Cowardice is a lack of character. Glad to play with Dubov in a blitz match on any terms,” he wrote in social network X.
At the same time Niemann offered to pay all travel and accommodation expenses for Dubov to organize their meeting. In addition, he promised to donate $10,000 (more than 1 million rubles) to a charity of Dubov's choice if he wins.
Earlier, Dubov explained that he went to the hotel to quickly prepare for the party, but accidentally fell asleep. When he woke up, he realized that he was late for the match. As a result, he was given a technical defeat, which eliminated his chances of reaching the quarterfinals. When asked how one could fall asleep at such a moment, Dubov humorously replied that perhaps it was his talent.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented on the situation around the chess player Magnus Carlsen, fined for violating the dress code during the world championship in blitz and rapid. The chess player was charged for appearing at the tournament in jeans, which violated the rules of the competition. The diplomat cited Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky as an example. In Lavrov's opinion, he also violates generally accepted norms by appearing at official events in khaki-colored clothes, but he was not subjected to such sanctions.