Home / Sports / Chess Star Nepo's Tattoos Tell a Tale of Fate and Phoenix
Chess Star Nepo's Tattoos Tell a Tale of Fate and Phoenix
6 Sep
Summary
- Chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi's tattoos feature a phoenix and a goddess of fate.
- His left arm's full sleeve tattoo of Lachesis, the Greek goddess of fate, took eight sessions.
- The right arm's phoenix tattoo carries the mantra 'Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.'
Chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi, or "Nepo," revealed the intricate stories behind his tattoos at the Global Chess League. His left arm bears a comprehensive full-sleeve design depicting Lachesis, the Greek goddess of fate. This extensive artwork was a demanding, eight-session project completed between September and April, involving an artist based in Munich, Germany, and many painful hours for the Moscow-based player.
On his right arm, Nepomniachtchi displays a striking phoenix tattoo. This piece is inspired by the mantra, "Rise and rise again and again like the Phoenix from the ashes; until the lambs have become lions." While the first tattoo was surprisingly painless, the full sleeve proved to be a significant test of endurance, leaving him "fed up with pain" for now.
