On the recently-concluded FIDE World Fast and Blitz Championship, there was loads of drama to go by, most of it centred round world no 1 Magnus Carlsen. However there was one incident — which didn’t immediately contain Carlsen — that raised eyebrows: Daniil Dubov missed the sport towards American GM Hans Niemann.
That miss meant that Daniil Dubov very narrowly missed out on qualifying for the knockouts of the FIDE World Blitz Championship, the place the highest 8 gamers, together with Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann, made the lower.
Daniil Dubov, who has been a second to Magnus Carlsen on the earth chess championship, later mentioned in an interview with Levy Rozman (Gotham Chess) for the Take Take Take app that he had missed the sport as a result of he had fallen asleep.
“Effectively, what occurred, occurred, yeah? I imply I went to the lodge and I imply I got here again and I mentioned I used to be sleeping, yeah? What would you like me to say?,” Daniil Dubov mentioned when requested concerning the incident. He then added: “Until you’re an fool what occurred. It’s my first time within the US. It’s very laborious to regulate the jet lag right here. That’s life.”
Nakamura chuckled aloud at that defence and poked holes in it in a YouTube video.
The American GM identified that Daniil Dubov’s lodge room was about 4 or 5 minutes strolling distance away from 55, Wall Avenue, the place the FIDE World Fast and Blitz was occurring. He mentioned that blitz video games are spaced each half hour and {that a} sport takes about quarter-hour.
“So which means you stroll out and take 5 minutes to return to your room. After which determine to go to sleep when your subsequent sport is in 10 minutes. I don’t know. I don’t know, you guys! You return to your lodge and say I’m going to take a nap? It appears legit,” Nakamura mentioned with a smile.
After the mud had settled, each Daniil Dubov and Hans Niemann had feuded on the web with challenges and counter challenges.
Hans Niemann first tweeted: “Cowardice is the absence of character.”
Niemann then adopted that up with: “Glad to play Dubov in a blitz match beneath ANY circumstances. I’ll pay for his journey/accomodation and provide a 10k reward to a charity of his alternative if he wins.”
Later, he upped the provide, posting: “I’ve no intention of entertaining immature shenanigans and accusations. It’s been 2 years of madness and my continued success makes the chess mafia look extra corrupt than ever. Glad to play Dubov a 24 sport Blitz at 20,000 USD per level. BTW I’ll prolong the identical provide to EVERY single chess participant on planet EARTH. DMs are open, awaiting any and all challenges…”
Dubov, who will not be on X, responded on Instagram: “Now that you just’re out we are able to speak. I’m able to play, beneath the next circumstances: You comply with a lie detector take a look at with a educated skilled, I’m sure we are able to discover a trusted impartial authority (perhaps Demis Hassabis might assist?) to choose the corporate/individual to run it. Take a look at to function solely questions on dishonest, with the outcomes to be communicated to the group at massive. If the take a look at comes out clear, I’ll settle for my choice was rash, and I’m able to play a 24-game blitz match towards you, 8 video games a day, 2000$ per level.”
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