On the Schedule: Chess, Horse Racing and Children Lifting

One event proceeding as scheduled is the chess Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg, Russia. One of the most important events on the calendar, its winner will challenge the world champion, Magnus Carlsen, for his title.

It’s a rare gathering of human beings in this time of social distancing, but precautions are being taken. There are no spectators, and news media members have limited contact with the players and must wear masks. There are no pre- or postmatch handshakes, with elbow bumps the favored replacement. Players and officials are being checked by doctors twice a day.

Still, the decision to press on certainly drew some critics. One of the eight qualified players, Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, pulled out because of virus fears and was replaced by an alternate.

“When the tournament started” on March 17, “things were unclear,” said Milan Dinic, the press officer for the event. “In Russia, they do not have many cases.”

“They’re playing in complete isolation,” Dinic said. “If someone feels unwell, they will stop the event.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/sports/chess-horse-racing-coronavirus.html