Ian Nepomniachtchi | when everything is broken

Ian Nepomniachtchi's chess career is marked by both brilliance and heartbreak. While his aggressive playing style has earned him respect and victories, he's also faced some crushing defeats. The most notable was the 2021 World Chess Championship against Magnus Carlsen. After a promising start, Nepomniachtchi inexplicably crumbled under pressure, losing several winning positions with blunders. This ultimately led to a dominant win for Carlsen. In 2023, he seemed poised to redeem himself, even taking the lead after a dramatic Game 7 against Ding Liren in the Candidates Tournament. However, he couldn't maintain momentum and ultimately lost the chance to challenge Carlsen again. Most recently, Nepomniachtchi suffered another setback in the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament, failing to qualify for the World Championship match after being outplayed by the rising star, Gukesh. These losses showcase Nepomniachtchi's immense talent but also highlight his struggles with pressure and maintaining focus in high-stakes situations.

[@abirvaabchatterjee6439]

3:04 I think this is one of the single most powerful things we can tell ourselves, that is honest and truthful, not any deceit nor false hope, just a simple reality. To live is to try.

[@GustavoMaldonado42]

somehow i find myself rooting more and more for him. may he be world champ one day

[@alanklm]

yup

[@thedestroyer003]

True fighter

[@Viva-la-de-hs4ub]

That's why he is losing

[@raiedzaly]

he's gonna choke again, 2 time wcc challenger and still choking 😂😂

[@thedestroyer003]

@@raiedzaly so what is their yo laugh in it? Choking is his weakness so wht? Everyone has weakness. Better to focus on someone's strength & appreciate it.

[@SushobhanPal]

IAN is the most human player in the chess world

[@mortalchess]

true, he wears his emotions on his sleeve, makes him more relatable.

[@paperclips1306]

We'll ask hikaru the same question.

[@paperclips1306]

We'll ask hikaru the same question.

[@alanklm]

Well, one thing Nepo has proven - that he can play very stable, 41 candidates matches w/o a single loss in a row! Gj, Nepo, and sorry that that was not enough. Yet?

[@mortalchess]

41 games against the best of the best..INSANE!

[@georgenotfound5345]

well played brother ,,,,nepo i always support you

[@abdulmutaal306]

It will. It surely will rise tomorrow! I have supported Ian since the first time he won the candidates. After all that he has gone through, he really deserves to win the championship at least once.

[@mortalchess]

I think so too, but what if Gukesh becomes the world champ and magnus decides to play in the next candidates😐😐

[@lilamil.]

@@mortalchess Magnus really may not be that good in your classic round robin anymore - he actually wasn't even dominant in his 2013 Candidates

[@HelloWorld12347]

As an emotional person, I find myself rooting for him so many times but you it feels like his troubles are his own creation. He is a nice guy and all but he seems to play very reckless games. He has the talent but doesn't put in the required work or doesn't have similar focus and patience as the other top guys. He gets into winning positions and throws them away. Often gets into losing positions due to non-thinking moves (that too in critical games). He never changes those things also.

[@mortalchess]

I'm more of a robot myself, one too many heartbreaks lol.. Though I must admit, the world is deeper, much more colorful and much more meaningful when you allow yourself to engage with it emotionally.

[@catchthesefans]

This has been my observation of Ian too. He definitely is an emotional natural talent who hates to put in the work. Not saying he doesn't, but he did admit in an interview hes lazy lol I also don't want to make mental health speculations, but all the fidgeting makes me think he may have adhd or anxiety. He could really benefit from a sports psychologist.

[@anirudh6635]

Being Ian is very tough.hope he is gonna become world champion the next time

[@thepoofication]

Nepo is a legend!

[@kaushalpandey3830]

Imagine he winning the world chess championship after all these struggles..

[@dhanisantoso6909]

The 2nd is much better than the average, GO nepo, never give up 👍👍

[@mortalchess]

he will be back soon I'm sure

[@thegorn]

"Rise and rise again and again like the phoenix from the ashes until the lambs become lions" - Mike Tyson

[@SimplifiedPie]

My chess performance is similar to Ian's, as in we either play super well, or way below performing level. Even if he isn't at his best though he'd still be much better than me as I'm rated 1853 which is far below Ian.

[@mortalchess]

I used to be like that too, I could beat a really strong opponent and then go on to lose to a much weaker one..I think its all psychology.

[@SimplifiedPie]

@@mortalchess That could be the case, I myself reached 1919, and now I'm actually training my tactics, endgames, and openings so I don't drop back down.

[@gamensch2629]

3:05 It's cloudy in my area though

[@KartikeyG]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[@mortalchess]

lol😂 london?

[@gamensch2629]

@@mortalchess nahh :| Berlin

[@janpol466]

Story of the forever second.

[@user-dw4dq1if1m]

The last interview was way before the recent candidates right?

[@datdudeinred]

You should make a compilation with Linkin Park "in the end" song & no commentary ofc.

[@mortalchess]

ive just listened to the song, that wud be a cool video. better if there is a slower version of the song, chess clips are low energy unlike other sports.

[@datdudeinred]

@@mortalchess yeah slow + reverb can be a good idea but hope it won't ruin the og song.

[@KartikeyG]

Really nice man! But yes, he loses stability and focus.

[@mortalchess]

yah man that inside voice can be brutal sometimes, it seems like his is his worst enemy.

[@anandmoon5701]

Ian and Fabi should have played better before there last match.

[@mortalchess]

I agree, it was a tough field though, the likes of alireza and pragg can hand you a defeat any day of the week.

[@Greatermaxim]

Magnus Carlsen is the Mario of Chess while ian is the Luigi. Always in Magnus's shadow.

[@tiwariabhinay868]

His sad face make me more sad

[@Sagar-wn1po]

Frankly, i don't see any champion like trait like him. Who does so many blunders at such a level?

[@mcronrn]

He made a 30 move draw against Abasov in Round 1 with an hour left on the clock… 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@MADDOXXXbr]

exactly

[@luciangv3252]

He was black. Abasov was in preparation. When white want to Draw Is almost imposible to win.

[@arungupta3838]

​@@luciangv3252 but gukesh won with black against abasov and thats probably where the difference was made

[@kennethkilian1971]

​@@arungupta3838 yeah gukesh also managed to beat alireza in R13, that win was crucial to put him in the lead in the final round

[@luciangv3252]

@@arungupta3838 but no is the same play the first round than 9 round vs abasov

[@apennameandthata2017]

Nepo is a boring chess roadblock.