Expo 2020 Dubai to host FIDE World Chess Championship
Lausanne, January 28, 2021 The championship will take place 24 November – 16 December 2021 in Dubai, as a highlight of Expo’s diverse and inspiring calendar Reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen will defend his title for the fourth time against a yet to be determined challenger The two players will compete for a prize fund of 2 million euros Chess has experienced a massive surge in popularity during 2020, connected to the global lockdowns and the global success of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ The next FIDE World Chess Championship – the highlight of the world chess calendar – will be held at Expo 2020 Dubai, promising an enthralling contest that will delight chess fans and the wider public alike. Organised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the postponed 2020 championship will take place between 24 November and 16 December 2021, and will see the reigning world champion, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, defend his title against the winner of the delayed Candidates Tournament, which is due to conclude in Ekaterinburg, Russia, in April. The two players will compete for a prize fund of EUR 2 million (AED 9 million). Following a tradition that goes back almost five centuries, the title of best chess player on the planet will be determined in a match, a face-off between two finalists where they play to the best of 14 games. The scores of the individual games are added to determine the winner of the encounter. This will be the fifth World Championship match for Magnus Carlsen, who first won the title in 2013 dethroning the Indian star Viswanathan Anand. The 30-year-old Grandmaster has topped the world ranking since he was 19 and holds the record for the longest unbeaten run in classical chess. Magnus is also the current World Champion in the ‘Rapid’ and ‘Blitz’ formats of chess. Commenting on the announcement, Mohamed Al Ansaari, Vice President – Communications at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “Expo 2020 Dubai will be a global celebration of the very best of humankind, held in one of the world’s most welcoming and ambitious nations – what better place to host a thrilling showdown between the brightest minds in chess? Just as chess unites people of all ages and backgrounds from across the world, and encourages strategic thinking and problem solving, Expo 2020 will also bring the world together to build bridges and inspire solutions to some of the most pressing shared challenges of our time. The FIDE World Chess Championship will be an exciting highlight of Expo’s events calendar, enjoyed by millions of physical and virtual visitors worldwide.” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich added: “The World Championship Match is an outstanding event, and we are proud to team up with Expo to create a breath-taking experience not only for the hardcore chess fans, but also for the wider audience. Ever since the first international tournament, held in London in 1851 as a part of the Great Exhibition, chess is strongly connected to the events epitomizing human’s mind progress and strive for excellence. This year’s match will be exceptional in many ways, and I believe it is going to be an event to remember for the years to come. Chess – a game with hundreds of years of history but still enigmatic, is going to manifest its beauty in this competition of two best chess minds, and thanks to the cooperation between Expo and FIDE we shall see the entire chess world following this battle.” The FIDE World Chess Championship will take place at the state-of-the-art Dubai Exhibition Centre, co-located at Expo 2020. The Championship will also include a series of side events, including exhibition matches and appearances by former champions and celebrity fans. With live commentary capturing every move, the match will be broadcast live around the world, reaching a global audience of hundreds of millions. Spain will also host the final of the World Online School Chess Tournament at Expo 2020 Dubai, aiming to promote the educational power of chess in line with the Spain Pavilion’s theme of ‘Intelligence for Life’. The history of chess can be traced back more than 1,500 years, and the ‘king of games’ is estimated to be played by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, including more than 30 million children engaged in chess in school programs around the world. This number is thought to have surged as chess became a favorite pastime during the global lockdowns, and the trend was further fueled by the resounding success of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’. The Netflix series ranked in the top-ten charts in 92 countries, becoming one of the most popular series in the history of the streaming platform. It is estimated now that, on average, more than 20 million chess games are played every day, online or over the board. Welcoming more than 200 participating nations and organisations, and millions of visitors, Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to take place in the MEASA region, showcasing the best in human imagination, innovation, and ingenuity. With up to 60 live events taking place daily across 182 days, Expo 2020 will offer unmissable and unforgettable experiences that will entertain and inspire people from around the world. About Expo 2020 Dubai From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai will bring the world together in a spirit of hope and optimism and with a shared purpose towards solving some of our greatest challenges.• It will showcase the greatest innovations, breakthroughs and ideas from around the planet, enabling action towards a better world under its theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’• Expo 2020 will be an endless journey of discovery as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – harness their collective power to change the world for the better• Expo 2020’s sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to make a conscious effort to think and live differently• An entertaining global celebration with something for everyone, Expo 2020 will wow visitors with daily events, showcasing the best of technology, creativity and culture, while F&B outlets will feature cuisine from around
Tata Steel 2021: Anish Giri forges into the lead
Anish Giri ground down Radoslaw Wojtaszek in a slightly better endgame and took the lead as his main competitors Fabiano Caruana and Alireza Firouzja made a half-step forward. They are now tied for second place with Andrey Esipenko who bested David Anton. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave scored his first victory in the event. After an interesting and animated middlegame, Anish Giri and Radoslaw Wojtaszek ended up in a drawish-looking endgame with three vs. three pawns on one side. Nevertheless, the Dutchman little by little made huge progress by coordinating the pieces and advancing his pawn to h6 although not without some help from his opponent. Discouraged by this turn of events Radoslaw missed a simple but nice combination by White (49.Rxh7!) and resigned immediately. The game between Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alexander Donchenko saw the most dramatic turnaround in Tata Steel 2021. After taking a strategically risky approach with White in a rare line of Caro-Kann the Frenchman found himself in a completely lost position but after the German missed several winning continuations White managed to transpose into an equal endgame. Maxim was gradually improving his position and eventually won a pawn but at cost of giving up his passer on the queenside. A queen ending three vs. two paws on one side was drawn but required some accuracy from Black, which Alexander did not demonstrate and suffered a painful defeat. Andrey Esipenko and David Anton played a very complicated game in Ruy Lopez in which Black had better chances at some point. However, Anton seems to either overlook or underestimate White’s a3-b4 idea and fell under heavy pressure. With some simple but strong moves, Esipenko reached complete dominance and wrapped it up by breaking through on the kingside. Fabiano Caruana tested Magnus Carlsen in the Catalan where he introduced a novelty 12.c5 followed by 13.e4. The World Champion did not react optimally, probably missing a temporary piece sacrifice 16.Nxd5. Caruana emerged with an extra pawn but did not manage to pose serious problems for Carlsen. The position quickly liquidated into an endgame in which Magnus reached a draw with relative ease thanks to his active pieces. Pentala Harikrishna played somewhat passively on the white side of Ruy Lopez against Arian Tari and as a result, had to defend an inferior position for most of the game. The Indian GM was up to the task and even got a slight edge closer to the end but the Norwegian for his part found a couple of precise moves and maintained the balance. Nils Grandelius obtained a slightly better position with White in the Rauzer Sicilian against Alireza Firouzja, but maybe relieved the tension a bit early as Black’s king was not completely safe. After the queens were traded the opponents quickly sealed a draw by repetition. Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Jorden Van Foreest played a very complex game in the King’s Indian Defense. The Dutch jumped right out of the gate by sacrificing two pawns and got a great attacking position. However, having so many attractive options Black missed a couple of strong but very hard-to-find continuations on moves 16 and 17 and White sneaked out of danger. A draw by repetition was agreed on move 26. Standings after Round 10: 1. Anish Giri – 7; 2-4. Alireza Firouzja, Fabiano Caruana, Andrey Esipenko – 6½; 5. Jorden Van Foreest – 6; 6. Magnus Carlsen – 5½; 7-8. Nils Grandelius, Pentala Harikrishna – 5; 9-11. Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Arian Tari, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – 4; 12-13. Radoslaw Wojtaszek, David Anton – 3½; 14. Alexander Donchenko – 3. Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit – Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021 Official website: tatasteelchess.com/