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FIDE World Rapid and Blitz: Russia’s teen-prodigy Murzin defeats Nepomniachtchi

The 2023 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship is hosted by Uzbekistan’s second-largest city, Samarkand

MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Russia’s 17-year-old Volodar Murzin defeated his compatriot Ian Nepomniachtchi, who is the world’s vice champion, playing black pieces on Wednesday at the 2023 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Uzbekistan’s second-largest city, Samarkand.

Both players, who participate in the tournament under a neutral status, were tied as they shifted the pieces across the board up until their move 40, when veteran Nepomniachtchi started to give up the match to his young opponent trying to keep safe his knights and bishops.

On Tuesday, Nepomniachtchi lost to Sergey Grigoriants of Hungary and then concluded his match with a draw against Kazakhstan’s 15-year-old chess player Ernur Amangeldy.

The 2023 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship is hosted by Uzbekistan’s second-largest city, Samarkand, on December 26-30 and offers $1 million in prize money.

Russian sport of chess under sanctions

On February 28, 2022 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments because of the special military operation in Ukraine.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February last year, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

On March 16, 2022 the FIDE barred athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international tournaments. The organization, however, allowed representatives of these countries to play individually under the flag and logo of FIDE.

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