Clash Of Claims, The WILDEST Match | Norway Chess Recap, Is Ding OK?

[@112233JORDAN]

For people that dont follow chess, theyd be shocked how much drama there really is lol

[@flipina]

As a recent follower, I was surprised. Because in my country, the last drama was when Wesley So still represented the Philippines 😂. Rest of the time it's the corrupt president of our federation.

[@kaidoChess]

FACTS LOL

[@kaidoChess]

@@flipina😂😂

[@ChessJourneyman]

True. As a complete chess novice, I assumed it was a game for intellectuals and mature people. Instead, it is the most drama-infested competitive activity there is. I attribute that to the lack of ego-checking mechanisms that keep athletes in many sports humble, such as physical pain. In chess, anyone can defend his ego and be right in his mind, so you end up with a bunch of people with rampant egos. In the first year of playing at a local chess club, I had a veteran chess player slam his fist on the table and threaten me with physical violence because I declined a draw offer and explained I wanted to learn and see how the game ends, I've had people throw chess clocks into the wall behind me when losing an endgame, and the list goes on.

[@blainelacquement8808]

Imagine trying to explain to a non-chess watching friend that the MENS section of competitive chess is the most dramatic

[@spnhm34]

Love the bit where Fabi went full Werner Herzo … “Chess is suffering and inherently meaningless” Heheheh

[@EEEBA1]

Where was that. Do you have the time stamp? Thank you.

[@prcbras]

The Ding conversation is very interesting. I do see sparks in his play, especially how Hikaru laid a lot of traps in Ding's time trouble and he navigated that armageddon extremely well, which few players can do that against Hikaru. It does seem to be a lack of confidence and thoughts running through his head during games that aren't about the position and the moves (obviously he's capable of seeing a mate in 2 so for him to miss that it's obvious his mind was clouded with other things). Overall i'm happy to see that Fabi has a more charitable interpretation of Ding's play now because before it seemed like just criticism without any nuance. I think very few people in the world can relate to what Ding has gone through/is going through and Fabi showed some undertanding which was nice to see. Ding also seems like an extremely internal person (doesn't get mad when he loses so he internalizes the negativity into himslef unlike Magnus or Hikaru). He seems very honest about his emotions, very open whether sad or happy, very sensitive, no pretenses of being a Chad type and that vulnerability is hard to watch sometimes but also why so many people root for him, because it's relatable. In the world championship he showed he can fight, he was behind for most of the match and he never gave up. He believed in himself and took risks to win it all. It's impossible to predict if a resilient Ding will show up to the match or if he will have no mental energy to do so. But I do think a one on one match is very different from a round robin tournament with the best players in the world. So basically who knows what will happen lol I cant believe I wrote all this

[@aleemazeez263]

Hi, next time perhaps use paragraphs? Makes it easier to read.

[@Coricot]

Great comment, well written and insightful

[@michaelf8221]

30:00 uh oh Fabi getting nihilistic all of a sudden. The WCC "is ultimately meaningless." "Why am I suffering?" RIP

[@jire9831]

"The ability to play chess is the sign of a gentleman. The ability to play chess well is the sign of a wasted life" - Morphy

[@indigochild2.098]

@@jire9831 what you miss when your write this quote, is yes back then when morphy said this is what true, it isnt anymore because you can actually make a carear out of it and get paid, it would be a wasted life back then because you make no money and you aint really recognised for your work, look how many chess players are recognised today, so while its a fun quote and true, its only true in the context of when it was said! look at hikaru, Gothamchess, they stream chess and arguaby make more money than most pros, botez sisters ect, so no nowadays chess isnt a wasted life, when it can actually give you a decent life, bk then it coudnt, even morphy coudnt, he was respected but he didnt make a living from chess

[@KyleMc16]

Absolutely based take by Fabi there

[@compositeur8455]

fabi coping

[@samuelhaupt3217]

It's an extremely serious question few deal with

[@loodakris5928]

Fabi is so real. Haha his partner was probably thinking, you can’t say Chess is not important On our podcast

[@criscesc]

Hans be like: We are playing the pinnacle of intellectual battle Fabi be like: We are playing an irrelevant board game

[@TheUltimateLegend7]

😂😂​@@criscesc

[@indigochild2.098]

how is that real?!?!! its born from melancholy because he lost the candidates, do you really believe he means that actions speak louder than words and his actions would suggest he cares deeply and it is important to him

[@JuanBautista-fd7yv]

@@indigochild2.098 It can be both true and not true at the same time. I bet almost all top chess players have at least thought it in their head or had doubts at time. I mean look at the melancholy of even Magnus, Fischer, Morphy, all by far the top players of their playing days, the last two retired super early into their dominance and Magnus is semi-retired from Classical Chess and for now fully retired from competing for the World Championship.

[@tox_ph0b0s80]

@@JuanBautista-fd7yv Pretending not to care is generally a defense mechanism.

[@Nick-qq2lh]

Cheers to Fabi for not bandwaggoning the Ding bash train. Ding showed sparks of his genius and I hope as well as I am sure that he will find back to his beast form. Good work guys!

[@rogercaruso_dj]

In clash of claims the daily unboxing was a non negotiable requirement by Kramnik, the same for the long breaks, format change, etc.

[@sahilgholap6644]

This is not just chess podcast but also a philosophical podcast

[@fabiandelgadoregal9676]

IMHO the match also showed the main point for Jospem, he didn't cheat and on top won the match

[@joaquincuevas4341]

And that is the most important

[@seanhunter111]

I agree. Also the quiet and dignified way he handled himself and genuine love for the game that he showed won him a lot of fans.

[@xDEEZKNIGHTSx]

When is our man Fabi gonna upgrade to a HD ZOOM feed for the podcast? 👀

[@musatebi486]

I see 1080p ?

[@xDEEZKNIGHTSx]

@@musatebi486 The podcast is edited and published in 1080p. Don't you see the difference in video quality between the two gentlemen here? Fabi still using 480i bro! 😭

[@Fuzzyhead5060]

As gorgeous as Fabi is, I’m here for what he’s saying. No need for him to waste money on a fancy camera

[@taborsmrcna]

Good cam is not necessary, but decent mic will be highly appreciated

[@xDEEZKNIGHTSx]

@@taborsmrcna A HD Zoom feed would improve the sound as well, with higher bitrate A/V.

[@ericedwards904]

"levy was doing algebra...... it didn't seem fun anymore" lol

[@bitterblue8115]

Idk but Fabi doesn't seem himself since that massive choke in the Candidates. He seems sad :((

[@Ancz7]

He had highest rating, best yearly form and experience going in and drew a position his opponent had given up on ages ago. That said, I'm sure a good fight in the WCC will motivate him as many others.

[@B-fq7ff]

He’s seemed sad like that for a couple years tbh

[@ClarkPotter]

​@@Ancz7Hikaru had the best form. Highest performance rating in the world and no losses.

[@ClarkPotter]

​@@B-fq7ffHas he had a gf in the last decade? It's the kiss of death for chess players, typically, but it might do Fabi some good.

[@erickLguzman]

I wouldn’t call it a choke, but he does seem heartbroken

[@Tx66]

30:30 I would like to push back on that a little bit, Fabi. For Millions of people around the world, chess is much more than a board game - it is the occasion that allows us to feel very intense emotions and build meaningful friendships with complete strangers. The way you connect with one another through Chess is extremely special. In what other situation in life do you meet somebody, and you don’t talk to each other for hours and hours, yet you keep wondering what that other person may think at this point in time. Whether they feel what you feel about the position, whether they feel the same emotional state. And at the end of the game, you just can’t wait to talk to that stranger. I have made so many friends that I would’ve never met otherwise through this very special way of coming together. Friendships that outlasted many, many others. Even those that came to be in ways most people would assume to be a lot more meaningful. My point being - don’t forget that you are an artist that brings joy to others. We love watching you play, just like top athletes in “real” sport. By the way, since I know that you dreamt of being a musician one day - I’m writing this as a touring musician who played concerts all over the world. And please believe me when I say, that this is in no way a more meaningful activity than what you do. Sorry for the long comment and the numerous mistakes I’ve made thanks to text to speech…tried my best to clean it up. 😂❤

[@mohammedwalid3097]

Chess is meaningless or not, I have tremendous respect for you, Mr. Fabiano, for your chess and evermore so for you as a person.

[@bla4979]

ok, but can you stop being so gay? thanks

[@jakobegger5007]

I swear Christian is the only person in the world who looks older without a beard than with the beard.

[@MaxIronsThird]

Everyone over 40 looks older without a beard. I know he's not over 40

[@giucasfalchetto]

For important online tournament they should use great lichess technology. With a fair tip to support the project

[@foxphire3484]

“That’s bad news for the brown recluse community” 😭

[@fuzzmuff63]

Jose is obviously not cheating and Kramnik needs to apologise and stop being a crybaby. At this point he is looking like a clown.

[@hngeh7021]

There's something hilarious about the spider conversation at the end, actually made me laugh out loud.

[@enio17]

In your recount of tournaments, you missed that he Ding won the 2022 Chessable Masters. The final was against Pragg.

[@kazh5677]

Best podcast thank for the upload

[@raqig7511]

being a pro chessplayer is not meaningless, well, especially for those top players, they are making money, and they are having fun at the same time, and they are living a touristic life, you can't say: working as a salesman in a store has no meaning? this is your job and you are trying to make money for living, and at the same time, there are many dimensions in this work about your life, not that simple judgement. As a famous and strong chess player, he is certainly making something of history with his fame and the way he plays, as well as the nature of his personality...

[@MrMarlowe3488]

people forget people were calling hikaru "semi retired" a few years back, like it's funny

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

"We are working toward something, but it's inherently meaningless." I think Fabi is taking "don't take yourself too seriously" too seriously!

[@frustis]

I love Fabi's attitude toward Ding. It really shows he's someone in the game

[@ssajjad11]

Fabi caring for the spiders in the end :(

[@luckbeforeleap]

The only podcast that I stop everything and listen immediately

[@carlkligerman1981]

Brown Recluse Lives Matter. 😂

[@FellowHuman18]

If you win enough Armageddon games, like Magnus did, those half points really add up.

[@MasterInHD]

Yup, Magnus won every single Arma except two; meanwhile, Naka lost more than half to them. Those were the 2 point difference: since they both were +2 in Wins

[@bubloo7219]

"bad news for the brown recluse community" 😭

[@ALittleMoreZen]

Fabi's hilarious in this one :)

[@prcbras]

I agree, this was a particularly fun episode

[@davidjames149]

on Hans reaching 2700 - "it's not really news is it?". yeah it is news, because there were literally thousands of people saying that he only got there in the first place by cheating. Now he's 2700 again, and there's nothing being said by any of his recent opponents, event organizers, top ranked players etc (note how Fabi and Cristian didn't even mention cheating at ALL when speaking about Hans this time), so it's likely that he was legitimately 2700 strength (or had the potential) all along. That's news to a lot of people who think he was never super GM strength and that he cheated his way to 2700 and a victory against magnus.

[@ChessJourneyman]

He did the same thing in online chess. Took a "shortcut" to skip the grind and get to the top circuit.

[@davidjames149]

@@ChessJourneyman yawn. same old dribble. copy paste rubbish. have an original thought.

[@frankh6051]

Why do you have to talk about Hans Niemann over and over again?

[@dimitrikorsakov2570]

Brown recluses? Damn! Is that in St Louis? Does Christian live in St Louis?

[@sergiodzg]

Faby is incredibly intelligent and insightful 🤯😍

[@erickLguzman]

Fabi you’re breaking my heart. Chess is not meaningless. Thats like saying music doesn’t matter

[@pierQRzt180]

Chess is not meaningless. It is a "entertainment" act. It is like talk shows, music, sports and all the entertainment industry. Are those important when things are dire? (say war) Yes! Indeed they are used for morale to keep people carry on. If you remove these and you leave only dull work, people would suicide en masse.

[@tristan7720]

Pls more podcasts and pls more content about Fabi himself, f.ex. his plan for the future etc.

[@StevenStJohn-kj9eb]

Any truth to the rumor that Christian shaved his beard because of the spiders?

[@mikem668]

I love the channel. I hate when you interrupt Fabi. We are lucky to have such thoughtful great players. We want to hear them.

[@roman.korpachyov]

Is there some decent follow-up of the match 'Cristian vs spiders'?

[@totleariss]

bad news for the brown recluse community, Fabi's spider sympathy is hilarious

[@dinosaurgardening2401]

Bad news for the Brown Recluse community 😂

[@abdallahricko18]

This is my favorite podcast, and I am not exaggerating at all.

[@ChessJourneyman]

Fabi was spot on that Chris was looking it from his pov. Ding was saying in the interviews during the Candidates that he feared the expectations and pressure of a WCC. It's not something he wanted or looked forward to, so if anything, giving himself time to process and think would only amplify his anxiety. Normally, winning a world title has a tremendously positive impact on that person's performance afterwards. The injection of confidence, pushing your own mental barriers further, etc., opens you up to new horizons. But in Ding's case, it was the exact opposite, he shut down even further.

[@patheticpear2897]

For sure, Ding sitting alone on a beach ruminating, would not be conducive to good mental health.

[@joebloggs396]

Prior to that the coronovirus really interfered as well, people seem to forget that.

[@constantinsharma]

Hi, When the glitch happens right click anywhere on the board, then move. it works for me. The right click changes the status of the page then we can move.

[@davidd9478]

Nice podcast, buth they have a segment about Hans breaking 2700 again but almost no mention of Magnus winning yet another tournament and his continuing dominance.

[@joshdarius5995]

It is taken for granted there will never be another me r Garry or Bobby. Too many great players now which just show how great me is.

[@compositeur8455]

The sky is blue

[@Crashawsome]

All this talk about Ding having "something wrong with him" is weird when none of you have bothered asking him how he is.

[@mandolorianlore]

maybe he is trying to do on a daily basis for the armageddon of the norway world?

[@bt82]

And how does that conversation go? Fabi said he doesn’t know Ding that well and they are competing against each other. Kind of awkward to ask Ding why is he playing so badly.

[@joeymurdazalotmore6355]

favi got hosed with blitz tiebreaks we have a blitz title that world championship should have been first to one or two wins

[@beck4218]

It's a necrotizing-poison.

[@kingbreaker38]

Fabi seems pretty salty these days, I am missing that Sinquefield Cup legend Fabi who was 2844

[@rtt1961]

Excellent discussion.

[@giaccomusic]

Christian SPIDERMAN Chirila. (omg😱). Ding has issues but this was stressed too much harshly by other players. The fact he is doing all by himself with no support from China (quite the opposite actually) doesn't help his mental state for sure.

[@abhinavgupta7013]

I would have loved to hear fabi's view on open tournaments and arjun

[@omieyadav638]

He always backs Arjun. He even once said that WCC should have Arjun as one of the candidate.😅

[@user99-we7jj]

Another great episode! Audio is too rickety for my liking, on Fabi's side. Hope he does better in the future and get's back on a good mood! Cheers man!!

[@nyztan0]

Thank you for the consistency, much love

[@risaalshaan]

Clash of claims was an insane waste of money imo. I hope they make Kramnik pay.

[@greatpretender83]

What Nieman is trying to do, Arjun Eirigaisi made it real without all the drama. Arjun played alot of Open tourneys and became #4 in the World with Zero Strongest tournament invites. Amazing work

[@joebloggs396]

Playing weaker players, something Indians miss out.

[@roibot1122]

What's the deal with everyone losing their beards now? First Danny and now Cristian 😄

[@YRMW1983]

Trying to look younger

[@samwrihiro]

Somebody get Fabi a mic and a part-time audio engineer!!! I can barely hear him sometimes

[@weedydays5718]

thank you for the show, always enjoyable. what i do believe though, and i really dont want to defent kramnik generally ;) is, that what caruana and chiria underestimate is, how badly this works psychologically for someone - here kramnik- if this happens tp you in such a "showdown"

[@christofferore6285]

Im sorry i did not come and Watch you live. I will do that next year🤞🏻 hope you are ready for playing ultra goood in next norway chess

[@Covidbowie]

Christian always laughs when the word hans get pronounced 😂 me too i crack every time 😂

[@biffboffo]

30:09 full-blown nihilism. 🤣😂

[@Randomthings1210]

Was looking forward to this podcast.. I was hoping you would cover Arjun’s rise to top 4 given that he is just behind Fabi in rankings now

[@papapio-xiii]

Cristian says he streamed Titled Tuesday the week of Norway Chess. Where can we find his channel?

[@flipina]

Yay! Missed the podcast!

[@xebit6661]

for a moment there i thought you were happy that you missed it😅

[@MrPatchtkennedy]

Fabi really had nothing of interest to say about clash of claims.

[@armandomarin371]

thanks for the video 👏👏👏

[@112233JORDAN]

@C-SQUARED apparently, Hans got his funds secured for the high roller tournament with Fabi.

[@mcj9526]

Kramnik was spending too much energy on other stuff and little energy on chess

[@erickLguzman]

Chess matters and Fabi’s mastery of it matters

[@joaquincuevas4341]

You dont talk that much of an event you consider a "circus"

[@justinbieber8028]

Fabi getting philosophical in this episode lol

[@gregg3457]

Thanks guys! I always enjoy your Podcasts

[@Najdorfc5]

My favorite chess podcast

[@eternalblueboy]

Cristian, what did u do? u look handsome today

[@rtheben]

Fabi is the real deal, so cool

[@sembrey5709]

Christian is right, Ding should've taken some time to savor his World Championship win. Hopefully he finds his center again before his match with Gukesh.

[@exoendo]

what happened around 51:50

[@lordhenry2965]

I dont care if the event was a circus. I only care that Kramnik was humiliated.

[@Clear_Prodigy]

occasionally you can hear christian breath so vividly if you're wearing a headset lol it was weird for me idk about y'all!

[@yannilibbes8219]

insane that fabi is saying kramnik wouldn't flag more with less increment when he was already blundering in simple time scrambles with more increment lmao. 3+1 is 3+0 for kramnik because of his abysmal mouse skills, that's been everyone's point from the beginning fabi 🤣

[@IrohsTeaShop]

love you fabi

[@bla4979]

its fabi, not fagy

[@roycohen.]

Regardless of if chess is a board game, it's all inherently meaningless. No one remembers anyone from 1000 years ago, so just imagine another 5k years from now.. all will be forgotten. Maybe they'll remember a few games from Magnus but that's about it.

[@thecasualchemist-S]

I mean, by this logic, everything is inherently meaningless. Every patient saved by every doctor in the world will eventually die. Every bridge and skyscraper engineers ever build will eventually collapse. Even the greatest achievements in human history are ultimately going to be forgotten - does anyone know the names of the engineers and scientists who made the moon landing possible? We might remember the astronauts, but not the thousands of people who made those missions happen. All any of us can do is live our best lives, be kind and moral to those around us, and have fun if we can. Watching people play chess well is fun for me, so I'm gonna keep doing that, even if these games are all lost to history eventually.

[@roycohen.]

@@thecasualchemist-S Well, it is, right. If we look at the big picture, it didn't matter if you were a doctor or a chess player. I agree, just enjoy your life and that's really the point of all of this, anyways.

[@B-fq7ff]

Baby discovers nihilism 👶

[@PC-vp2cg]

​@@roycohen.Dude has studied philosophy through Anime😂

[@adityaraj-ef2it]

Great content always loved it. But be more frequent in podcast, there are not that many who explain the inns and outs of this game. Plus, your streaming of Titled Tuesdays was excellent, 2 person format works well for you, not everyone can be Hikaru. Plus, your conversation makes it more worthwhile to watch. Keep doing it. More power.❤

[@FerrisMcLauren]

you left a comment without watching it first 😂 "Always"? No. grow up

[@jgreen802]

The podcast is inconsistent because Fabi is always flying around the world playing tournaments.

[@TheMrBennito]

Those people need talking points, so let's Ding

[@NotQuiteFirst]

Cristian destroying those Brown Recluses like a chad

[@DavidKoval-w6d]

Jospem should have offered to switch laptops

[@bla4979]

Kramnik said the same glitch that happened in the last online game, happened in the second game (where he was also apparently winning). Therefore, perhaps TWO games should be nullified which makes it 13.5 - 11.5 for jospem.

[@droyal18able]

Who cares.

[@luciangv3252]

There was a arbiter and they didn see that in the second game.

[@bla4979]

@@luciangv3252 Kramnik said they did. Plus, why would he play instantly given the fact that he had 30 secs left? His fast play is consistent with him seeing he had few seconds left. The few remaining seconds displayed made him play fast thus disabling him to convert a winning position into a win (ending in a draw).

[@purulento3911]

@@bla4979 There were already two games nullified. The second game and one jospem had won, cause apparently same problem had arised, even if it didn't unfluence the game (bc Kramnik blundered somewhere in the beginning). Jospem was willing not to nullify but to give the point to kramnik in the last one, cause kramnik was winning clearly and by that time jospem had already won the match anyway. Of course Kramnik didn't accept cause it was much better for him to make it look like it was "impossible to play". I hope they don't invite him anymore.

[@bla4979]

@@purulento3911 Which games were nullified? The second and the last? If so, that means the score is 13.5 - 11.5, as I previously wrote (that perhaps should be the case). I think the arbiter has the power of nullification, so it should not matter whether Kramnik accepted the nullification or not.

[@luciangv3252]

The match was no funny because Kramnik who thinks cn be a cry baby because is former WCC. The ego of some chess player makes chess worse. I put in the trash a book of Kramnik i bought.

[@beck4218]

Stop with Hans.

[@u.v.s.5583]

Impossible. Hans can not be ignored.

[@what-on-earth5632]

First!

[@armandomarin371]

are you a kid?

[@112233JORDAN]

It's not about who is first anymore. It's about who sends the most comments.

[@chesswithsamarth1004]

3 minutes ago is just crazy....

[@FerrisMcLauren]

dot dot dot

[@Whysoseriousja]

The truth is the aftermath of winning the WC is equivalent to post nut clarity. Achieving this great thing was meant to cause a meteoric shift which never comes, then one begins to question the point of it all. D!ng might be going through this as we speak, especially with ppl questioning the validity of his win. Fabi, can find solace in fact that most microsecond isolate seems meaningless but collectively you would agree that this was a productive hour? for varied reasons... such is life!

[@davidbarnett8617]

The sad thing about the World Chess Championship is that everyone knows Magnus is the strongest player. It degrades the WCC immensely. I mean, who really cares if it is DIng or Gukesh?

[@prcbras]

I care because of the high stakes, it's an event that is fun to watch because it's a 1v1 and it's immense pressure on the players, the human storylines become as important as the chess. Like when Ding choked and couldn't physically make a move, or when Nepo spoiled a completely winning advantage. I thought that match was fascinating to watch even though Magnus wasn't playing, it's still an incredibly selective and grueling process to choose which 2 players get to compete in it. Just as the best teams don't always win the world cup, but the champions do have to fight to get that honor for sure.

[@droyal18able]

With that attitude in the beginning, it is no wonder he hasn't been world champ. He doesn't have the desire to win that others do.

[@ramaniganesh9477]

Fabi - you manage to be direct and insightful but with great empathy instead of being brutal. I am sorry Cristian, Fabi deserves a better foil.

[@radul.6166]

It's DEEPLY disappointing to see Caruana dismissing chess - his entire career and life basically - as a meaningless "just a game board" with no real value. That's mind boggling obtuse thinking coming from one of the strongest player of all times. Hey Fabiano, what's the value of tennis ? Just 2 people lobbing a ball over a net. What's the value of basketball, soccer and the like ? Just some people running around trying to place a ball inside a net. I guess the hundreds of millions of fans who spend insane amounts of time watching (not even playing) are total idiots, right ? Chess is not only a sport, but many still replay and learn from games of 100 years ago, but nobody watches a basketball game from last year. What's the value of a painting, Caruana ? Just a canvas with some paint on it. Basically sports and art have no meaning in this guy's eyes. Hey Caruana, quit chess and get a desktop job, so you find meaning. Even better, you still got time to become a top notch plumber. Join forces with Ding, make the "Fabi & Ding - The Happy Plumbers" Ltd. company, and find the meaning you both miss so badly. Although in one aspect I agree : obviously spending all your life on nothing but chess closes your mind to the deeper meaning of life.

[@prcbras]

who do you think you are to tell one of the best players of all time what to feel? It's his career, it's his podcast, he can say whatever he wants and express himself. I found his take very understandable actually, you just can't put yourself in another person's shoes.

[@roman.korpachyov]

>deeper meaning of life Wow, I guess it must be either Allah or Buddha. Well, compared to some gods, chess is irrelevant and meaningless, Fabi is right for sure. But then you contradict yourself, well, whatever.

[@Ayatron34]

I think Ding is playing as well as youd expect for someone who took a year off elite level chess after his WCC win. Realistically we cant expect him to somehow be as good as he was.

[@B-fq7ff]

Ding had already fallen off by the time he played the WCC match. He hasn’t been the same since like 2019

[@PC-vp2cg]

Blundering mate in 2 does not seem to be natural. This seems to be a mental thing

[@OccamsTazer]

Ding is not having issues because of taking a break, he took a break because he has been having issues. He has spoken about being depressed and having insomnia and being on multiple medications for the same during the 'break'. He withdrew from multiple tournaments during this time.

[@joebloggs396]

@@B-fq7ff the coronovirus and the lack of travel had a big effect