SM Teo Chee Hean at the 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship

Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Chess Federation,

Minister Edwin Tong

Excellencies,

Dear guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very warm welcome to Singapore and a good evening. This year, Singapore is honored to host the FIDE World Chess Championship. This is only the second time that the World Chess Championship has been held in Southeast Asia; the first was in Baguio, Philippines in 1978.

We enjoy working with our international partners to serve as a venue for world-class sporting events. There have been a number of innovations in sports fraternity here in Singapore. The first Youth Olympic Games were held in 2010 in Singapore, the World Table Tennis Singapore Smash, and last year the very first Olympic Esports Week, which also included online chess.

This year's championship has special significance for our part of the world. It is the first ever between two grandmasters from Asia and we are all looking forward to it. The reigning world champion, grandmaster Ding Liren from China, and his challenger, grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju from India. Singapore is proud to host this historic competition.

Chess is attractive for many reasons.

While most sports push athletes' physical limits, a mind sport like chess develops mental tenacity, strategic thinking and discipline. These are valuable qualities that transcend all forms of sport. It's no coincidence that Singaporean athletes like Olympic medalist kitefoiler Max Maeder and professional footballer Danelle Tan are avid chess players.

Chess is also an inclusive sport. At a recent para-chess event in Singapore, Grandmaster Thomas Luther of Germany shared how chess helped him overcome challenges as a person with a disability. I should add that, with the encouragement of President Arkady, our Singapore Prison Service introduced a chess program last year as part of the rehabilitation program for our prisoners. More than 50 inmates have participated in this program as part of their rehabilitation. And with the support and encouragement of President Arkady, several prisoners took part last month in the Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners, organized by FIDE.

With nothing more than a board and thirty-two pieces, individuals of all ages and levels can participate in games of complex strategy and creativity.

The global popularity of chess also extends to Singapore. 1,600 students from more than 200 schools took part in our National Schools Individual Chess Championship this year. The number of chess community interest groups is also growing here. This includes the bustling Aliwal Chess Club on Aliwal Street, where games are accessible to beginners and experts alike.

Singapore's young chess players have also made their mark internationally. Earlier this year, eight-year-old Ashwath Kaushik became the youngest player to defeat a chess grandmaster in classical chess. Singapore's fifth and youngest grandmaster, Siddharth Jagadeesh, is only seventeen. And 23-year-old Tin Jingyao recently took second place at the Teplice Open in the Czech Republic.

World-class sporting events such as the FIDE World Chess Championship stimulate the development of our local chess scene. They provide opportunities for our community to see the world's best in action, fueling interest in chess in Singapore and inspiring our next generation of players.

I, like all of you and all chess enthusiasts around the world, look forward to the exciting match ahead, and wish both reigning champion Liren and challenger Gukesh all the best for their games. My congratulations also to the International Chess Federation as you celebrate the important milestone of your 100th anniversary this year!

Thank you all very much for your attendance and we look forward to the wonderful match ahead.