Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren, world chess champion, stated that his playing is far from optimal on May 24 in an interview with the Indian publication The Indian Express.
Thus, commenting on the words of former Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen about the psychological collapse of the current holder of the world chess crown, the Chinese grandmaster noted:
“I was trying to tell the truth. She said what she felt. After the World Championships it was very hard for me, at first I was exhausted (from the rigors of competing in the World Championships). Then I got sick. “Now I can say that I have recovered from the illness, but still my strength has not returned to its previous level.”said the world champion.
Recall that in April 2023, Ding Liren defeated the Russian grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi in a dramatic match for the world championship title, after which he almost completely stopped participating in competitions. This circumstance became a topic of discussion in the chess community, as well as a reason for criticism of the athlete.
After a long break, the Chinese chess player still participated in several tournaments, demonstrating an extremely unconvincing level of play unsuitable for the title of world champion.
Assessing the condition of the Chinese grandmaster, former world chess champion and holder of the highest ranking in the world, Magnus Carlsen noted:
“He hasn’t looked good in the tournaments he has played since his championship. The question is whether he is psychologically destroyed forever, and I fear he is. What happened to him after the match should show both chess fans and professional players how difficult these tournaments are. It has been a year since the match and we see no signs that he has recovered.”
Let us also remember that this fall Ding Liren will have to defend his title in a match against the winner of the Candidates Tournament, the Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju.
According to most chess experts, if the Chinese grandmaster fails to restore the previous level of play, the outcome of the world chess crown match will be predetermined.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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