Chess makes its move across the globe as sports lovers left bereft

WITH events cancelled around the world, sports-starved fans are turning to chess.

The 2020 Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg, Russia, has attracted a flurry of unexpected interest.

As one of the only international competitions still taking place, a peak of one million people in China tuned into coverage of the first day, world governing body Fide said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the online broadcaster chess24.com, which provides moveby-move commentary in English to a more Western audience, reported a 500 per cent rise in viewers.

Eight players are competing for €500,000 (£470,000) and the chance to face Magnus Carlsen, the sport’s world champion since 2013. Arkady Dvorkovich, the Fide president and former deputy prime minister of Russia, said: “This is a big event not just for the chess world but, possibly, for the whole sporting community since almost all international competitions have been cancelled.”

The Candidates Tournament has still not been entirely untouched by the pandemic. China’s Ding Liren was quarantined for two weeks beforehand while Fabiano Caruana, the US no1, had his flight cancelled and had to reschedule. Fide has banned live spectators and is testing all players and staff.

Chess players in big matches also traditionally shake hands with a special guest who is given the honour of making the ceremonial first move.

But when the legendary Anatoly Karpov offered his hand to Ian Nepomniachtchi, he awkwardly pulled back.