Ding Liren: Can the new World Chess Champion become the best player in the world? | In Focus podcast
b'Chess has a new world champion \\u2013 30-year-old Ding Liren from China. He defeated Russia\\u2019a world no. 2 Ian Nepomniatchi to become only the 17th player in chess history to wear this crown. He is the first ever Chinese and the first Asian since Viswanathan Anand to be achieve this.\\nThis year\\u2019s world title championship match took place under the looming absence of defending champion Magnus Carlsen, who refused to defend his title citing a lack of motivation. Interestingly enough, speaking to the media after his victory, Liren remarked, \\u201cFor me, it\\u2019s not so important to become world champion. I always wanted to become the best player in the world.\\u201d Will Liren, who wears the mantle of \\u2018world champion\\u2019, be accepted as the best player in the world? Will Carlsen ever come back to pit himself against the new world champion? And what does it mean for the chess world to have its latest world champion from Asia, and from China in particular?'