Last year, the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, which marked the conclusion of the tournament season, was rife with controversy. The Rapid event was particularly affected by the incident involving Magnus Carlsen and his jeans, which overshadowed the competition. This controversy extended into the Blitz Championship, where spectators witnessed World No. 1 Carlsen share the title with Ian Nepomniachtchi under contentious circumstances.

A video that gained significant attention showed Carlsen advising the Russian Grandmaster to play for quick draws until FIDE reconsidered its rules. This exchange reportedly occurred after the tie-breaker round, during which the two players had drawn their games.

The footage sparked allegations of match-fixing against both players, although Carlsen later clarified that his comments were intended as a jest regarding FIDE's inadequate tiebreaker regulations. Following this incident, Nepomniachtchi refrained from addressing the media but recently broke his silence to discuss his preparations.

In an interview with TASS, he stated, “I generally prepared for the December tournaments in advance. I played training matches with Alexander Grischuk, who also performed admirably, securing a silver medal in rapid. I engaged in some online training with Vladimir Chuchelov and worked on problems independently, while also maintaining my physical fitness. On December 23, I travelled to New York without stopping at home.”

“I will certainly focus on the World Cup and the Grand Swiss, as these are the primary tournaments for the year,” he added.

The Blitz final commenced with Carlsen securing two victories, requiring only a draw to clinch the title. However, Ian mounted a comeback, levelling the score to 2-2 in the fourth game. In the subsequent sudden death phase, both players drew three times before Carlsen suggested they share the title, a proposal that was accepted by his opponent.

Additionally, the Russian Grandmaster earned a bronze medal at the Rapid Championships. In December, he faced Carlsen in the final of the Champions Chess Tour, where he was defeated. Earlier in September, he triumphed at the Gashimov Memorial. During the 2024 Candidates Tournament, he initially held the lead but was ultimately surpassed by D Gukesh.

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