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Ian Nepomniachtchi (born July 14, 1990), a Russian chess grandmaster whose surname many find difficult to pronounce, is one of the strongest players in the world. Currently, he is the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion, sharing the title with Magnus Carlsen. This shared title comes with an unusual story.
During the World Rapid Championship, Carlsen was asked to replace his jeans with more formal attire. Finding this request ridiculous, he withdrew from the tournament. Behind the scenes, frantic discussions—partly influenced by sponsors—took place in an attempt to persuade the Norwegian to participate in the Blitz Championship. Eventually, Carlsen agreed and joined the tournament. This led to an exciting final in which Carlsen initially led 2–0, but “Nepo” evened the score at 2–2. Following three shorter blitz games that all ended in draws, live viewers saw Carlsen speaking with his opponent before the fourth game. Amid the confusion, it emerged that Carlsen had proposed sharing the title. Although this was not in the regulations, FIDE agreed, effectively acknowledging Carlsen as the dominant figure.
Nepomniachtchi is among the few players to have won two consecutive Candidates Tournaments and is currently the highest-ranked active chess player in Russia. His numerous achievements include representing his country and winning titles such as the World Team Championship with the Russian team in Antalya (2013) and Astana (2019). He also won the European Team Championship with Russia in Reykjavík in 2015.
In December 2019, he qualified for the 2020–2021 Candidates Tournament, which he won with a round to spare in 2021. This victory earned him the position of challenger for the 2021 World Chess Championship—his greatest success at the time—as he faced his peer, Magnus Carlsen. In the first five games, the match was evenly balanced, and the Russian proved to be a tough opponent—similar to what Sergey Karjakin and Fabiano Caruana had shown in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Aware that even a tiebreak would be uncertain against such an opponent, Carlsen decided to push hard in game 6. The rest is history: this “iconic game,” which I discussed in UbM 87, lasted 136 moves and ended with a grueling defeat for Nepomniachtchi, who was playing as Black. This loss appeared to break his resistance, as the Norwegian won three more games and drew two, thereby retaining his title.
No one expected Nepomniachtchi to bounce back so spectacularly—winning the next Candidates Tournament to secure two consecutive victories! This achievement earned him a rematch against Carlsen, although the Norwegian had already hinted at withdrawing from his title. Consequently, a new challenger was chosen for the World Championship: Ding Liren, the runner-up in the same Candidates Tournament.
The 2023 World Championship match turned out to be a wild ride. Nepomniachtchi struck first by winning game 2 as Black, but Ding equalized in game 4. He regained the lead in game 5, only to lose it again in game 6. Those expecting a shift in momentum were mistaken: Ian won game 7, and after four consecutive draws, he maintained the lead. However, Ding won game 12, and with the final two games drawn, a tiebreak became necessary. The tension was palpable. The first three rapid games ended in draws, and the fourth appeared destined for a repetition of moves. Suddenly, Ding broke the pattern by avoiding the repetition and playing for a win. Caught off guard by this unexpected shift, Nepomniachtchi misstepped and lost. It was a bitter ending that nevertheless demonstrated he remains a formidable player, as I discussed in UbM 89.
Nepomniachtchi remains a formidable opponent. With his attractive style, rapid play, tactical insight, and excellent endgame technique, he is likely to remain at the top for years to come and continue contending for the world title. I have selected a few interesting fragments that showcase his style and incredible tactical acumen.
The diagram position is from a blitz game in which Nepomniachtchi, playing as Black, faced none other than Garry Kasparov in St. Louis, United States. At the time, the 54-year-old former world champion was well-prepared to test his skills against the current world elite. Kasparov had gained a very strong position, but his former compatriot showed remarkable resilience. When the legendary former champion made a grave error, Nepomniachtchi struck decisively. Do you see how he punishes White’s last move (35. Bc4–f7) so decisively?
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