The match for the chess crown is scheduled for the spring of 2023. Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi will compete for the world title for the second time in December 2021, who could not control his nerves and lost to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen with a score of 3.5: 7.5. Title since 2013. Nepomniachtchi earned the right to take revenge by winning the Candidates’ Tournament. He scored 9.5 points and became the first chess player in history to win this competition twice in a row.
However, shortly after Nepomniachtchi’s victory in Madrid, Carlsen announced his retirement for the chess crown. Overall, the decision was not sudden – 19-year-old Norwegian, Iranian-French grandmaster Alireza Firouzja has already said that if she doesn’t win the Candidates’ Tournament, she might refuse to play. But he could not win the victory, completely occupied the last place.
On July 20, Carlsen announced that he had informed Nepomniachtchi of his refusal. The Russian chess player admitted that this news was a disappointment to him.
“For me personally, it was quite disappointing and upsetting. Maybe he felt like a hostage to the situation,” chess24 quotes Nepomniachtchi.
Peter Heine Nielsen, the head coach of the reigning world chess champion, criticized the championship game and stated that it was boring in many ways.
“It is sad for the chess community that we have a world champion who considers playing in such a tournament as a sad event. A World Cup match is boring in many ways. It takes at least half a year to prepare and in many games you only play one opponent.
Not the most fun way to play. The World Cup has turned into an arms race where creativity gets out of control. Magnus doesn’t think it’s funny,” says the NRK expert.
In a comment to socialbites.ca, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Chess Federation, Sergey Smagin, noted the importance of the title of world champion, emphasizing that a title-holder player must abide by the existing rules.
“No matter how great a champion is, they all belong to a certain category of history that fate and skill have allowed them to occupy according to the rules they’ve been played by for centuries. One of the main tasks of a world champion is to comply with these rules in every possible way, to raise the championship title, to increase its importance.
Regardless, no excuse should hide the fact that a world champion is much more than the best player on the planet. This is a kind of sign that everyone is drawn to him, trying to get into a match with him, trying to beat him. This creates a certain halo, excitement and the prize money in any other tournament cannot be compared to those in the world championship.
It doesn’t matter to me that Carlsen or his entourage justifies leaving the game. It seems to me that if the prize fund is higher than last time, then Carlsen will change his attitude towards the match many times,” Smagin said.
The new rival of the Russian grandmaster was Chinese chess player Ding Liren, who came second in the Candidates’ Tournament. It is worth noting that earlier, if one of the opponents refused a match for the chess crown, the latter became the world champion without a fight – for example, Robert Fischer in 1975, together with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) after long negotiations, got the status of world champion against rival Anatoly Karpov. refused to fight. The Soviet grandmaster later took the title of world champion and held it for ten years. However, the rules have changed and now the chess crown match is still being held, the chess player who has withdrawn is replaced by the chess player who placed second in the Candidates’ Tournament.
Commenting on Carlsen’s refusal to play the match, Karpov noted that it would be premature to say before the official document that the Norwegian chess player will definitely not play in the duel.
“Did Carlsen send an official document? i think he is a good student [Роберта] Fisherman. And these explanations are just to raise the risks. I’m sure they have very good advisers. Although there is no official document on the refusal, I do not want to talk about the meeting between Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren, ”RIA Novosti quotes Karpov.
Nepomniachtchi first defeated an opponent from China with black in the Candidates’ Tournament, drawing the game with White in less than an hour in the eighth round. Confessing that he was happy to compete for the chess crown after Carlsen’s decision, Liren noted that he understood the Norwegian chess player’s decision.
“I have mixed feelings but I am very happy to be competing for the crown next year. I knew Carlsen had his doubts but I still thought he would defend the title. But I understand his decision. The title of world champion comes with a burden of responsibility, you have to deal with a lot of things.
It’s not an ideal situation where the best player doesn’t defend their title, and it’s not good for you to create your own organization.
The best option for the fans is when the best players battle each other for the championship and Magnus has of course been the best for years. We’ve entered a new era,” said Liren by chess.com.
Nepomniachtchi also expressed confidence that the chess crown will not lose its importance due to Carlsen’s refusal, and also expressed his respect for the new opponent.
“I think the match remains just as valuable. It’s still a fight for the world title. And I’ll say it again: I greatly appreciate Ding Liren’s gaming qualities. I won’t say it’s weaker than Magnus in terms of gameplay. Magnus is of course incredible and that sets him apart, but Ding is an absolutely outstanding player,” Nepomniachtchi said in a video posted on the Grand Chess Tour website.
Smagin evaluated Nepomniachtchi’s chances in the chess crown match with Liren and expressed the view that Carlsen’s decision to abandon this duel may have been influenced by the Russian grandmaster’s getting in very good shape.
“The chance of Nepomniachtchi to match Liren? At least not worse, and maybe a little better The fact that Ian has improved a lot and hasn’t disbanded may also influence Carlsen’s decision. He understands that you can’t just get out and do good, quality work. Yang’s Liren “I’m optimistic about his chances,” he said.
Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin, who won the Candidates’ Tournament in 2016 but later lost to Norway in the title match, has expressed doubts about the Liren.
“What’s next? If everything stays as it is, then the match between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren. Nepomniachtchi won that right. As for the Chinese chess player who came in second in the Candidates’ Tournament… There are questions here. Serious,” Rossiyskaya Gazeta quoted Karyakin .