Chess Betting Odds: Ding Liren is the 8/13 favourite to win the 2023 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP up against Ian Nepomniachtchi after Magnus Carlsen decided to not defend title!

Chinese Chess grandmaster Ding Liren is the bookies favourite to win next year's World Chess Championship.

Liren will face off against Ian Nepomniachtchi after the latter won the Candidates Tournament just ahead of Liren.

Despite this, it's World No.2 Liren who is just about the favourite with Paddy Power to win the Championship at odds of 8/13.

Nepomniachtchi on the other hand is 5/4 to win the World Championship with the exact date yet to be decided.

Current World Champion Magnus Carlsen will not be defending his World Championship this year, having abdicated his title.

Carlsen cited a lack of motivation as his reason for not playing in the World Championship match next year.

The Norwegian Chess grandmaster has been the undisputed World Champion since 2013 and next year will end a decade of dominance.

Hans Niemann was accused of cheating by the World Champion Magnus Carlsen after the two played each other in early September.

Carlsen dropped out of that tournament straight after losing to Niemann with cheating accusations slowly building then.

The 19 year old 'likely cheated' more than 100 times according to a recent report and this has caused widespread popularity and scandal for the chess scene.

It's 10/1 that Niemann is caught cheating at next year's US Open Championship with bookies saying there's a 9.1% chance it happens.