Ian Nepomniachtchi

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Geoff Chandler
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Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Geoff Chandler » Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:10 pm

I hope Carlsen manages to hold on to his title else we will have a world champion difficult to spell, pronounce
and sporting a man bun. I want my world champions with simple names (Tal and Euwe were ideal) short back
and sides, clean shaven (Steinitz and Lasker are acceptable exceptions) and all round jolly good fellows.

I'm not satisfied with the forename either. We want an Alexander, a Mikhail, a Magnus, even a Gary and Bobby is OK.

But an Ian. I use to get bullied at school for being English by a guy called Ian. The name still traumatises me.
Actually when I think about it other members of that 'let's get the English kid' gang were called, Bobby, Gary and
a Zander (Alexander). It's a wonder I can still view my World Chess Champions collection without collapsing in a sobbing heap.

Image
Picture from the Guardian.

(It was a bit grim the first few weeks at Winchburgh school, I joined just after England beat Scotland 9-3 at Wembley.
I was the only English kid there and a target, but the girls thought my Bethnal Green accent was cool. They protected me.
Me being a novelty soon wore off and it was OK, quite good in fact.)

Good Luck Nepo. Looking forward to it already.

NickFaulks
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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by NickFaulks » Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:17 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:10 pm
I want my world champions with simple names (Tal and Euwe were ideal)
Be honest, when did you stop pronouncing the latter "yew"?
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Tim Harding
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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Tim Harding » Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:26 pm

Yes, his first name is pronounced Yan, not Ee-an.

He is named for a famous saint in Bohemia. Anyone who has been to Prague and walked on Charles Bridge will have seen the statue and if you took a walking tour you will have heard the story.

See for example https://www.pragueexperience.com/places.asp?PlaceID=803

What intrigues me (and no chess commentator I have heard has discussed this) is how this Czech saint's name got to Russia.
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Michael Farthing
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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Michael Farthing » Thu Apr 29, 2021 1:15 pm

And there's another Czech Yan hero also associated in a way with Russia though usually he is usually spelled 'Jan'.

a young student, Jan Palach, burned himself to death in protest at the Russian invasion of the then Czechslovakia in August 1968 and the site of his death is also a modern pilgrimage point in Prague.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by JustinHorton » Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:35 pm

Must we really discuss foreign names in terms of how difficult they are to spell haw haw. It's embarrassing even when it's self-deprecatory. I know some people here find it difficult to accept that times change, but even back when I was a kid we had a phrase "don't display your ignorance".
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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by David Sedgwick » Thu Apr 29, 2021 4:03 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:35 pm
Must we really discuss foreign names in terms of how difficult they are to spell haw haw. It's embarrassing even when it's self-deprecatory. I know some people here find it difficult to accept that times change, but even back when I was a kid we had a phrase "don't display your ignorance".
It's not just foreign names, of course.

Some years ago a poster called Alan Burke caused problems on this Forum which led to Carl banning him.

I didn't feel that that made jokes based on his name in any way appropriate.

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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Ian Thompson » Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:25 pm

There has been previous discussion of his name on this forum.

Alistair Campbell
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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Alistair Campbell » Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:26 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:35 pm
Must we really discuss foreign names in terms of how difficult they are to spell haw haw. It's embarrassing even when it's self-deprecatory. I know some people here find it difficult to accept that times change, but even back when I was a kid we had a phrase "don't display your ignorance".
There's a semi-serious point here.

Given it is not uncommon for stars of stage and screen to have changed their names, perhaps to make them more marketable, are there advantages to having a more "acceptable" name, both to the individual and the industry?

Did Kasparov not change (or have changed for him??) his first name and family name?

I knew Ian was pronounced "Yan" or "Jan" - I assume Nepomniachtchi is pronounced as it's spelled.
Geoff Chandler wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:10 pm

(It was a bit grim the first few weeks at Winchburgh school, I joined just after England beat Scotland 9-3 at Wembley.
Luckily this was before my time - but I remember the joke - "What's the time?" "Almost 10 past Haffey". Poor Frank - had to leave the country. Became a cabaret artist on the Gold Coast.

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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Geoff Chandler » Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:02 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:17 pm
Be honest, when did you stop pronouncing the latter "yew"?
Yes!
1969 Den Helga (Holland) playing chess in a bar and the talk got around to great players.
The lad mentioned 'Ouver' a few times and got blank looks from me.
He wrote it down. Euwe. OOPS!

At the Lindores Abbey chess event a few years ago I did a recce a few weeks before it started.
(I have a wee shop within a shop at Auchtermuchty so I was in the neighbourhood.)

One of the organiser asked me how you pronounce Ian's (Jan's) name.
I was not too sure but did advise against calling him 'Nepo' which they used. At the time it was thought
he disliked it. (Apparently he is OK with it.) However no need because he cancelled just before the event.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10209&hilit=Abbey#p231038

(which reminds me, now Nicky has allowed us to travel I can scoot up to Lindores Abbey and see if
they are selling the chess memorabilia off cheaply. )

I now have it of to pat as I'm bound to get asked again by my non-playing friends or BBC Scotland.
They have my number, I live near their Edinburgh radio station and I never ask for a fee.
Got a call about 'Queens Gambit.' said all my chess friends (you lot) liked it, thought the chess was spot on.
(still not seen it but going round to brother house soon, he has Netflix.)

Hi Alistair,

I suppose I must have been bragging about the 9-3 result which upset the locals. Certainly sound like me.

Funnily enough never got much bother with the football, but if England ever beat Scotland at rugby
then I'd get a Chinese burn. I never got that, it was not a rugger school, they only had a football team.
At James Clark's School I was made captain of the cricket team because I was the only English lad there!
That is absolutely true!

'a semi-serious point.' Me, semi-serious? It's a joke post. I knew some would mumble and grumble.

Hi Justin,

"....back when I was a kid we had a phrase "don't display your ignorance."

Good Grief. What kind of kid were you. That is adult speech.
Stay away from the grown ups mate...they worry about things and grow old.

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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Eric Gardiner » Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:16 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:02 pm
NickFaulks wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 12:17 pm
Be honest, when did you stop pronouncing the latter "yew"?
Yes!
1969 Den Helga (Holland) playing chess in a bar and the talk got around to great players.
The lad mentioned 'Ouver' a few times and got blank looks from me.
He wrote it down. Euwe. OOPS!

I was told by a native Dutch speaker that's it's more like Errwer. At any rate, he pronounced it like the voice in Google Translate does with an English w in the middle rather than v. I suppose the way you'd spell the sound might depend on your own accent though!

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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Geoff Chandler » Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:36 pm

Hi Eric,

Yes it was that, I of course had it down as Yew, It was at the same meeting that I realised Keres was Keresh.

----

Now I know it's checkers/draughts, but has anyone see this. (maybe media comments is the place.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56927758

" diplomatic incident erupted when a Polish official removed a Russian player's flag mid-game at the Women's World Draughts Championship.

In a video of the incident, Russia's Tamara Tansykkuzhina is deep in concentration, then suddenly distracted by the official's intervention.

The reigning champion lost the game to Poland's Natalia Sadowska.

The official later apologised but said he had urgently needed to comply with a sports ruling against Russia.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has banned Russian sportsmen and women from competing under
the Russian flag for two years, until 16 December 2022, including at the Tokyo Olympics"

So back on track - what flag will Nepomniachtchi be allowed to play under? (if any)

Leonard Barden
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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Leonard Barden » Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:33 pm

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:36 pm

----So back on track - what flag will Nepomniachtchi be allowed to play under? (if any)
That burning question, as well as other matters, is up for discussion in tomorrow's
Guardian article, scheduled to appear online at 8am.

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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by NickFaulks » Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:04 am

Geoff Chandler wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:36 pm
----So back on track - what flag will Nepomniachtchi be allowed to play under? (if any)
I'm puzzled. Didn't I read about this flag ruling a couple of months ago?
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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Geoff Chandler » Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:15 am

Leonard Barden wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 10:33 pm
That burning question, as well as other matters, is up for discussion in tomorrow's
Guardian article, scheduled to appear online at 8am.
Hi Mr Barden,

Hopefully John has been in touch regarding some forenames of Aitken's opponents.
Thank you for your help in this matter.

Now up to the point where Aitken moved to Cheltenham (1954) and he has gone rampant.
No 70-80 moves rook endings. Loads of miniature wins, especially as Black.

Personally think flags have no place at a chessboard. I thought we were all meant to be one people.
But having said that, checkers and draughts did get into the mainstream media so keep flags in.

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Re: Ian Nepomniachtchi

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:09 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:04 am
Geoff Chandler wrote:
Thu Apr 29, 2021 7:36 pm
----So back on track - what flag will Nepomniachtchi be allowed to play under? (if any)
I'm puzzled. Didn't I read about this flag ruling a couple of months ago?
Pete Doggers
FIDE's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer David Llada provided the following statement:

FIDE can confirm that, due to the WADA sanctions against Russia, Ian Nepomniachtchi will not be allowed to play under the Russian flag at the World Championship match in Dubai.

This ban forbids Russian athletes and event organizers to display publicly the flag of the Russian Federation, the name “Russia”, (in any language or format), or any national emblem or national symbol of the Russian Federation, including on their clothes, equipment, or other personal items, at any event under the denomination "World Championship".

CAS directly clarified to FIDE that these restrictions do not apply to the qualification stage of any world championship, like the World Cup 2021 and the Women's World Cup 2021 that will take place in Russia later this year.
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