2023 Nepomniachtchi - Ding Liren, First Week

Make that 'First Half-Week'. This post is dated Wednesday, as are all posts on this blog. The opening ceremony, which took place last Friday, was followed by a rest day, two games, and another rest day. On my main blog I've already posted a video for 2023 Nepo - Ding, Opening Press Conference (April 2023). On this blog I posted basic information about the match in 2023 Nepomniachtchi - Ding Liren Warmup (March 2023).

The first two match games ended in a draw and a win for Nepo as Black. Here are the game reports on Fide.com, both signed Milan Dinic:-

• g.01: The first game ends in a draw (worldchampionship.fide.com)
• g.02: Nepomniachtchi defeats Ding in the second game (ditto)

So far the court of public opinion seems to consider the match a legitmate World Championship. One prominent naysayer is the 13th World Champion:-

• 2023-03-24: Garry Kasparov calls April’s world title match 'amputated event' (theguardian.com; Leonard Barden) • 'Kasparov says 'the world championship match should include the strongest player on the planet, and this match doesn't'

Barden quoted Kasparov saying, 'The match between Nepo and Ding is a great show, but it’s not a world championship match', then opined,

Comments on Kasparov's assertion have been mostly negative, pointing out that the match is actually between the two highest rated players who are ready to participate, which Carlsen is not.

For the rest of the match I'll loosely follow the same format I used for the previous title match. See 2021 Carlsen - Nepomniachtchi, Wrapup (December 2021) for a summary of that match.

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The Long View; Photo from 'Game 1'
Courtesy of FIDE / Stev Bonhage