He used to be overoptimistic, a trait he shared with Efim Bogolyubov, who twice lost world title matches to Alexander Alekhine, but claims to have also corrected that weakness. He used to be the least hard-working GM in the top 20, but approaching his 30th birthday he felt he had achieved little, so adopted a more serious approach. Nepomniachtchi is a late developer at the highest levels, attributing an improvement in mindset for changing from a gifted but inconsistent player into a true contender for the crown. Zhores’s main function is for scientific research into machine learning and artificial intelligence. Before and during his Candidates victories and his match with Carlsen, he had access to the Zhores supercomputer, based in Moscow’s Skolkovo Institute of Technology, which helped him and his team evaluate opening positions and thus secure an early advantage on the board. The Russian probably has the edge in opening preparation. Nepomniachtchi’s career also shows moments of what the commentator and former Fide champion, Alexander Khalifman, calls “ mental instability in extreme situations: – if something suddenly goes wrong, both can falter and crumble” We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. For more information see our Privacy Policy. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. He qualified again in 2022 after tournaments and matches were controversially organised for him at short notice to preserve his rating, and only reached second place in the final rounds. He had finished fourth without loss at the 2018 Candidates but only tied fifth in 2020-21 where he had to quarantine for two weeks before the start. However, Ding was caught up in prolonged lockdowns in his home city of Wenzhou where he lived with his parents, and that affected his results when he resumed playing. Earlier, he had taken a law degree at Peking University before breaking into the world top 10 at age 22. In their career classical games to date, Nepomniachtchi leads Ding 3-2, with eight draws.ĭing would have been favourite on his pre-pandemic form up to 2019, as he was impeccably solid and had a run of 100 games unbeaten in 2017-18, a record up to that time but since surpassed by Carlsen’s 125. Both Vasily Smyslov, in 1954-57, and Boris Spassky, in 1966-69, won the title at their second attempts. Negative experiences in world championships can still be useful. This reflects Nepomniachtchi’s victories in two Candidates tournaments and his previous experience in his 2021 match against Carlsen, where he had a slight edge in the first five games before collapsing after his defeat in the marathon sixth. The Russian is the slight favourite, quoted around 4-5 by online bookmakers, with Ding at corresponding odds against. Just a single line of play with Black’s replies forced, but you will do well to find it in under five minutes. Significantly, Ding has not chosen a compatriot, while neither protagonist has opted for a full posse of helpers like Carlsen did.ģ862 White mates in three moves (by Fritz Giegold, 1975). Their seconds have been revealed as Romania’s world No 13 Richard Rapport for Ding, and regular aide world No 25 Nikita Vitiugov for Nepomniachtchi. Both players are staying in the same hotel, the first time this has happened in a world championship since 2014. Nepomniachtchi got White, and made the laconic comment “White is not bad, Black is also good”. Karpov overcame it within a year or two, aided by Fischer’s complete withdrawal and his own tournament successes.įor the Astana winner, the problem will be accentuated by Kasparov’s calling the series an “ amputated event … because it does not include the strongest player on the planet.” Of the 48 previous world championship matches starting with Wilhelm Steinitz v Johannes Zukertort in 1886, no more than two or three were without the then world No 1.įriday’s opening ceremony featured the drawing of lots for colour in the first game. Whoever wins between Nepomniachtchi and Ding will face a credibility test similar to Anatoly Karpov when Fischer resigned the Fide title in 1975. Agony for Magnus and a fist-pump for Hikaru as a mouse-slip decides a huge Armageddon battle! #ChessableMasters #ChessChamps /jXrQmeDbYE- April 6, 2023Ĭarlsen is scheduled to play over-the-board in the Grand Chess Tour rapid and blitz in Warsaw in May and Zagreb in July, and in his home tournament Norway Chess at Stavanger in May-June.
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