- Russian flag banned in buildup to showdown in Dubai
- Defending champion Carlsen says he ‘was a little bit shaky’
Simmering tension on the board, unexpected drama off it. Magnus Carlsen’s defence of his world chess title in Dubai began with a 45-move draw against his Russian challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi – and a surprise intervention by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The first game of the 14-match encounter, which has a prize fund of €2m, was eagerly followed by hundreds of thousands of spectators online – another sign of the chess boom that accelerated at the start of the pandemic and again after the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit.
Written by Sean Ingle at the Dubai Exhibition Centre
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/26/magnus-carlsen-ian-nepomniachtchi-world-chess-championship-game-one-news-report under the title “Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi draw chess world title opener after flag furore”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
