Standstill

In an exclusive “chat” interview with Prasad Ramasubramanian for The Times of India of April 22, 2022, Norway’s World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen reiterated his indecisiveness regarding his will to defend the title next year: “I haven’t decided yet. I’m not 100% sure that I will play. What’s holding me back — at this point — is that I want to see how I feel when the Candidates tournament is going on. When that tournament finishes — how I feel at that point — will decide if I want to play”, he said. Among other issues, Carlsen also touched on the ongoing geopolitical conflict, suggesting — with regard to chess — a draft of compromise for a gentlemen’s agreement: “Personally, I have been trying to support Ukraine — financially as well. I feel we should encourage the Russians to take a stand against something that I don’t think a lot of them vouch for. I know that there are exceptions like Karjakin, but I think we should give Russian players the opportunity to take a stand and not just automatically ban them because of nationality”.