Duel for the title of world champion, a fight outside of chess

The duel for the chess crown returns this Sunday, with the tenth game of the World Championship. facing, Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi and Chinese Ding Liren. After nine chapters, the Russian leads. A contentious fight, with moments of good chess, but also unfathomable mistakes, which show that there is life beyond the current champion, the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen.

The World Cup started with a draw. Nepo won the first game in the second game with black’s move. Ding stabilized the duel with another draw. The Chinese rallied in the fourth, against a visibly nervous Russian. A situation that turned around in the fifth, again in the lead. Ding restored the tie in the sixth. An outstanding defense miraculously saved Nepo in the seventh, with 37 moves. The tables came in eighth and ninth place. 5-4 for the Russian before the tenth, out of the maximum 14, that he will play today.

The tables of nine were forged in almost six hours, the longest of those contested so far. The Russian grandmaster took one step to the title, and now two and a half points separate him from becoming the new world champion. In the meantime, the Chinese Ding Liren persistently defended himself, who will look for his chance today in the tenth round.

whims

Dylan and the hotel change. After a hard-fought eighth round, both players seemed to slow down in the ninth, despite spending nearly six hours in front of the board. Nepomniachtchi, playing white, attacked on the kingside and sacrificed a pawn in his offensive initiative. Today, white will be for Dingo. The Chinese grandmaster has never played for such an important title and, despite his experience, the pressure of the eyes of the whole country on him could play him. Added to this is the breakup with his partner, which caused him great emotional instability, as he himself recognized. After the fifth game, taking advantage of a rest day, he decided to change the hotel, to the same one where the World Cup is being played, because he considered it “too luxurious”, and he was also bothered by the Russian presence and classic suspicions of espionage. In addition, he asked his parents to travel from China to accompany him. The fifth defeat took its toll, but changes, and listening they blow in the wind, by Bob Dylan, helped lift his spirits. So much so that he won in the sixth.

against invasion

“Stop the war.” Nepo has the lead but will have to fight hard to get to the 2.5 points he needs for the title, although he doesn’t seem to lack courage. The Jedi, as his followers call him, is at the head of a signed document sent by Russia’s top teachers to President Vladimir Putin, directly asking him to: “Stop the war.” Several signatories preferred to leave the country before facing retribution, while Nepo chose to stay and, thanks to people from the upper echelons of Russian society, does so without retribution despite denying the conflict. Being famous protects him, and if he became world champion again it would be even more so.

Time management

Ding’s weak spot. By the seventh game, Ding was in charge. He kept it in check until poor clock management left him winless. The World Cup has more time than other elite tournaments. In the World Cup, players have 90 minutes for the first 40 moves and 30 minutes for the rest. In classical chess, it is usual to make the first moves by heart. Something Ding is completely against, convinced that his understanding of the game is much deeper than that of his opponent, who is better known for his striking attacks and less talented in other moves. For this reason, the Chinese wants his opponent to have to think quickly, preventing him from playing by heart.

The problem with this system is that it also makes him think faster. That happened to him in the seventh game. Ding panicked when he had the game under control, and the mere thought of losing in time blocked him. He lost control of himself. Ding is capable of deploying the French defense and, at the same time, not ending the match with a flop with piquancy.

rest rooms

Empty stage. Concentration is the basis of the game. However, at this World Cup, the amount of time the playing stage is empty is incredible. Both players spend little time in the game room, as both Ding and Nepo have retreated to their private rooms, waiting for their opponent to make their move. There you can eat, drink and escape from the pressure of the squares, but for the spectators the show is dull. It is forbidden for Nepo and Ding to talk to anyone during the game. Also, yelling is highly frowned upon, even in their locker rooms, where remote-controlled cameras are installed.

Requirements

Nep’s cook. After losing at the World Championship in Dubai to Magnus Carlsen, Nepo doesn’t want anything to distract him, change his routine or affect his style of play. This led him not to lose his care in Astana, raising his demands to unimagined limits. That’s why he brought in his own chef. No one knows your tastes better.