Chess: Candidates defy coronavirus to start battle to face Magnus Carlsen
Early rounds of the tournament saw Ding Liren, who had been in lockdown before the tournament, lose twice before beating the No 1 seed, Fabiano CaruanaFear of coronavirus has been a persistent backdrop to the start of the world Candidates, one of a very few global sports events to survive a flood of cancellations. The eight-player, €500,000 event is the final eliminator to decide who will challenge Norway’s Magnus Carlsen for his global crown at the end of the year.Fide, the 190-nation chess body, made a fortunate venue selection because Ekaterinburg in the Russian Urals was virus free until its first case on Tuesday, the day the first pawns were pushed. That could still change before the 14-round tournament finishes on 4 April, and meanwhile the organisers are taking no chances. Related: Coronavirus cuts World senior team event while Carlsen extends run Continue reading…
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