2021 FIDE World Champs Carlsen vs Nepomniachtchi. Dubai Nov 24 - Dec 16

[Garvinator]

2021 FIDE World Champs Carlsen vs Nepomniachtchi. Dubai Nov 24 - Dec 16

[Garvinator]

Hopefully I have the poll correct this time.

[Ian Rout]

Apparently Nepo will not be allowed to play under the Russian flag due to the doping sanctions:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/nepo...-flag-wada-ban

I expect he will cope with that. Better to get it sorted now than after the match starts:

https://www.insidethegames.biz/artic...ps-russia-flag

[Garvinator]

Apparently Nepo will not be allowed to play under the Russian flag due to the doping sanctions:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/nepo...-flag-wada-ban

I expect he will cope with that. Better to get it sorted now than after the match starts:

https://www.insidethegames.biz/artic...ps-russia-flag

This has been common across all sports where Russian athletes have been competing in World Championships or Olympics. The athletes can still compete if they can prove they have been 'clean', but are not allowed to compete under the Russian flag. Instead they are represented by the International Neutral Flag for that sport.

Therefore, Nepo will compete under the Fide flag.

[ER]

Hopefully I have the poll correct this time.

You did a fine job Garvo, thanks!

[Garvinator]

You did a fine job Garvo, thanks!

If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try, try and then try again!

[Metro]

The match is less than 2 months away now and Magnus has completed 3 games in the European Club Cup.He played for Offerspill Chess Club.
https://chess-results.com/tnr579298....&flag=30&snr=8

[Desmond]

Anand will be one of the official commentators for the match.
https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/ot...mpionship.html

[Desmond]

I quite enjoyed this preview by GM Ben Finegold. (57 mins)

[Garvinator]

Match begins in just over two weeks. Time to get your votes in for this match. Match starts November 26th.

[ER]

World Championship games will be starting at 1.30pm CET
Melbourne VIC is 10 hours ahead of Central European Time!

[Desmond]

lulz

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/car...t-fabi-or-ding

... The World Champion, who has reigned since 2013 and been the world no. 1 consecutively since 2011, doesn't think Nepomniachtchi would have won the Candidates if the event hadn't been split in two.

Because he lost the last game in the first half of the tournament. He rarely plays well after having lost. Now he managed it eventually and has started to become more pragmatic.

Carlsen says he considers Nepomniachtchi, the world no. 5, to be “a wild card” and still thinks the no. 3 Fabiano Caruana and no. 2 Ding Liren would pose a bigger challenge for him.

I would say they are the best. I thought beforehand that anyone else would be a good outcome for me, and I still feel that way.

...

[MichaelBaron]

lulz

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/car...t-fabi-or-ding

Nepo can be quite dangerous though if Magnus is out of form as he is not scared of the Norweigian and ready to fight. Also, he is reciving a lot of financial support to arrange coaching and preparation - something some other potential winners would not be able to secure.

[Frank]

lulz

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/car...t-fabi-or-ding

And a further titbit from the same article, on how Carlsen prepares for an opponent:

Not going into details, he says it's about looking into what type of pawn structures his opponent prefers and how he plays open or closed positions.

[Garvinator]

In the poll, Michael I clearly does not think much of Nepo's chances