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The goal for Chinese GM Wei Yi, since his comeback to chess in 2024, has been clear: make the cut for the next Candidates in 2026.
GM Wei Yi at Wijk Aan Zee (X)
In terms of talent and preparation, Chinese GM Wei Yi belongs to the rare group of players capable of becoming a world champion. Unfortunately, chess never became the main focus of his life as he stepped away from the sport. Until now.
Having tended to his own personal dues, Wei Yi made a surprise comeback to chess in 2024: a sport whose landscape had changed immensely over the four years he relinquished. But, there was no denying the greatness of the Chinese GM, who has once again slowly begun his rise back into prominence among the best, entering the Top 10 yet again.
An immediate triumph at Wijk Aan Zee followed by a dominant showing at the Grand Chess Tour in Warsaw last year saw the Chinese prodigy once again tap into the dominance he once showcased across the chess landscape.
Although the Chinese GM couldn’t defend his title at Wijk Aan Zee this year, he still refused to lose, putting up the only unbeaten campaign in the tournament — 12 draws and one win – to secure a sixth place finish.
The goal this time though for Wei Yi is clear: make the cut for the next Candidates.
“After my graduation last year, I have tried to work more on my game. This year I plan to play in many tournaments, much more than last year. My goal is to qualify for the next Candidates. But, I know that it’s not going to be easy and there is a long way to go. So I am trying to just focus on my next tournament and take it one at a time,” Yi stated in an exclusive interview with News18 Sports.
“I know that having taken the break to focus on my degree led to me losing out on some valuable training time. But, there are so many other intangibles that I have taken away from being in university which has helped me to sharpen myself.”
At age 13, Wei was already a grandmaster. At 15, he was, and still is, the youngest in chess history to achieve an elite GM 2700 rating. Then he plateaued around 2725, and stayed at that level for the best part of a decade. One reason was a five-year economics and management course at a leading Chinese university, from which he will graduate in July 2024. Another was COVID: he has competed outside China only twice since the pandemic.
While the pandemic proved to be a hindrance for Wei, it paved the path for many young players who rose to superstardom through the period to the point where they now compete against the very best – with the best currently being none other than 18-year-old World Champion D Gukesh.
“COVID led to the rise of many young players in chess — players who have grown in strength in such a short period of time. Players like Pragg (Praggnanandhaa), Gukesh and Arjun (Erigaisi) are obviously the cream of the crop now. I think what the pandemic led to was a change in the dynamics among the top GMs in chess – with many young players now breaking into the top flight,” Wei remarked.
Gukesh was undoubtedly the one who didn’t just break through, but forged his own path to history, defeating then-world champion Ding Liren in an exhilarating World Championship match this past December to take the crown and become the youngest-ever to do so.
Wei, who is a friend of Ding, admitted that the former World Champion wasn’t in his best shape leading up to the Final, but expressed faith and confidence in the Chinese GM to once again recoup.
“Ding was not in his best shape heading into the World Championship. But, I do think that the Chess Olympiad helped him find more of his footing again.”
“In the World Championship as well, I think he showed great fight. I know he had the massive blunder in the final game, but he definitely showed much improvement by then.”
“Given it was Gukesh’s first time playing at the Championship, he made a couple mistakes and played a bit nervous initially, which is completely understandable. But by the end, I think both players put on a wonderful tournament for all of us to witness.”
Whether we shall witness Ding back in contention for the crown or not remains a mystery for all, but Wei hopes to see his compatriot back at his best again.
“I think Ding will play quite a bit this year. But, as he himself had stated, he may not participate in classical chess tournaments, and may not aim for the Candidates particularly. I do hope that he plays in the World Cup and Grand Swiss though. So, there does exist the possibility that Ding may directly qualify for the next Candidates if he shows a strong outing there. I’m not too sure.”
What Wei does know is that his way to success is going to be one filled with obstacles galore, staring with the 2025 Norway Chess tournament, set to take place from May 26 to June 6 in Stavanger, where the World No.8 will take on the very best such as Carlsen, Nakamura, Caruana and Gukesh again.
“Norway Chess is going to be the toughest competition for me since I made my comeback. The talent pool is so impressive, having the top five players in the world as my competitors. I know I need to be careful, due to my lack of experience, and I need to do my best. Else, it’s not going to be good news for me,” admitted a humble Wei.
“It could also be my lack of experience with playing tiebreaks, something that is quite new to me, that may prove to be an obstacle for me. But I want to make the next Candidates. That is why I am planning to play as much chess as I can this year.”
“It’s not going to be easy. But, I am going to give it my best.”
Show us the Wei indeed, Yi.