Inside an Odd chess ritual Of rivals unpacking the battle

In the World C'ship, the victor and the vanquished sit side by side after every game, dissecting how they made each other's lives a nightmare on board

- Susan Ninan

BENGALURU: It's a bit of a weird chess ritual if you think about it. Two players who've spent the last couple of hours trying to destroy each other, sit at the same table moments later, peel off the scabs and tell the world how they feel. The victor and the vanquished share a joint deposition.

While this practice is part of major chess tournaments such as the eight-player Candidates event, it appears most pronounced in the World Championship—where it's just two players in a gladiatorial fight for chess' ultimate prize who appear jointly to address the press after every game. It's mandatory according to Fide guidelines for the match, and failing to show up can lead to 10% of earnings being docked.

It's also a moment of truth. After a couple of hours of dueling against each other in a soundproof bubble, with nothing but their instincts, calculation, and preparation, they emerge to be confronted by every tactic they overlooked, every miniscule opportunity they missed. After Game 5, for instance, Ding Liren walked in for the press conference, content with the quick draw, only to be told by everyone else in the room, his opponent and the laptop on the table offering crude evaluation—that he had an advantage and could have pushed for a win. It must feel like a cold shower from hell. Chess players are only too used to it. "I didn't see the idea with 28...Rc8... I didn't realize that it was a big advantage for me," said the reigning world champion.