaster will face Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov in the championship match scheduled later this year.

Speaking ahead of the opening round of Norway Chess in Oslo, Gukesh said hosting the World Championship in India would bring huge excitement and energy around the sport. Reports suggest the Tamil Nadu government is preparing a bid for the event, which FIDE plans to hold between November 23 and December 17. Despite Gukesh’s enthusiasm, several former champions have spoken about the intense pressure of competing for the world title at home. Magnus Carlsen had previously opposed hosting his championship match in Norway, while Viswanathan Anand admitted he was uncomfortable playing the 2013 World Championship in Chennai. Interestingly, that very event inspired a young Gukesh to dream of becoming world champion. Gukesh also confirmed that he will participate in the upcoming Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan, where India will defend its double gold medals. He added that he is considering playing more classical tournaments before starting preparations for his world title defence.

As India pushes to bring the World Chess Championship home, Gukesh appears ready to embrace both the excitement and pressure of defending his crown in front of Indian fans. The young champion’s participation in upcoming tournaments will also be closely watched ahead of his much-anticipated title clash later this year.