Two Chess Grandmasters arrange the worst fixed draw ever

Context

Currently there's the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship 2023 going on with the following format:

• Dec 29, 2023 – Dec 30, 2023

• Players compete in a 21-round Swiss

• The time control is 3+2

In chess you win a game and get 1 point, you lose and get 0 points, A draw gives both players exactly 1/2 (0.5) points.

After today the rankings look like this:

The match between Dubov and Ian was - however - a completely fixed match beforehand with both players agreeing on drawing the game as fast as possible by only moving the knights.

Here's the match: https://www.chess.com/events/2023-fide-world-blitz-chess-championship/11/Dubov_Daniil-Nepomniachtchi_Ian

Reddit Reactions

• Hammer on Dubov-Nepo match fixing: This is match-fixing beyond reasonable doubt. Dubov and Nepo idiots for risking their careers for this

• Nepo - Dubov result set to 0-0 because of match fixing

• World Blitz: Dubov vs Nepo a troll, only all Knight moves to make a draw! This is the final position!

• Head of complaints committee confirms that both Dubov and Nepo are receiving 0's for the funky draw (both players are appealing)

• Nepo and Dubov punished for draw game

• and more online

Further Context

This is especially funny considering Ian complained about Magnus receiving preferential treatment by getting his own lounge and laptop.

https://x.com/lachesisq/status/1739699059076587920

Dear @FIDE_chess and organisers of the Championship! As known, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. Is it fair to provide @MagnusCarlsen a personal lounge where he can rest and prepare to the game using a laptop, while nobody else has such an opportunity?

Reddit Thread to That

... and he complained about many other things including players abusing the tournament system (Ding last year, some third world muslim this year cba remembering his name, ...) to artificially increase their rating to get into the candidates tournament which allows the winner to face the current world champion (classical) for the title (which Ian lost last year)

There's also some drama about Anna Kazarian who got fined for showing up in sneakers (chess has a strict dress code) but that's whatever.