Carlsen’s spectre looms as Ding and Nepomniachtchi launch title match
Two of the world’s top three have descended on Astana for the most prestigious title in chess, but the absence of the third has largely neutered the stakes of the sport’s showcase eventAll the trappings of a world championship match are in place: the headline-grabbing prize fund, the throngs of working media and cocktail-sipping VIPs, the sound-proof studio couched inside a sleek purpose-built playing hall. The only thing that’s missing is the sport’s best player and most compelling draw.Magnus Carlsen, considered the greatest chess player on the planet even before rising to the No 1 ranking more than a decade ago and winning the title from Viswanathan Anand, will be enjoying a skiing holiday in the French Alps when Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi and China’s Ding Liren kick off their €2m ($2.2m) world title match on Sunday at the St Regis Astana Hotel in the Kazakh capital. Continue reading…
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