World Chess Championship 2013
World Chess Championship 2013FIDE

Defending champion Viswanathan Anand takes on challenger Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the 2013 World Chess Championship that begins on Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chennai.

The clash between five-time champion Anand and 22-year-old world no.1 Carlsen has been one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year, with comparisons drawn to the historic meeting between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky back in 1972.

Anand will start with black pieces in the first game, and if he wins the tournament, the 43-year-old will be considered alongside Garry Kasparov as the most successful world champion in modern day chess.

Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko joined Krishnan Sasikiran, Sandipan Chanda and regular 'second' Radoslav Wojtaszek in Anand's team, while Carlsen has declined to reveal his seconds, though it is understood that the list includes Norwegian Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Hammer.

Experts are divided over who will walk away with the title but Carlsen has emerged as the slight favourite.

Schedule

The matches will take place in Chennai from 9 to 28 November. 12 classical games are scheduled, each starting at 3 pm IST. There will be rest days after games 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11. If the match remains tied after the 12th game on 26 November, tie-break games will be played on the 28th.

Where to Watch Live

Game 1 starts at 3pm Saturday. Click here to watch the action live on the official FIDE website. Click here to follow the game live.