Let's clarify that World Lightning Chess Championship are played in New York. Contrary to the stereotype associated with this sport, players must show great reflexes: they have only three minutes for the entire game, plus a two-second bonus for each move made.
On Monday in the 11th round of the tournament Vasyl Ivanchuk he faced a higher-ranked American Daniel Naroditsky. The 29-year-old, one of the most popular chess commentators, was born in California, while his father comes from Ukraine and his mother from Azerbaijan.
Ivanchuk was doing great in the game, he gained a dominant position, but as time was running out, he made a fatal mistake (a move that gave his opponent an advantage), only to be milliseconds short of pressing the button on the clock.
Despite his vast experience and thousands of games played, the Ukrainian grandmaster reacted to the defeat very emotionally and began to sob. His rival was also shocked by the turn of events and did not get up from the board for a long time. The referees tried to console the sobbing Ukrainian and they also brought him water.
Watch the entire game along with the Ukrainian grandmaster's reaction:
It is worth explaining that chess players play with great concentration and under enormous pressure. As calculated, during one tournament day they can burn up to six thousand kilocalories.
Forever second? Who is Vasyl Ivanchuk
Vasyl Ivanchuk, who obtained the title of grandmaster in 1988, is known for his creative, unpredictable playing style – he often sacrifices his own pieces to gain a strategic advantage. He was labeled “eternally second” because in 1991, 1992 and 2007 he climbed to second place in the world ranking. But not to the top.
Even though he defeated all active world champions in classical chess in tournaments, including: Bobby Fisher, Anatoly Karpov or Mangus Carlsen, he never received this title himself. Interestingly, for many years he represented the club colors of Polonia Warsaw.
Now, at the end of his career, he finished 66th in the World Blitz Chess Championship and, inevitably, did not advance to the quarterfinals. But there was a Pole there – Jan-Krzysztof Duda. And also the mentioned Daniel Naroditsky.
This is where the jeans scandal happened
In New York, where the tournament is being held, there is no shortage of emotions, because it was there, during the World Rapid Chess Championship taking place moments earlier, that jeans scandal. That is, the disqualification of the best chess player in the world, Magnus Carlsen, for inappropriate clothing – jeans (specifically, for refusing to dress up). There was a trial of strength between Carlsen and the world federation FIDE, as a result of which… The Norwegian takes part in the blitz tournament described here. In jeans.