Karjakin’s Defeat but Russia’s Victory: “Welcome Home, Our Hero”

Russian grandmaster could not take the crown from Magnus Carlsen of Norway, but, the chess players surveyed by Business FM note that his game has revived huge interest in this sport in Russia. Sergey Karjakin has not become the 17th world chess champion. Nevertheless, the Russian grandmaster can claim the crown in the next two-year cycle.

In the night of December 1, the most important discovery of the season, the Russian of Crimean origin, lost to the reigning world champion, Magnus Carlsen of Norway, in the rapid chess game with a score of 1: 3. Business FM asked Russian chess players to rate the final match.

Vladimir Palikhata, Head of Legacy Square Capital, Sergey Karjakin’s sponsor and friend:

“Unfortunately, Sergey has lost, but he has lost with dignity, because of cumulative fatigue. In fact, all the basic time was tied, but he lost the tie-break. From time to time, he had chances to be winning. He did not make use of these chances, and it was an idealess game in the second part. We will go on working, at all accounts, welcome home, our hero, because it’s a great achievement to have played 12 games with Carlsen and actually to have them tied”.