‘A relief that it was over’: China No. 1 Wei Yi on 'long break' after Candidates
In an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com, China’s No. 1 Wei Yi opens up about the exhaustion of competing in his maiden Candidates Tournament, describing the end of the gruelling 14-round event as a relief. The Grandmaster reflects on his performance in Cyprus, the pressures of elite chess, why players sometimes need extended breaks to recover, and more.
Former Chinese Chess No. 1 Wei Yi recently concluded his first Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, a competition that lasted just 32 moves. Having already secured the title, Wei Yi's sole objective had been eliminated, leading to a draw in just ten minutes. Wei Yi, who also won an individual gold in the Chess Olympiad, expressed feeling extremely fatigued after the tournament.
He candidly admitted that competing in the Candidates Tournament, a grueling affair with 14 high-caliber games, was an exhausting experience. Wei Yi's tournament debut was marked by 10 draws, two wins, and two losses, placing him fourth behind Anish Giri, Fabiano Caruana, and Javokhir Sindarov. The Chinese GM's most notable defeats were against Caruana and Sindarov, with the latter prevailing in a queen-and-rook endgame under time pressure during a crucial round.
Wei Yi attributed his overall performance to the tournament's intense atmosphere and the pressures of playing at the top level. He also revealed that he took a break after the tournament to focus on his studies and recover his form, a sentiment echoed by his compatriot Ding Liren, who announced a nine-month hiatus following a disappointing performance in Romania the previous year.
Despite the challenges, Wei Yi remains optimistic about the growth of chess in India, expressing his desire to see the sport gain more traction in China.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
