‘A relief that it was over’: China No. 1 Wei Yi on 'long break' after Candidates
Chinese chess grandmaster Wei Yi discusses the mental and physical exhaustion experienced during his first Candidates Tournament. He reflects on the high-pressure environment of elite classical chess and his relief upon completing the event.
Why it matters
It highlights the often-overlooked psychological and physical toll of high-level competitive chess on professional athletes.
NEW DELHI: The last game of Wei Yi's first Candidates Tournament lasted 32 moves. Javokhir Sindarov had already clinched the title and the right to challenge India's Dommaraju Gukesh in the upcoming World Championship match; Wei Yi had nothing left to chase. And subsequently, neither player pressed for a win, and the game ended in a draw after roughly ten minutes.China's Wei Yi, who more recently clinched an individual gold on Board 2 in the open section of the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, does not dress things up when you ask the Chinese No. 1 how he felt when his first Candidates Tournament ended in Cyprus. There is no talk of glory or regret."My first feeling was that I was extremely tired," the Grandmaster told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction. "I remember taking a long rest after the final round.
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