Yet, he speaks with a rare candour for somebody who holds that title.
At least some of his waking thoughts revolve around not wanting to be known as the 'weakest champion'.
"If I always finish in the last place," he told this daily in an interaction days ahead of Norway Chess, where he's scheduled to take part against the likes of Magnus Carlsen and R Praggnanadhaa, “then people will say he's the weakest champion." There's a reason behind why he thinks like this. Since his coronation last year (he beat Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi in tie-breaks in April 2023), Liren has been on a prolonged downward trajectory. It even led to Carlsen speculating whether winning the title 'completely broke' him.
After beating Nepomniachtchi, Liren immediately took part in the first leg of the Grand Chess Tour in Bucharest. He finished eighth in a field of 10. After that event in Romania, the Chinese inexplicably shut down his year. While the world of chess carried on, the champion was seemingly on an indefinite holiday. He didn't grant interviews and there were no explanations for his absence.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Pak Christians urge action against Zakir
PAKISTAN's Christian leaders have written to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking action against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik for discrediting their faith during his ongoing tour of the country.
Man issues bomb threat to rly station over missed freebies
A 62-year-old man from Ariyalur, frustrated over missing out on government freebies such as mixer grinders, fans, and TVs, allegedly issued a bomb threat to Velachery MRTS station on Tuesday.
US, Qatar announce resumption of truce talks, new options on table
US Secy of State met Qatari PM in Doha, discussed the next steps
TIME TO END DEBATES & BUILD UP AMARAVATI
AMARAVATI, the greenfield capital envisioned for the reshaped Andhra Pradesh in 2014, began on a grand scale with a glittering masterplan befitting its name.
SYNERGY, NOT SPITE, IS THE WAY TO GO FOR SINO-INDIAN TIES
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi put the ties between the two Asian giants into perspective when he stated their relations are important not only for the people of both countries, but also for regional and global peace and stability.
HOW TO KEEP THE RAIL SAFETY DEBATE ON TRACK
RAILWAY accidents frequently hit the news the latest being the derailment of 12 coaches of the Mysore-Darbhanga Express at Kavaraipettai, Tamil Nadu.
TRUMP COULD BE HEADING BACK TO WHITE HOUSE
Less than a fortnight before the election, Donald Trump seems to be inching ahead in his race against Kamala Harris. It has left politicos and pundits hedging their bets
Satcom Showdown: Jio-SES vs Airtel-OneWeb vs Elon Musk's Starlink
The eighth edition of India Mobile Congress 2024 in Delhi concluded recently, not only showcasing cutting-edge telecommunication technology but also serving as a platform to debate on satellite communication.
OPEN-SOURCE MODELS
TO ACCELERATE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT IN CRITICAL SECTORS
WFI writes to UWW, withdraws team from Worlds
INDIAN wrestling witnessed frenetic activities on Thursday. Already in the soup since January last year, the sport plunged to a new low when the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) decided not to field a team at the senior World Championships—Non-Olympic Weight Categories scheduled in Tirana, Albania from October 28 to 31.
