Magnus Carlsen and Russia’s number 1 Ian Nepomniachtchi set up a repeat of their world title battle in the Airthings Masters final on a day overshadowed by outside events.
Nepo was among three Russians who had made it through to the last four of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event before their country’s invasion of Ukraine overnight. Despite the turmoil, all three expressed the desire to continue in the competition. However, it was clear world events had affected them.
There was a sombre mood among all the players as Nepo finished his quarter-final against his fellow Russian, the 19-year-old Andrey Esipenko. In chess terms, he did it with a flourish, but there was little celebration.
Ian, appearing from his home in Moscow, said his play was “very, very bad because I can’t think”. He added that he had to “just rely on intuition”.
“Every day is a challenge, and today, yes, I would say especially.”
Carlsen, meanwhile, had a dream start with two wins against Vladislav Artemiev and then secured the draw he needed to go through. Artemiev barely had a chance.
Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi now face each other again after their World Championship match in Dubai, which Carlsen won.
Carlsen said he’d also been following world events and described himself as a “concerned bystander”.
Full coverage with commentary is available on chess24.com/tour/ and chess24’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
For further comments, contact:
Leon Watson – leon@championschesstour.com
About the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour
The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide, determining the world’s best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com, with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.5 million. For more information, visit www.championschesstour.com.
About Play Magnus Group
Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market-leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group’s mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG.
