Russia No.1 GM’s tattoos took 8 months, flight to Munich & pain; now he’s ‘fed up’

Russia’s No. 1 chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi has two tattoos. Both carry different stories. His left-arm full sleeve took eight sessions over eight months, with flights from Moscow to Munich to meet his tattoo artist. From a phoenix and a favourite quote to Greek mythology, chess pieces and the pain involved, Nepo opens up about the stories behind his ink.