World Chess Championship: Chess is sexy again. But for Magnus Carlsen, it's business as usual
CNN
The press conference in Dubai ahead of the World Chess Championship is running 30 minutes late. However, that hasn't quelled the feverish anticipation of the crowd of journalists clambering for a good spot to photograph Magnus Carlsen, the world's best chess player.
He will face off against challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi across 14 games for an eye-watering prize fund of $2.24 million. Friday's opening match was drawn.
Interest in chess spiked at the beginning of the pandemic, and again in October 2020 after the release of the Netflix series, "The Queen's Gambit." In the first three weeks after its debut, sales of chess sets went up by 87% in the US and sales of books about chess leaped 603%, according to marketing research company NPD Group.
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