Nepo waits to recharge for an additional shot at world chess title

Nepo waits to recharge for an additional shot at world chess title [ad_1]

If Ian Nepomniachtchi ends his profession with out ever successful the classical World Chess Championship title, he's more likely to look again on his successive defeats in 2021 and 2023 with utter disappointment. Although he was outplayed by Norwegian Magnus Carlsen to win his fifth world title two years in the past, the Russian’s loss to China’s Ding Liren was a case of Nepomniachtchi squandering successful positions in Astana, Kazakhstan. After a three-week roller-coaster experience that concerned 14 classical video games and a tie-break of 4 fast video games, the 32-year-old was drained and devastated.

Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi, proper, and China's Ding Liren play throughout their tiebreaker of FIDE World Chess Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, Sunday, April 30, 2023. (AP Photograph/Stanislav Filippov)(AP)

Virtually two months because the match, the world No.4 likens his slim defeat to a group dropping a penalty shootout in soccer. “I don’t know a lot about cricket. However this may very well be in comparison with soccer, which I observe quite a bit,” Nepo stated on Tuesday. “While you go to a penalty shootout, something can occur. Being in my footwear, gamers ought to use not less than one of many possibilities. I had sufficient alternatives, however that is sport. Even if you happen to play higher total, it's generally nonetheless not sufficient to win and ship when needed.”

Days after the World Chess Championship match ended, Nepo entered the Superbet Traditional in Bucharest — a event he would have ideally skipped however couldn’t. After a month-long break, he's now enjoying for Balan Alaskan Knights within the inaugural World Chess League in Dubai. With the 2024 Candidates event scheduled to be held in Canada subsequent April, does Nepomniachtchi have the drive to problem Ding for the title?

“I'm, after all, very motivated, however I nonetheless want a while to in all probability recharge. After roughly half a yr of preparation, which ended with one month of enjoying in irritating situations, you want a while. It's nearly two months because the match is over, however I had an pointless event in Bucharest. My subsequent large event is the World Cup in Baku. I actually hope by that point, I can be hungry to play some good chess.”

To have a shot on the title once more, Nepomniachtchi should work on all elements of his chess. “I feel I needs to be extra targeted on my subsequent tournaments. It's not the primary time I missed one thing in a chess recreation. Alas, it received’t be the final time. I'm simply attempting to maintain up the work and attempting to enhance in all elements. So long as I'm a chess participant nonetheless chasing the title, I suppose I shouldn’t be too targeted on the previous.”

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