Now that the irregular 2020-21 Candidates Tournament has ended, all focus is on the World Championship Match which is more than six months away and is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, November 24.
The Candidates were stopped at the halfway stage in 2020 owing to the coronavirus pandemic. The two titans of the brain game, Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen and his Russian challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi, are now preparing to do battle in a 12-game title fixture with victories counting as 1 point, draws as ½ point and losses as 0. If the match is drawn, the title holder will retain the championship.