Chess in checkmate. Russian players embroiled in match-fixing scandal at global championships
The rapid and blitz world chess championships are scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan towards the end of 2023. Intriguingly, this is where the Russian solid contingent is primarily seen flexing their skills.
1:01 PM EST, December 30, 2023
On the inaugural day, eight players, half hailing from Russia, etched their names in the leader's position. However, the leaderboard witnessed significant changes following a controversy involving these Russian players.
Jan Niepomniaszczij of Russia, the runner-up in the classical tempo, ended his game with Daniil Dubov after a mere 12 moves. Considering the caliber of both players, their mistakes were utterly baffling.
The incident sent waves through the internet, inviting heavy criticism against the Russians from internet users and experts alike.
"This is undoubtedly match-fixing. Dubov and Nepo are idiots who risked their career for this." - stated Jon Ludvig Hammer, a chess grandmaster, fervently.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) quickly responded to the match involving Niepomniaszczij and Dubov. Consequently, the result was altered to 0:0, reducing 0.5 points for both Russian players.
This has consequently demoted them to second place. Despite their pleas, their appeals fell on deaf ears at the federation. Both the world runner-up and his countryman insisted that their game was played relatively without any foul play. Naturally, their words found no believers.
