Leaked strategies, lost (maybe stolen) meds, who says chess has no drama?

Nepo (right) and Ding in the tense tiebreaker match at the FIDE World Chess Championship on April 30. — AP

When the dust settled on the 2023 World Chess Championship last month (April 7-30, 2023), Russian grandmaster Ian “Nepo” Nepomniachtchi had lost to China’s Ding Liren.

The gruelling 18-game, 24-day match in Astana, Kazakhstan, took its toll on both Nepo and Ding. In the end, it came down to the fourth and last rapid game to determine the winner.