World Championship 2023

[Hans Jung]

Game 9 Exciting chess in the middlegame but by move 40 white had won a pawn. Going into the endgame it became clear that Ding was fighting for a draw.

[Hans Jung]

Game 9 Ding holds the draw. A big moment but the match has been full of big moments. At move 44 I thought Nxf5 should be played and that the position could have been massaged for a win by Nepo. However I will leave that for the experts to decide. I hope the good endgame doctor Karsten Mueller weighs in on this endgame. Anyways the match is still close and there remains much exciting chess to be played.

[Hans Jung]

Game 10 was a draw. The opening didnt hold much hope for advantage. Simplification happened quickly.

[Fred Henderson]

hmmm.....,

Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Carlsen, Nepomniachtchi.

Will `the eventual champion's term be shortened to fill Carlsen's remaining term?

Is there any great ones looming on the horizon to resume the tradition? coming soon I hope.

Thanks for the updates, Hans.

[Peter McKillop]

hmmm.....,

Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Carlsen, Nepomniachtchi.

Will `the eventual champion's term be shortened to fill Carlsen's remaining term?

Is there any great ones looming on the horizon to resume the tradition? coming soon I hope.

Thanks for the updates, Hans.

Don't forget Kramnik. IMO Nepo (or Ding) won't be champ until they've beaten Carlsen or Carlsen officially resigns.

[Fred Henderson]

I hadn't forgotten Kramnik. I would compare him to Nepo. Significantly lower stature. Let's call it a dip in the trend. They keep getting better. Perhaps as much chance of a 3000 human as a rwo-hour marathoner?

I should have included a sad face after Nepo. :(

[Hans Jung]

Game 11 draw quickly trading into a rook and pawn endgame.

[Hans Jung]

Kramnik totally worthy. He beat Kasparov with a perfect score and totally dominated him. That alone makes him worthy.

[David Ottosen]

hmmm.....,

Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Carlsen, Nepomniachtchi.

Will `the eventual champion's term be shortened to fill Carlsen's remaining term?

Is there any great ones looming on the horizon to resume the tradition? coming soon I hope.

Thanks for the updates, Hans.

The lineage is Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand, Carlsen, and it stops there until someone beats Carlsen or Carlsen stops playing chess permanently.

This glorified exhibition match is not a world championship and won't be remembered as such.

[Hans Jung]

It is what it is. We can only hope eventually there will be a match between Magnus and whoever wins or that a new super player shows up and takes over.

[Marc Andre Beaudry]

After 5 WC match 2 with Anand, Karjakin, Fabiano and Nepo, and being number since 2010, Magnus was tired of the format and relinquished the title. But the world doesn't end there, Nepo and Ding duly qualified and are both highly skilled and competent players. This match is exciting and contains exquisite chess of the highest caliber. Yes, Magnus is there and is still number one, but so what, life continues.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

The lineage is Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Kramnik, Anand, Carlsen, and it stops there until someone beats Carlsen or Carlsen stops playing chess permanently.

This glorified exhibition match is not a world championship and won't be remembered as such.

Nepo is kinda in a similar situation as Karpov was in 1975. At that time FIDE did not bother too much and proclaimed Karpov as the champion.

[David Ottosen]

Nepo is kinda in a similar situation as Karpov was in 1975. At that time FIDE did not bother too much and proclaimed Karpov as the champion.

If Carlsen suddenly stops participating in the world of chess, at some point Nepo might get recognized as next in line assuming he can demonstrate results. Karpov definitely was in the same situation and basically just dominated the world for a good 5 year period until it was no longer debatable that he wasn't just WC in name, but was the strongest player. If Nepo goes to tournaments and consistently finishes behind Carlsen, it's going to be very difficult to take him seriously as a WC. If he starts regularly beating Carlsen, then I suspect things may change.

[Hans Jung]

Game 12 Nothing like a good fight at the board! Nepo seemed to wrest away Ding's kingside activity by occupying more squares around white's king. Lots of piece activity from both sides. At the end the weak squares Nepo left behind were telling, especially on the long diagonal. That and the passed D-pawn became to much to handle. Gutsy performance by Ding.

[Hans Jung]

After 12 games match all tied up. Down to crunch time with 4 games left. Very exciting!