World Chess Championship (the intro)

I’ve arrived and It’s hot, I knew it would be hot but not as hot as this.
The only people I see at midday are a few mad dogs and Englishmen.

A scenic view of the Dubai skyline.


The match is the best of 14 classical games and if the scores are level
then the Mickey Mouse events kick in. Rapid, Blitz and Armageddon

I’ve been to where I think the venue is. It’s looks super and pretty cool.
(though ‘cool’ is a word not banded around here too much...it’s so hot.)


Of course, despite the heat, it did not take me long to find the charity shops.


No 2nd hand chess books. But loads of books on how to treat sunstroke.

(enough of the ‘Oh it’s so hot’ gags greenpawn.....Russ)

The debate in my hotel lobby, mainly conducted by sign language as the
hotel clerk cannot speak English, was about flags. Yes you read right, flags!

You see Nepo might not be able to play under the Russian flag.


Because the Russian....


OOPS! You see Nepo might not be able to play under the Russian flag.


Under some ruling, we are not too sure of what the exact rule is, something
to with the Russian athletes getting caught in dope tests. So maybe ( we really
do not know) Nepo will have to play with the FIDE flag on his side of the table


Magnus is OK. He can play under his own flag. (if flags are allowed.)


In the 1978 Karpov - Korchnoi match the matter of flags boiled over...

(forget the flags greenpawn, get on with it....Russ)

I wonder if Dubai will issue a set of stamps to mark the occasion. They did in 1986.


A set of Dubai stamps to commemorate the 27th Chess Olympiad.
I submitted a possible design but as yet have not heard anything back.


My 89th attempt at a chess stamp that I have designed for various chess events.
None have ever been accepted, but I’m rather proud of this one. Fingers crossed.

Who will win? Everyone and their mad dog has made a prediction.
I put money on Nepo only because the odds against him were so good.


OK that is the introduction to the match done. Next blog (hot off the press - geddit?)
will be game one and then I’ll do game two. Doing in the games in the order they are
played in seems the way to go. For the Carlsen - Karjakin match I mixed the order up,
Game 3 followed Game 8 etc. I thought at the time this would be a good idea but I
only succeeded in confusing everyone (me included - I missed Game 4 out completely)

The thread accompanying this blog is Thread 191088