Chess World Upset: Carlsen, Nepomniachtchi Share Blitz Title, Raising Doubts

Photo: Instagram/@fide_chess

The chess world has been shaken by a surprising decision after Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi agreed to share the World Blitz Championship title at the FIDE Rapid and Blitz Championship held in New York, on Wall Street. This move caused quite a stir, and many in the chess community were not happy about it. One of the most talked-about moments was a video clip where Carlsen was heard telling Nepomniachtchi, “If FIDE refuses (to allow us to share the title), we can just play short draws until they give up.”

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The reaction was immediate, and one of the first to speak out was US grandmaster Hans Niemann. He expressed his frustration on social media, calling for an investigation into what had happened. Niemann was not alone in his disbelief; many others in the chess world joined in to share their thoughts.

The final between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi started with Carlsen winning the first two games. However, Nepomniachtchi fought back and won the next two games, tying the match at 2-2. The game then went into a tiebreak, and the two players played three consecutive draws. It was at this point that Carlsen suggested they share the title, and Nepomniachtchi agreed. While they waited for a decision from FIDE, Carlsen was heard talking about how they could pressure FIDE into agreeing to their plan.

This led Niemann to post his opinion on social media, saying, “The chess world is officially a joke. I can’t believe that the official body of chess is being controlled by a singular player for the second time this week!”

Other grandmasters also expressed their thoughts. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik criticized FIDE for not considering the possibility that neither player might win outright. Kramnik responded to a tweet from Agadmator, a popular chess streamer, who suggested that Carlsen should just announce the world champions for all formats at the end of each year instead of organizing big events. Kramnik, in his reply, hinted that FIDE had put too much effort into a "jeans clause" (strict dress code rules), which almost led to Carlsen pulling out of the event because he had been fined for wearing jeans.

Along with the reactions from these grandmasters, some of the chess community were deeply upset by Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi's actions. A viral video clip showed Carlsen talking to Nepomniachtchi about playing short draws if FIDE didn’t accept their shared title plan. Hans Niemann was particularly vocal, saying, “This is cause for an investigation by the FIDE Ethics Committee. I can’t believe that two players who maliciously accused me and tried to ruin my career are openly breaking the rules. The irony simply can’t get any worse.”

Indian grandmaster Srinath Narayanan also spoke up about the situation. He pointed out that using the rules as an excuse was wrong, comparing the situation to the 2019 Wimbledon final. He reminded everyone that the final at Wimbledon lasted almost 5 hours, with Novak Djokovic winning a tough match. Despite the long battle, neither player decided to share the trophy. Srinath believed that Carlsen's suggestion to "blackmail" FIDE into allowing a shared title showed how much power Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi seemed to hold in the chess world, asking where that power truly lay in 2024 or 2025.

Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, who nearly qualified for the quarter-finals of the tournament, also shared his thoughts on social media, joking about how he would have lobbied for all 10 players who tied for first to be included in the knockout stage. He humorously suggested, “If we can have two co-champions, why not 10?!”

To add to the growing confusion, chess legend Susan Polgar reminded everyone about a situation from the previous year when Nepomniachtchi and Daniil Dubov were penalized for playing out a draw in an event. In that game, both players made their knights hop around the board before agreeing to a draw, a situation now referred to as the "Knight Dance." Polgar asked, “What is the difference between the famous ‘Knight Dance’ and ‘Title Share’? I hope some arbiters can explain the ‘rules’ to me.”
The incident has sparked a lot of debate and questions about fairness and the power players have over chess regulations. What started as a simple suggestion to share the title has turned into a controversy that’s still being discussed in the chess world.

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