Candidates Tournament winner Ian Nepomniachtchi, a Russian player competing under a neutral FIDE flag because of the war in Ukraine, is set to face the runner-up Ding Liren of China in Kazakhstan's capital after Norway's Magnus Carlsen opted not to defend his title.

Play is due to start on Sunday (April 9), and artificial intelligence was used to help determine the colours for the first game, with Nepomniachtchi set to be using the white pieces at the St Regis Hotel and Ding the black.

The Opening Ceremony at Astana Ballet Hall also featured performances by the Astana Ballet Orchestra, a speech from Kazakhstan's Minister of Culture and Sports Askhat Oralov and a letter from the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in which he claimed the World Championship Match would "give a big boost to chess development in our country".

The Kazakhstan national anthem was followed by a traditional Asem Konyr dance.

Dvorkovich, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia then addressed the Opening Ceremony.

"This is the beautiful prize that the two best players will fight for to become the next world chess champion," he said.

"For both of them, this is an event they've been waiting for all their lives.

"It's going to be very competitive.

"They'll give all the talent and the skills to win it.

"I am confident that millions of spectators all around the world will enjoy this event, but through it, will also discover how chess makes people fight for something important.

"I hope that this event will give motivation for millions of kids to play chess, to use chess as a tool to improve themselves, to be better people and to make the world a better place."

The FIDE World Championship Match is due to involve 14 games and is set to run until May 1.