When does it start? Who’s tipped to win? And why isn’t Magnus Carlsen playing? We (mostly) have the answers

China’s Ding Liren is defending the world chess championship against fast-rising Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju over the next three weeks in Singapore. It’s the first time in the 138-year history of world championship matchplay that two men from Asia will compete for the sport’s most prestigious title.

But is that all you really need to know? What about the format, how much they’re getting paid and why the world No 1 is watching from the sidelines? Read on for all the answers …