Ding Liren, “I am fully prepared and not nervous at all”

Report by Dr. Dudayeff from Astana

Today is the opening ceremony of the long anticipated Ian Nepomniachtchi vs Ding Liren, aka Nepo – Ding final match of the World Chess Championship 2023. Chessdom will follow the events from Astana, with expert commentary and news, in a minute-by-minute live blog here.

The days before the match have been tense, loaded with expectations and organizational details. Ding Liren sends a different vibe and says, “I am fully prepared and not nervous at all”

All news about Ding Liren / All news about Ian Nepomniachtchi

Ding Liren participated in several activities organized by the organizer, including media interviews. Talking about the game and opponents, Ding said that he is fully prepared and not nervous at all. He did not hesitate to share his thoughts on his opponent, “The best thing about Nepo is that he is well prepared for the start, and he can quickly defeat the opponent when he is in good condition. His weakness is that he is more emotional.” Ding added, “I and Nepo are not close friends, but Nepo is very friendly. I used to have happy exchanges with him outside of games, and I also watched basketball games together. It is a very pleasant memory.” Ding Liren also commented on Magnus Carlsen, you can see his comments here

Regarding the World Championships, Ding Liren said that the first time he paid attention to this match was in 2006.

Topalov vs. Kramnik in 2006 was the first match I paid attention to. At that time, I never thought that one day I would stand on this stage.

Ding Liren before his match for the World Championship

Chessdom will continue to follow the events around Ding Liren – Ian Nepomniachtchi on a daily basis on the main page, here on Chessdom Twitter and on Chessdom Facebook, while the most curious details will be in the TweetOftheDay section. Starting April 7 we will have a daily blog on the World Chess Championship 2023.