Dutch GM Slams Ian Nepomniachtchi's 'Unsportsmanlike' Criticism of Chess World Cup Conditions

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The controversy surrounding the Chess World Cup 2025 in Goa continued to escalate after Dutch Grandmaster Loek van Wely spoke out against Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi's scathing criticism of the tournament and its organizers. Nepomniachtchi, who lost to Indian GM Diptayan Ghosh in the second round, had taken to social media to express his dissatisfaction with the hotel and food facilities. However, many top Grandmasters have come to the defense of the organizers, and van Wely is the latest to join the chorus. As the coach of Max Warmerdam, van Wely was present in Goa and witnessed firsthand the conditions that Nepomniachtchi was complaining about. In an interview, van Wely described Nepomniachtchi's comments as 'unbecoming' and said that the Russian GM had clearly arrived in Goa with a negative attitude. 'He came in the wrong state of mind,' van Wely said. 'He was not prepared to like India or Goa, and that's no way to approach a tournament.' Van Wely also pointed out that Nepomniachtchi's main complaint - the poor internet connectivity - was not a significant issue, and that a chess player without access to cloud engines was not necessarily at a disadvantage. 'We were there to play chess, not to indulge in luxury,' he said. Meanwhile, Armenian GM Anish Giri has also weighed in on the controversy, dismissing the claims of bedbugs in the players' rooms as 'baseless' and 'amusing'. Giri said that the rumors were likely started by a single person who had spread misinformation to many others.