Ian Nepomniachtchi Loves Dota 2 More Than Chess

In a fun interview, chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi was asked to rank his favorite games, including Chess. After going through several rounds, Dota 2 emerged as his favorite game to play.

Ian Nepomniachtchi played Chess competitively for more than 15 years, with an incredible $3,500,000 million earnings in that time.

Ian Nepomniachtchi has joined several Dota 2 tournaments

Is that Ian wearing a Tidehunter shirt? (Credit: Maria melianova)

The more we find out about the Chess grandmaster, the more we are impressed. Going by the name FrostNova, his first match data we can find was from a tournament all the way back in 2011.

In the ASUS Open Winter 2011, FrostNova beat several historic players, such as Dendi, XBOCT, Artstyle, ALWAYSWANNAFLY, and LighTofHeaveN and won the event. He has also played several thousand pubs since then. Since Dota 2 didn't record early player data, we only know that he has been playing since October 2011, but it's likely he was a fan since Dota 1's inception.

Ian Nepomniachtchi remains a Dota 2 player, even dipping into the competitive scene occasionally. His most recent foray was as a member of Goodwin Team at BetBoom Streamers Battle 8. During the tournament, his team finished top 6, taking down notable english talents BSJ, Synderen, and Qojqva.

Dota 2 has a big place in Ian's heart. He prefers playing it over other world famous titles such as Counter-Strike, Fortnite, Valorant, and PUBG. Now that's love right there. Will he ever go pro once he is done with Chess?

Whether it's Chess or Dota 2, Ian Nepomniachtchi, or FrostNova is an impressive figure, succeeding in any field he commits to. We'll keep our eyes open on him and see if he appears at any future tournaments.

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Featured Image Source: Maria Emelianova