Ian Nepomniachtchi won the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2022 with a round to spare, thus becoming the challenger in the World Chess Championship Match which will be played next year. The reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen should be the defender of the title, but Magnus was repeatedly saying he is considering his retirement from the World Chess Championship Matches. In one of the latest interviews, Magnus Carlsen explained he is not closer to playing another World Championship Match than he was before, but he is still not 100% certain about the decision. “I wanted to quit while on top, and it’s clearly what’s most likely to happen” said Carlsen to the Norwegian newspaper VG two months ago.
Reigning World Chess Champion yesterday visited Palacio de Santona, the playing venue of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, where he met with the FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, informs El Pais. Carlsen and Dvorkovich had a private meeting that lasted around 40 minutes. According to the El Pais sources, the main topic of the meeting was the format of the World Chess Championship Match and there’s a reasonable chance that Magnus decides to play the Match: “All the sources contacted by EL PAÍS requested anonymity and agreed that if Carlsen had decided to renounce the crown, he would have said so clearly. The fact that he met with Dvorkovich for so long without a subsequent statement means, according to those sources, that there is a reasonable chance of agreement.”
Read more: Magnus Carlsen is mysterious about his participation in the World Championship Match / Ian Nepomniachtchi wins FIDE Candidates Chess 2022 with a round to spare
During the 14th final round of the Candidates Tournament, the Director general of FIDE Emil Sutovsky joined the chess.com live studio and explained that he and the FIDE President met with Magnus. He expressed optimism about Magnus Carlsen accepting to play the World Championship Match: “I think it was very constructive (the meeting) and left hope that it can work.“
