The King-hunt

In a conversation with a RIA Novosti correspondent, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) shared her point of view with regard to the World Chess Championship 2023. “As a Chinese player, I was very happy that 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) managed to win the title. After all, winning a World Championship match is the dream of any pro player. His achievement is especially important for the national federation, since this is the country’s first world men’s title. I hope that this will enhance the popularity of chess in China and will also encourage more young players to work dedicatedly and represent our country with dignity, bringing more medals and honours”, said 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán). “At the same time, from a chess viewpoint, his match with Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi was very dramatic, and I could feel through it all the cruelty of such a showdown, with deep emotional moments. If we talk only about the level of rivalry in the match, then the result could have been anything. But, in my opinion, it is also obvious that Magnus Carlsen still remains the strongest player in the world”.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) signing autographs to her fans in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 30, 2024. Photo: Sergey Sergeevich Moiseev.