Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi and Daniil Dubov engaged in a playful yet “match prearranged” chess encounter, resulting in penalties for both at the 2023 Blitz World Championship in Uzbekistan.
Dubov faced Nepomniachtchi in round 11 of the Blitz World Championship in Samarkand city on the evening of December 29. Before the match, they agreed to move their knights to squares like g5 and return to their initial positions, all while discussing this plan with light-hearted laughter.
They executed this plan, resulting in a mere 12-move game. At the end, the board remained exactly as it was at the start. Subsequently, they shook hands to take a draw and left their seats, coinciding with the arrival of the arbiter.
Nepomniachtchi didn’t believe their actions violated the rules. The world runner-up even shared a video on social media, featuring Sergei Prokofiev’s ‘Dance of the Knights,’ hinting at their intent to reenact this musical piece on the chessboard.
However, the arbiter, Ivan Syrovy, disagreed. He referenced FIDE regulations 11.1, prohibiting players from causing public disrepute in chess, and 12.9.5, regarding ‘penalizing a player for a rule violation,’ leading to penalties for both Nepomniachtchi and Dubov. Syrovy’s rationale was that they had “prearranged the result” based on their moves.
Syrovy further stated that both players admitted to making such moves. Nepomniachtchi explained that as the game took place late at night and they both aimed for a draw. They needed a minimum of about 10 moves to secure that, hence their decision to perform the ‘knight’s dance.’
Despite their appeals, Nepomniachtchi and Dubov failed to overturn the penalties. They both scored 0 points for this game, instead of 0.5 points. Moreover, they risked further sanctions from FIDE for what was considered a blatant manipulation of the game.
In chess, players sometimes opt for a ‘Grandmaster draw’ to secure a draw in a less obvious manner. This involves making theoretical moves known to Grandmasters, making it challenging for novices to discern the strategy. It’s a way for players to play within the rules without being accused of orchestrating the outcome.
Many chess players supported Syrovy’s decision. Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Hammer remarked, “This is match-fixing beyond reasonable doubt. Dubov and Nepo idiots for risking their careers for this”. GM Kacper Piorun added that Nepomniachtchi and Dubov “could play any theoretical line and noone would care”.
Grandmaster, CEO of International Chess Federation (FIDE), Emil Sutovsky, however, pointed out a bit of hypocrisy among those who are strongly criticizing the actions of Dubov and Nepomniachtchi in this incident. It suggests that those criticizing Dubov and Nepo’s actions should remember their own reactions to a previous incident involving Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen, known as the “bongcloud draw.”
The “bongcloud draw” refers to a online tournament game between Nakamura and Carlsen where they played a series of very unorthodox moves, including moving their king very early in the game, which is not typically recommended in chess. This game received attention and sparked discussions about unconventional moves and their place in competitive chess.
The comment seems to imply that those now criticizing Dubov and Nepomniachtchi might have had differing reactions or possibly even celebrated the creativity or unconventional nature of the “bongcloud draw” incident, which could be seen as contradictory or hypocritical given the strong criticism they’re offering now.
Nepomniachtchi holds the fourth spot in the live world blitz chess rankings, with Dubov standing at seventh. Before round 11, they were leading alongside Magnus Carlsen and Nihal Sarin, all at 8 points. After round 12, the two Russians dropped to second place with 8.5 points, while the leading group of six players shared 9 points.