There was no shortage of controversy on day 1 of the World Blitz Championships in Samarkand. A dispute regarding an alleged clock malfunction delayed the start of round 7 by close to an hour, while a 13-move draw featuring only knight moves between Daniil Dubov and Ian Nepomniachtchi resulted in both players losing a half point as their encounter, according to the Chief Arbiter, would “bring the game of chess into disrepute”. Meanwhile, Valentina Gunina got a 1½-point lead in the women’s tournament after finishing day 1 with an astonishing 8½/9 score. | Photo: chess.com / Maria Emelianova
World Blitz Chess Championship Day 1: Dubov, Nepo Punished As Carlsen Shares Lead; Gunina Dazzles With 8.5/9 independantexpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from independantexpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In less than two weeks, Berlin will host the first leg of the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022, organized by World Chess. From February 3 to 17, sixteen elite chess players, including grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna who replaces Wei Yi will compete for the chance to win the last two spots in the Candidates Tournament to be held later this year.