Both are currently competing in the 45th Chess Olympiad and the Indian team is on a winning streak of five consecutive times.
The quartet of Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi and Arjun Erigaise currently sit at the top spot alongside Liren’s China and hosts Hungary.
“I see my opponent (Gukesh) playing very well in this tournament. He might be the favourite in the World Championship match. Moreover, he has a higher rating than me,” Liren said in an interaction with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in the mixed zone of the tournament.
“I’ve dropped a lot since last year, but I’ll fight as best I can to try to overcome the rating gap,” he added in a rather candid admission.
The 31-year-old is the highest-rated chess player of all time and won the world crown in May last year after defeating Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.
After that, he took a break from the game due to his struggle with depression. Liren returned to action earlier this year at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, where he finished ninth in the event.
Gukesh won the Candidates tournament in April and became the youngest challenger for the world title at the age of 17. He turned 18 in May.
The two will meet in Singapore from November 20 to December 15 for the coveted title and a cash prize of $2.5 million.
If the teenager triumphs, he will become the first Indian to claim the title after the great Viswanathan Anand. Anand won the crown five times in his illustrious career.
Gukesh has been quite cautious about his plans for the World Championship and here too, when asked about the match against Liren, the Indian chose to keep his cards under wraps.
“…this is an important tournament. I’m looking forward to playing a good game of chess. My goal right now is the Olympiad,” he said.
Liren, meanwhile, also spoke about the possibility of India and China being locked in a tight battle for the gold medal in the 11-round Olympiad with the team with the most points emerging victorious.
“We are two very strong teams. We have a chance to fight for the gold medal,” he said.
Gukesh, meanwhile, said that all the participating teams are strong, according to his assessment. The Olympiad has 196 teams in the open section (men) and 184 in the women’s competition.
“All the countries are strong, we have to come every day with the right spirit… We have a good mood in the team, it’s fun,” said the reluctant youngster from Chennai.
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