Alone in a Crowd

“All participants are expected to arrive in Yekaterinburg from April 15 to April 17”, FIDE President Arkady Vladimirovich Dvorkovich said at a press conference dedicated to the Candidates Tournament, which was held today at Rossiyskaya Gazeta Media Centre in Moscow, Russia. The other speakers at the conference were: 12th World Chess Champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov, Grandmaster and former challenger for the World Chess Championship Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, Albert Azarapetovich Stepanyan (executive director of Sverdlovsk Chess Federation), and Nikolay Mikhailovich Dolgopolov (deputy chief editor of Rossiyskaya Gazeta). “We spelled out a ‘roadmap’ for any eventuality. Strict but comfortable health protocols are set in place. Participants are required to have negative PCR tests done no earlier than 72 hours before the start of the Tournament. Thermographic cameras will perform measurements of temperature. Face masks and handshakes are at the discretion of the players. I was told that two participants have been already vaccinated — one Chinese and one Russian. But these are personal matters and it is each one’s choice: there is no mandatory obligation. Exceptionally, a limited number of spectators will be admitted into the auditorium, provided they follow all safety protocols”, Dvorkovich said. “The only major difference is that this time no grand opening ceremony will be held”, Stepanyan added. “A technical meeting will take place April 19 shortly prior to the start of the eight round”. Thus, in the end, only a woman was left alone, sitting in the hall of judgment. It will be next Monday, but it seems more like a year ago. Photo: Sergey Kuksin/Rossiyskaya Gazeta.