exits Candidate’s Tourney due to virus concerns. MVL has replaced him.
Wang Hao has called on FIDE to delay all tournaments. FIDE has stated that this is a tournament with just eight players completely unlike other major tournaments.
This is more than just a tournament with 8 players. There are support staff for the players, promoter’s staff, FIDE officials and staff, media etc. I agree with Wang Hao that FIDE should postpone all tournaments until the CONVID-19 situation is understood better and/or brought under control. However, money talks and talks the loudest drowning out pubic health concerns.
From Radjabov’s statement:
“…The Candidates Tournament is a chess marathon, consisting of 14 rounds over 22 days. How the tournament will develop during this global epidemic, what measures will be taken in case of detection of the virus and what measures will be taken in relation to a sick participant, no one has explained to me. Due to the complexity of all these points, I turned to FIDE [and] asked to postpone the tournament to a later date. This was denied. In connection with the above, I considered that such conditions can greatly affect the necessary level of concentration and mood required for the best possible play in such an important tournament as the Candidates, and a possible danger to the health of the players. As a result, I was replaced by another participant.”
Everyone makes their own decisions. To me, the over-reaction to the current situation is ludicrous.
And your background in public health and infectious disease is?
Educated layman. Autonomous adult human being.
Everyone makes their own decisions.
Not always when there’s a public health crisis. Mandatory quarantines, enforced travel restrictions…that’s why being guided by the soundest science available is so important.
YMMV