Losing today certainly hurts, but I am nevertheless happy with my progress in the tournament, and also getting great practice for later this year.
This is, in fact, the second time Carlsen plays in the World Cup since he became world champion (in 2017, he was knocked out by Bu Xiangzhi in the third round). Talking to Michael Rahal after his win over Vladimir Fedoseev, Carlsen noted that game 2 of the playoffs against Duda was the first time he was in real trouble at the lengthy tournament, and that he could not adjust properly to the circumstances, failing to save a draw from a defensible position.
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Unique circumstances
About a week ago, the International Chess Federation announced the new dates for the World Championship match in which Magnus Carlsen will face the winner of the Candidates Tournament. With a prize fund of 2 million Euros, the event is scheduled to kick off on November 24 and last until December 16.
It was confirmed, as well, that the match will be held at Expo 2020 in Dubai. The World Expo, which was originally scheduled to start in October 2020, decided not to change the name of the massive event (to 2021) for marketing and branding purposes.
The press release by FIDE states: “The FIDE World Chess Championship will take place at the state-of-the-art Dubai Exhibition Centre, co-located at Expo 2020. The Championship will also include a series of side events, including exhibition matches and appearances by former champions and celebrity fans.”