11.26.21 The 2021 FIDE World Championship takes place November 24-December 16, 2021 in Dubai, UAE. The championship will be played for a €2 million prize fund between the reigning world champion GM Magnus Carlsen and the challenger GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, who won the 2020-2021 FIDE Candidates Tournament. Game 1 was drawn after 45 moves.

Game 1 of the 2021 World Chess Championship began as a Ruy Lopez. The first surprise that caught the challenger slightly off guard was Carlsen's 14...Rfb8. After a long think, a trade of Queens, and a few inaccuracies on both sides, the players shook on a draw on move 45.

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Games and Coverage from lichess

Official Site of the FIDE World Chess Championship

Game 1 Coverage on ChessBase.com

Let the games of the 2021 FIDE World Chess Championship begin! image: chessbase

Regulations

The match will be played over 14 standard games.

The first player to reach 7.5 points wins.

At the opening ceremony, a drawing of colors determines who will start with the white pieces.

The time control is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 61.

If the scores are level after the regular 14 games, four tie-break games will be played. These are rapid games with 25 minutes for each player with an increment of 10 seconds after each move.

If it's still equal, two blitz games will be played (5 minutes plus 3 seconds increment). If it's still equal, a second pair of two blitz games will be played. If there is still no winner after five such matches, one sudden-death game will be played.
The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the color. The player with the white pieces shall receive 5 minutes, the player with the black pieces shall receive 4 minutes whereupon, after the 60th move, both players shall receive an increment of 3 seconds starting from move 61. In case of a draw, the player with the black pieces is declared the winner.

The players cannot draw a game by agreement before Black's 30th move.

A claim for a draw before Black's 30th move is permitted only through one of the arbiters in
the cases of a threefold repetition.