Ian Nepomniachtchi challenges world chess champion Magnus Carlsen: Greetings from childhood

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Ian Nepomniachtchi: "A huge milestone in my life"

Photo: Pavel Lisitsyn / picture alliance / dpa / Sputnik

The exertions of this extraordinary tournament were clearly visible to Ian Nepomniachtchi.

The Russian had just won the very important Candidates Tournament prematurely, so from November he will challenge world chess champion Magnus Carlsen in Dubai.

But neither cheers nor a carefree laugh could be seen during the live stream of the press conference.

With a neatly tied bun in his hair, a dark jacket, white shirt and a tired face, the 30-year-old sat and talked about his greatest success to date.

"It's a huge milestone in my career and maybe in my life too," he said.

The candidates tournament was interrupted in spring 2020 due to the corona crisis after the first half.

Nepomniachtchi had to wait a year to start the second half as the leader.

"The pressure was very big," he said.

So big that at the beginning he could hardly sleep.

But Nepo, as they call him, fought his way through, defended his lead, won five games so far - more than anyone else - and is already the winner before the tournament ends on Tuesday.

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Nepomniachtchi: too fickle, too sensitive?

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via www.imago-images.de / imago images / Xinhua

Nepomniachtchi was actually not one of the top favorites.

He was considered too fickle, too inconsistent and too sensitive.

In the big tournaments he often made unnecessary mistakes that cost him trophies and nurtured a reputation as a sloppy talent.

World champion Carlsen also hit the same note when he spoke about Nepomniachtchi at “chess24” a few days ago: “He's a player who used to be very influenced by his mood.

And that's what throws him back. ”In joint training sessions, the Russian played equal on one day and then lost seven or eight games in a row on another day.

Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi have known each other since childhood.

Back then, the Russian often had the upper hand - and inflicted a painful defeat on Carlsen: In 2002 Nepomniachtchi was U12 world champion, ahead of Carlsen with the same points.

But careers turned out differently than it had suggested.

It was Carlsen who soon played better and enjoyed greater success.

The rivalry turned into friendship.

In 2012, Carlsen brought Nepomniachtchi into his team as a second.

He raved about being able to work for the new chess star.

A year later, Carlsen won the world championship with the help of his childhood friend.

It would be a certain irony if he of all people were to take the title from Carlsen again.

At the Candidates Tournament, he proved that Nepomniachtchi has what it takes.

Contrary to the fears, the grandmaster didn’t make a mistake this time, the big break-in did not materialize.

He himself believes that his success is also due to the fact that he has changed his attitude towards chess.

He's working a lot more on his game than he was five or ten years ago, according to Nepomniachtchi.

"A few years ago I thought I was a professional chess player," he said: "But I've never worked like a real professional." Too much time was spent on hobbies: He is enthusiastic about the computer games DotA and Hearthstone.

But now Nepomniachtchi is concentrating more on chess.

"He's one of those who can play me out"

His style differs from Carlsen's game idea.

The Russian likes complex positions on the board, he is considered to be extremely tactical.

Carlsen's strength lies in keeping the game simple and making the most of small advantages.

"Playing against Ian has always been an interesting experience for me for years," said the world champion. "He's one of the people who can play me out.

Different styles collide. "

Carlsen will definitely not underestimate his opponent, especially since his challenger is one of the few players in the world who has a positive record against the world champion.

Nepomniachtchi leads with four wins, but they were a few years ago.

Carlsen, on the other hand, last won in 2019.

But maybe the balance sheet is a factor that unsettles Carlsen a little.

His self-confidence is already cracked because of his form crisis.

At the traditional tournament in Wijk aan Zee, he only finished sixth at the beginning of the year, and it is possible that he did not succeed in switching from the digital to the classic variant.

Until the World Cup, which begins at the end of November, the world number one will continue to play more online than on the board.

That could be Nepomniachtchi's advantage.

Because he is just getting into the rhythm of the classic game.

But first of all he needs a break.

When asked what he would do after the Candidates Tournament, the tired grandmaster said: The most important thing is to go home and get enough sleep.