World Chess Match - A Chess Discussion without Kasparov is Never Complete: Indian Chess Fraternity

Chennai: Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, 50, may have retired from chess, but his aura as one of the strongest players in the game's history hasn't yet dimmed. Kasparov is the favourite player for even youngsters born after his retirement in 2005. “Kasparov is a legend. He was an undisputed world champion for more than 15 years. He will never be forgotten,“ said GM Sahaj Grover of Delhi.

GM-elect Ashwin Jayaram of Chennai says Kasparov is still revered by all chess players, because he left the game in his prime. “Kasparov was world no.1 for a long time and it was extremely difficult to face him until the final years of his retirement. Considering his political activism after retirement, he is still a very important figure,“ he said, adding that Kasparov was always dominant in tournaments, like Fischer before him and Carlsen after him.

A chess discussion without Kasparov is never complete. Not many chess players have enjoyed as much influence as the Russian post retirement.

Israeli GM Lev Psakhis, once a good friend of Kasparov, told Deccan Chronicle that the Azerbaijan-born world champion is a very interesting and clever person who produced a lot of noise.

“It would be good for chess if he came back,” he said, adding that he would choose Kasparov instead of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov for the Fide president post. The world’s popular chess player, who has won 11 chess Oscars and played in eight chess Olympiads, has recently announced his candidature for Fide president’s post in 2014.

“Once I told Kasparov that he was champion in making enemies. He asked me why? The truth is that he doesn’t want to create scandals. Many a time, it comes with him like thunder accompanying lightning,” said Psakhis, who added that his “former friend” respects Anand, even though he questioned the Indian’s enthusiasm during the world championship last year.

“Anand and Kramnik are great persons but maybe that’s why they are not very famous outside the chess world. We need some scandals, some blood possibly in good point of view and for that we need Kasparov,” said Psakhis. According to the Israeli, Kasparov, who held on to the world no. 1 ranking from 1996 to 2005, is an electric personality and he can add value to the game.

Anand may have won five world titles but none of them came against Kasparov. According to Ashwin, after his loss at the hands of Kasparov in 1995, Anand was certainly looking forward to another match with the Russian, but it didn’t materialise owing to politics.

While lack of personal goals forced Kasparov to quit chess on March 10, 2005, the person, who sat across the chessboard from Karpov for more than 600 hours in his life and one who is currently involved in a political battle with the Russian president Vladimir Putin could well play an important role in the forthcoming Fide world championship match between Anand and Carlsen. (Article continued after quote)

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Kasparov to visit Chennai during the world championship match 

The world chess championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen in Chennai will have an uninvited special guest: Garry Kasparov. The charismatic former world champion is expected to be in Chennai on November 11 and 12. Kasparov has consented to take part at the annual conclave of a weekly in Goa from November 8 to 10.

The presence of Kasparov will be a PR coup for the world championship, starting from November 9. At the same time, the organisers may also be worried over the Russian GM’s ability to court controversy.

During the last world championship between Anand and Boris Gelfand in Moscow, Kasparov infuriated the Indian by commenting that a spate of draws resulted from his “lack of enthusiasm.” The affable Anand later retaliated by saying “Kasparov misses the attention he used to get and he should come out of retirement.“

Understandably, Kasparov will not be an official guest of the organising committee. “But, as a chess player everyone is allowed to come and watch the game,“ said a member o the organising committee There is no love lost betwee Kasparov and the curren Fide establishment as the Russian has already declared his candidacy for the president's post of the world chess body in next year's elections.

In a recent survey conducted by this newspaper (Deccan Chronicle), most of the grandmasters most of the grandmasters in India chose either Bobby Fischer or Kasparov as their all-time favourite chess player. Kasparov is such a tall figure in chess that he has the magnetism to be the centre of attention during a world championship match he is not part of.

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Kasparov trained Carlsen for a year in 2009 and Anand had acknowledged the Russian GM’s help during his match against Topalov in 2010.

Further in a recent interaction with the media in Chennai, Carlsen did not rule out working with Kasparov for the match against Anand.

“It depends on how Carlsen feels about working with Kasparov. The general perception now is that Carlsen and Kasparov had parted ways because the latter was too domineering. So it’s basically up to Carlsen to assess if that is a bigger factor than consulting one of Anand's most difficult opponents. He would keep his association with Kasparov a secret to keep the doubt in the air,” Ashwin said.

-- S. Sujatha in Deccan Chronicle

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GM Ian Rogers' Must-Read Couch Potato's Guide to Carlsen vs Anand World Chess Championship

Magnus Carlsen vs Viswanathan Anand World Chess Championship: Here's the must-read Couch Potato's Guide to the World Chess Match by - the one and only - first Grandmaster from Australia and Senior FIDE trainer Ian Rogers via USChessfed.org. We have embedded all the videos right here to which GM Ian Rogers links to making it easier for you to continue reading.

The Couch Potato's Guide to Anand- Carlsen World Championship

By GM Ian Rogers
October 30, 2013




Photo Cathy Rogers

On Saturday, November 9 in the southern Indian city of Chennai (formerly Madras) Viswanathan Anand will begin his world title defence against world number one Magnus Carlsen.

Forty-three-year-old Indian hero Anand has been World Champion since 2007, surviving title defences against Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov and Boris Gelfand.

Carlsen has been world number one almost continuously since January 2010 but the 22-year-old Norwegian only earned the right to challenge Anand by the narrowest possible margin - a controversial tiebreak after finishing equal with Kramnik at the London Candidates tournament in March.

Carlsen enters the match as a heavy favorite - he has a Federer-like streak of 2800+ performances which began three years ago and has achieved the highest rating in chess history (ignoring rating inflation).

Ladbrokes betting agency currently lists Carlsen as a 3 to 1 on favourite but given his extensive match experience many pundits are expecting a spirited title defence by Anand against a player little more than half his age.

Both players are popular with chess fans, so neutral observers will be torn (video embed below); it seems that younger players want the Norwegian to usher in a new era while older aficionados are hoping for an Anand win. 

The match is a best-of-12 contest, with tiebreakers if a 6-6 score is reached. The winner will earn $1.45m and the loser just under $1m, though the sums will be closer together should the match go to tiebreakers. Carlsen has already pocketed $137,000 of the prize fund for agreeing to play on his opponent's home turf, spending the money bringing his own bodyguard and his own chef to Chennai. (No doubt Carlsen is aware of the view of one of Chennai's leading sports editors that "Anand can't beat Carlsen, but Chennai (video embed below) might."

Magnus in 2005 in Wijk aan Zee, Photo Cathy Rogers

Since only a tiny percentage of chess fans will be travelling to Chennai - and the playing hall at the Hyatt Regency holds less than 500 people - this Couch Potato's Guide is designed for the many millions who will choose to watch the match from home or office, via the wonders of the internet.

In recent years, some of the most interesting coverage of the match has sprung up from unexpected sources, so keep your eyes open for the Twitter account of a chambermaid in the Hyatt Regency ("Caught trying on Mrs Anand's clothes (video embed below). Mistaken for Mr Anand's secret second Tania Sachdev and told to prepare the Hennig-Schara Gambit. Surely that just loses a pawn?") - or a Chennai taxi driver ("Just drove a tall Danish chessplayer (Peter Heine Nielsen's Wikipage)  from the airport to the Hyatt. Says he is helping Carlsen and Anand on alternate days.)

Before the Games

Games begin at 4.30 am New York time - winter time will have kicked in the week before the match - so US fans will need to be extra-dedicated to see all the action from Chennai.

A healthy supply of comestibles will be essential and what better to get into the Indian spirit than some potato dosa - crunchy patties with a bit of bite.

You will need a couple of potatoes, two green chillies, coriander plus oil, salt and rice flour (though Indian maida flour would be ideal). Just grate the potatoes, add two tablespoons of flour and a pinch of salt. Mixed with a small amount of water, plus the chopped chillies and coriander this will make a thick batter.

Prepare the mixture overnight and, once the games have reached the boring part just after the opening, pour blobs of batter into a hot pan and fry until both sides are brown.

If you are an Anand supporter, serve with mango chutney, while a Carlsen supporter should garnish the dosa with sour cream and pretend you are eating lefse.

Photo Cathy Rogers

During the Games

Audio and video commentary has come a long way in recent years.
The official site, http://chennai2013.fide.com/ , should be the first port of call, if only for the video of the players. The Chennai organisers have gone with Susan Polgar and Laurence Trent as their primary commentators. While obviously less able to comment on the subtleties of the game compared to the star English language commentators of Moscow 2012 - Kramnik, Svidler and Leko in particular - these two showed at the recent Tromso World Cup that they were genuine chess fans and worked well together.

Expect the always-entertaining Garry Kasparov to drop by for a chat when he visits Chennai.

Playchess, will offer commentary in four languages, with the most experienced commentator in the world, Leontxo Garcia, as the Spanish host. As expected, easy-listening GMs Yasser Seirawan and Daniel King will be the trans-Atlantic anchors for Playchess's English language commentary, with guests including Alejandro Ramirez and, notably, French star Maxime Vachier Lagrave for game 10.

Internet Chess Club, at one time the undisputed king of chess commentary and still a reliable option, will be covering the World Championship games in English and Spanish and using a wider variety of commentators than Playchess. Most are from the US - including veterans Christiansen, Yermolinsky and Fedorowicz. However the line-up also includes one-night-only appearances by The Week in Chess' Mark Crowther and other Englishmen Jon Speelman and Daniel King. (Yes, King and Seirawan will moonlight for ICC on an off day from Playchess!). Sadly Peter Svidler's Russian team commitments in November do not allow him to join the ICC team.

The Indian public broadcaster Doordarshan is planning to cover every playing session in full on its sports station, DD Sports. It is unclear whether they will relay the official commentary or create their own programming. DD Sports can be watched via various web sites including http://www.turbotv.in/dd-sports-live/ .

Text commentary

Sergey Shipov has always been regarded as the king of text commentators (primarily working for Crestbook), and Google Translate enabled many non-Russian fans to follow him. However Shipov has recently been working for Chess.tv - a non-stop chess television station, primarily in Russian, so only fans with Russian skills can now enjoy Shipov's thoughts. If Shipov returns to Crestbook for this match, he is always worth a look, given his wilingness to look beyond computer assessments and trust his own judgement.

Chessdom have gone for some surprising annotators - Sachdev, Gujrathi and Hambleton, the first two of whom may have some useful local knowledge. Chessdom will also be a site to watch throughout the match because it is the global news partner for the organisers.

The real development for text commentary in 2013 is likely to be via live blogging and tweeting. Finding the right person to follow may be a matter of luck, but there are sure to be plenty of interesting Indian sites, while German readers can be sure that Stefan Loeffler will never shy away from a controversy.

After the Games

As soon as the games finish, the two players will be ushered into a press conference, which should be viewable on the official match site as it happens.

Chess.com are expecting few US fans to watch the games live from early morning and so have planned a 2 hour post-game show, using the skills of Chess Vibes' Peter Doggers to provide video and other colour.

One site always worth a visit is The Week in Chess. Apart from having every recent top game available for easy download, TWIC has started providing quality baseline annotations, often using quotes from the players.

A few hours after the game is completed, there should be plenty of material on Youtube - game videos from ICC and Chess.com, plus plenty of contributions from enthusiastic amateurs. Chess Vibes, soon to be part of Chess.com, usually has the best edited highlights package.

Post-game text annotations - often near identical thanks to the all-powerful Houdini - will soon start to spring up. ChessBase continues to find young and entertaining annotators for big tournaments, while Denis Monokroussos provides a worthy symbiosis of man and machine.

Another blog to follow will be Eric van Reem's Mate in Chennai. Van Reem is part of the Anand team and, though he tries not to give too much away, is a good barometer of the spirit in the Anand camp.

Of course Chess Life Online will also cover the match, with regular reports by this writer from Chennai.

Once you have endured a week of waking at 4am, following the games online, eating the dosa, watching the post-game press conferences and the post-mortem shows, you will probably be sacked for being constantly late for work.

However that will give you extra time to fully enjoy the final fortnight of the match, reading all the articles about the match perhaps learning to cook some other - healthier - Indian dishes in the process.

Then, whether Carlsen triumphs or Anand confounds the pundits, you can go out and find a new job - Indian chef, perhaps?

2013 World Championship Match Schedule

Game 1 Saturday November 9 (All games at 3pm Chennai time = 4.30am EST)
Game 2 Sunday November 10
Game 3 Tuesday November 12
Game 4 Wednesday November 13
Game 5 Friday November 15
Game 6 Saturday November 16
Game 7 Monday November 18
Game 8 Tuesday November 19
Game 9 Thursday November 21
Game 10 Friday November 22
Game 11 Sunday November 24
Game 12 Tuesday November 26

Playoffs (if needed) Thursday November 28

Note: The schedule may change by up to four days if players take their medical time-outs.

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Two Indian Legends: World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar

World Chess Champion Viswanathan Update: Here's a cool article for Indian sports lovers on two legends: World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand and Master Blaster Sachin Tendulakar by Valsala Menon via DNA India:

Champion stuff from Sachin Tendulkar and Viswanathan Anand

Sachin Tendulkar and Viswanathan Anand during a rare meeting between the two legends in Mumbai in 2001. - Reuters

There is so much in common between the careers of Viswanathan Anand and Sachin Tendulkar, India’s best sportsmen in the last 50 years. Both are 40-plus. Both are still performing. And both have made significant adjustments to their game/technique at different points in time.

Coincidentally, both were impetuous and aggressive when they started out. They just wanted to destroy the opposition. If Tendulkar took on the world at 16, Anand was consuming foreign Grandmasters with super-fast moves when he was 18.

Interestingly, both have had admirably long careers. Grandmaster RB Ramesh says it is difficult to prolong one’s career in a physical sport (cricket) and, in that sense, Tendulkar deserves a lot of praise. But he is quick to add that cricket is a team game and so Tendulkar did get support from his mates.

Ramesh, by his own admission, took to chess accidentally. He wanted to be a cricketer. His brother, GB Prakash, was already a good junior chess player. A head injury at the age of 11 forced him to give up cricket. “You see, as school students, we were always looking for idols. We had Viswanathan Anand in 1988 and Tendulkar in 1989,” says Ramesh.

Ramesh adds Anand and Tendulkar have always been exceptionally motivated. “When we thought Tendulkar was going to suffer after his injury in the mid-2000s, he came back and changed his aggressive style to start a new innings,” says Ramesh.

The tennis elbow prompted Tendulkar to curtail his stroke-play, but the master that he is, Tendulkar overcame the hurdle, adopted a different approach and scored runs in tons in both forms of cricket. In fact, he fared better after that injury.

The free-flowing strokes gave way to the more productive and practical accumulation of runs with less spectacular flicks and nudges. His appetite for runs increased in the second half of his career, and he played on for well over two decades.

Remarkably, Anand showed the same appetite in his mid-30s. Having won his first world title in 2000 at 31, Anand did not have any special targets because of the uncertainties in world chess.

Garry Kasparov had just lost to Vladimir Kramnik in a rival world championship and there was no unified competition. Anand was winning tournaments like before, but had to live with the criticism that he had not beaten the strong players of his generation in a long match.

And by the time the unification took place in 2007, he was already 38. And with a second world title under his belt, Anand was ready for his next challenge. This is when he, like Tendulkar, showed admirable motivation. He thought he had to stop wagging tongues. He worked hard with a team that was to stay with him for five years. Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov and Boris Gelfand, all disappeared into history as Anand made light of his age.

It was really a challenge for Anand to get used to the intricacies of match play. He was no longer the quick, rapid-play master he was in the 1990s and early 2000s. He took all his time to find moves over the board and a became totally different player altogether.

Arvind Aaron, who had played with Anand at the junior level and travelled with him extensively, finds a rare ability in both the chess champion and the cricket maestro. “Both of them are not tired of trying new things,” says Aaron.

“It may be a shot in Tendulkar’s repertoire. In Anand’s case, I have first-hand experience because when he accepted a challenge to play six computers in a simultaneous exhibition in 1997 in The Hague, I asked him why he took up such a dangerous task. He said he liked to look at things differently and wanted different challenges,” Aaron adds.

Deep Blue had just beaten Kasparov and Aaron’s concern was that Anand was facing a six-pack computer. As it turned out, Anand won three of them and drew three, winning the match 4.5-1.5.

“I watched that match and the most interesting aspect was that Anand was sipping coffee regularly while the machines were thinking. It was a funny sight,” Aaron recounts.

One of the oft-quoted comments of both Tendulkar and Anand is, “I would continue to play as long as I enjoy the game.” Tendulkar will no longer play competitive cricket after November 18, but Anand will probably continue to play on, looking for more challenges.

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GM Parimarjan Negi's Almost-Believable Fun Take on Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013

Anand-Carlsen for Dummies
by GM Parimarjan Negi
via the talented chess champion's blog

 http://parimarjan.in/
(Warning: This is satire. Do NOT take any of this literally.) 

Disappointing most of the world, and both the players, Chennai managed to clinch the 2013 World Championship by bidding a million dollars less than Paris .Justifying the decision, a FIDE spokesperson explained that money is not the only important issue to consider when awarding such prestigious events. “Paris was too mainstream and chic, we had to keep with the tradition of venues like Libya, Khanty Mansyisk, Tromso etc. After all we are the guardians of the international image of chess – we can’t let it be changed just because one player is getting too popular”.

After a lot of persuasion from his managers, this popular guy, Magnus Carlsen, decided to keep his opinions on the venue to himself. Instead he has been trying to (unsuccessfully) find a place to play football in Chennai.

Vishy on the other has been smiling through his teeth as he thanks the organisers to bring the match home. Away from the camera he wonders why the AICF (All India Chess federation) has suddenly decided to do something for him after three decades. Couldn’t they wait a bit longer to become active?

Anyway, it’s all about winning the match as the stakes have never before been this high. While Vishy only has the rest of his career to lose, Magnus has his next multi million dollar modelling assignment at stake. Also winning the match might finally give him some time to get a girlfriend.

So in preparation, as everyone knows by now Carlsen has been working on his hypnotic skills – besides his usual methods of staring at the opponent’s eyes or appearing to be asleep, he has also prepared some brand new methods of mind control.

Magnus testing his new hypnotic methods in Poker

Rest of the time, Magnus has been telling his seconds how weak they play, shooting off brilliant fb comments, or just tweeting new pictures obviously aimed at a potential endorsement deal.

He has also asked Garry Kasparov for the secret of scaring Anand. Despite his extremely packed schedule of posing for photographs, signing autographs, and writing lengthy fb updates, Garry has taken time to explain his favourite hobby of the 1990′s to Magnus.

But Anand has not been idle either. Ever since Victor Korchnoi revealed the secret of Carlsen’s sucess, Vishy has been trying to find an antidote to this hypnotic scare. His camp refused to comment whether they were considering using highly trained Indian Sadhus to deal with these mind games – a technique used by Korchnoi himself in one of his matches against Karpov.

But sources confirmed that after Nakamura’s amazing success at dealing with the Magnus stare using Ray Ban, Vishy has been considering sponsorship deals with various eye-wear companies.

While, for dealing with the Garry pressure, Vishy has decided to build a Rajni wall around him. Every re-watch of a Rajnikanth movie adds a new layer of unbreakable psychological aura around him.

And speaking of movies, he has also been inspired by the Bollywoods 40+ makeovers – and has been building his own six packs to set up the perfect masala climax with the scowling Carlsen.

PS: All details in this piece are created with my (GM Parimarjan Negi) imagination, it’s uncanny similarity to reality is of course just co-incidental.

Read also:

GM Parimarjan Negi on Carlsen's chances at World Chess Championship 2013 

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Carlsen will Seek Kasparov's Advice for 2013 World Chess Championship Match versus Anand

"Yes, I'm going to talk to him. I think he has some advice for me. It is true that Kasparov is not part of my team, but I will consult him before the World Championship. He knows Anand better than anyone. He beat Anand in a World Championship Match in 1995, Anand never managed to beat Kasparov in a long time."

This is what World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen told Norwegian newspaper VG a few hours back. 

Garry Kasparov vs Viswanathan Anand World Championship Match, World Trade Center 1995. (Press publicity photo)

Earlier this year, Carlsen had maintained that Garry Kasparov would not be a part of his team as he prepares for the World Chess Championship. 

Carlsen and Kasparov together in Norway in 2010. 

Later, Carlsen discontinued studying with the former world champion. -- Reuters

Carlsen said, "I have always said that it was appropriate to ask him (Kasparov) for help and advice at a World Championship if and when it becomes necessary. And now it's there!"

VG states that they do not know how Carlsen will seek this advice - in person, via skype or in some other way. 

It is widely believed that Carlsen could not handle Kasparov's strict tutelage and even told his father, "Get me out of this." That was after the Corus Chess Tournament, 2010 and "revealed" in a 2011 Carlsen biography Smarte trekk. Magnus Carlsen ('Smart move. Magnus Carlsen'). For Smarte trekk, daily newspaper journalist Hallgeir Opedal followed Carlsen for a year.

Speaking to VG, New in Chess editor Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, says it would be wise on Carlsen's part to seek advice from Kasparov. He says their break-up was the result of Kasparov's dominance, but now they are friends and now, Magnus would be receiving advice from one of the best chess players of the world. It is a very good deal, and it makes sense for Magnus to take advantage of this, he said.  -- Rajat Khanna

Also Read:

Legendary Chess Tutor, Exciting Young Pupil
Carlsen got Kasparov's database of 20 Years' Work

The Carlsen Chess Story: Simen Agdestein tells it all from Up Close

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Gary Kasparov on Carlsen's Chess Magic for the Time List of 100 Most Influential People in the World

In April, 2013 chess world's No. 1 was on the Time annual list of 100 most influential people in the world that includes artists and leaders to pioneers, titans and icons! Each personality had a short intro written by another personality in the field. Here is what legendary world chess champion Garry Kasparov wrote for Magnus Carlsen:

Chess history is best viewed through the game’s evolution: the Romantic Era of the 19th century, the Hypermodernism of the early 20th, the post–World War II dominance of the Soviet School. The elite chess players of today are of no school. They hail from all over the world, as illustrated by current world champion Viswanathan Anand of India and young Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, who is due to challenge Anand for the championship this year. I had the opportunity to train Carlsen in 2009, and his intuitive style conserves the mystique of chess at a time when every CPU-enhanced fan thinks the game is easy. Carlsen is as charismatic and independent as he is talented. If he can rekindle the world’s fascination with the royal game, we will soon be living in the Carlsen Era.

-- Kasparov is a former chess 

world champion and a political activist

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Five things that make Magnus Carlsen so Sexy: A note on World Chess Championship Challenger 2013

Chess world's Guy of the Season, Magnus Carlsen had at least 2,000 girls screaming a welcome when he recently visited Chennai, the venue of the forthcoming World Chess Championship 2013.

Trust us, in India, not many people would seriously bother with professional chess except for those in the cities of Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai. The kind of welcome Carlsen received is reserved only for cricket players or film stars in India. Chess, as a sport, has failed to capture the imagination of the nation despite Viswanathan Anand being a name easily recognised across the country. 

So, how come, the chess wonderboy, took chess back to Indian prime time television news and Page One in the print media with a single visit? What exactly makes Magnus Carlsen so hot? Here are five reasons you are bound to agree with:

1. The Magnus Carlsen Brand of Passion: Didn't they say chess was played by bespectacled dweebs and nerds, or oldies, who took the art of being anti-social to the next level? Carlsen has changed all that in one stroke. He describes himself as an athlete on his Facebook page, is incredibly fit, dresses like a model (is one), and speaks his mind. He is a 21st Century champion who seems to have brought back the mystique and charisma of Bobby Fischer with modern fizz, elan, passion and sanity. Youngsters can relate to him, seniors enjoy trying to fathom his chess style and everyone who plays chess is inspired by him. He has also added great commercial value to the sport of chess as well. Only Carlsen (or Kasparov) could dare say this: "It has been a while since I went into a game with losing as an option." 

2. To hell with Chess Computers: Just when the chess world was sure that computers had destroyed the game, Magnus Carlsen has shown the way for humans. Carlsen's is a secret chess path that might be difficult for human experts to understand for at least another decade, yet he's shown how to tell those machines to shut up. He doesn't bother too much with computer-learned openings.

That also spells hope for the vast majority of chess lovers out there who have other things to do (like earning their daily bread) while wanting to play good chess at the same time. We can't help cheering for Mr Carlsen. 

Carlsen has also said, "I’ve never been much of a (chess) computer guy at least in terms of playing with computers. Actually until I was about 11, I didn’t use a computer for preparing for games at all. I was playing a bit online, was using the chess club mainly. Now, obviously, the computer is an important tool for me preparing for my games. [But] in general I get much more pleasure from playing human opponents. That’s why I never really played with computer. I just analyse when I’m on the computer, either my games or my opponents. But mostly my own." 

3. Killer Carlsen: He's not a drawnik chess Grandmaster. No way. No one could have put it better than 2012 British Chess Champion Gawain Jones when he remarked that Magnus Carlsen draws blood from stone. Carlsen has himself said that he does not believe in draws. Draws have been killing chess for quite a while now. Carlsen brings chess back to life.  

About draws in chess Carlsen says, "I just think at top level tournaments you should play out the games... At top level tournaments, there’s simply no excuse for not playing out the games."

4. Carlsen's New Age Fundamentals of Fun: Carlsen has always insisted that "For me, it’s about playing as long as I’m motivated, as long as it’s fun, as long as it’s interesting." 

The 22-year-old chess champion doesn't care about money despite already being in the millionaire's club with his earnings. That's exactly what all New Age gurus speak about: Do what you're good at and have fun with. Dump that materialism. The New Age concept is a rage with the youngsters giving them a new way to view both chess and life. This 'Carlsen-itis' is infectious!

5. Pure Chess Talent: There's no doubting that Magnus Carlsen has pure chess talent - part God gift and part hard work. He has also been coached by the very best, the legendary Garry Kasparov. Carlsen has already set the world record of the highest chess rating achieved by a human on the planet at 2872! That's beyond stratospheric really. 

Not for nothing has Cosmopolitan already voted the Chess World No. 1 as one of the top sexiest men on the planet. Who wouldn't agree? -- Zainab Raza Undulusi

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Chess World No. 1's Company MagnusChess hopes to make over $3 million in 2013

MagnusChess - the company - hopes to register a gross turnover of between 15 and 20 million NOK (Norwegian Kroner) in 2013. That's about $2.5 million to $3.2 million. (The current currency rate is 1 Norwegian Krone equals 0.16 US Dollar.)

Since 2007, the World No. 1 chess player's company has had a turnover of 27 million NOK ($4.5 million) and a profit before tax of 15 million NOK ($2.5 million) according to Dagens Næringsliv (Norwegian for Today's Business). 

Chess world's 22-year-old talented prodigy had, at the end of 2012, built up a solid equity of nearly 12 million NOK ($1.97 million), according to DN. 

Commonly known as DN, Dagens Næringsliv is a Norwegian tabloid specialising in business reporting and is pegged as the fourth largest newspaper in Norway.

On his part, the planet's top-rated chess player has said he does not care so very much for money. He leaves the management to his manager Espen Agdestein and father Henrik. 

Carlsen told DN, "I am very grateful that I can live on something (chess) I think is so fun. Beyond that I'm not thinking so much about it."

Magnus Carlsen owns 85 percent of the company MagnusChess. The remaining 15 per cent is owned by his father Henrik. His father confirmed to DN that the recent developments were "nice" and they hoped for a revenue increase in 2013. Norwegian sponsors are sure to use the world's best chess player for endorsements and more, states DN.

Success at the forthcoming World Chess Championship could further up the earnings for MagnusChess, DN had reported, in its print edition right after Magnus Carlsen signed a new sponsorship agreement with Nordic Semiconductor last month.

DN estimates that a victory over Viswanathan Anand, at the forthcoming World Chess Championship, could fetch the World No. 1 nine million NOK ($1.48 million) in prize money, plus six million NOK ($987000) in bonuses from sponsors (including also Arctic Securities, SIMONSEN Advokatfirma, V-G) and other sources. 

Earlier, when Carlsen had signed a deal with clothing giant G-Star in 2010, Henrik Carlsen had told newspaper Aftenposten that the sponsorship deal was “the whole difference” between the two years as his son had not earned more in prize money during 2010. The company’s pretax result was NOK 4.87 million (over $900,000 then), which took into account NOK 3.72 million (over $690,000 then) as fees for Magnus Carlsen’s teacher, the legendary Russian Garry Kasparov.

The company saw an increase in income from NOK 3.5 million (nearly USD $650,000) in 2009 to NOK 8.4 million (over USD $1.5 million) in 2010 due to a deal with clothing manufacturer G-star.

However, Carlsen lost about 10 million NOK ($1.85 million) when he withdrew from the qualifiers for the 2012 world chess championship in protest at the FIDE rules. -- Zainab Raza Undulusi

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You need to have that Absolute Belief that You're the Best: World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen

At the age of 22, Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, is the no. 1 ranked chess player in the world. In February, Carlsen peaked with an Elo rating of 2872—the highest ever—as administered by the World Chess Federation (FIDE), the sport’s governing body. Second on the all-time list is Carlsen’s ex-coach, Russian Garry Kasparov, who became the youngest world champion at 22 in 1985 and held the title for fifteen years; Kasparov retired in 2005 and has since become an outspoken human rights activist, and one who has clashed often with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He remains very involved with chess, which at the moment means being very interested in Magnus Carlsen. “[He] conserves the mystique of chess at a time when every CPU-enhanced fan thinks the game is easy,” Kasparov says. “If he can rekindle the world’s fascination with the royal game, we will soon be living in the Carlsen Era.”

But a ranking in chess does not a world champion make. That title belongs to current world no. 8 Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand, 43, a five-time victor who has safeguarded his undisputed throne since 2007 (his first win came in 2000 but the title was split). And though it took a real stroke of luck, Carlsen has earned the right to stake his claim to outright chess sovereignty this November in India at the 2013 World Chess Championship versus Anand.

There’s something special about this one, even by world championship standards. For one, it’s Magnus’ first title shot, which has manifested as the most significant peak to Carlsen’s protracted and well-managed marketing crescendo, a triumph in both performance and image. Recall if you can or will a pre-2011 Lebron: a high-flying stat-sheet filler who’d earn multiple MVP’s before winning a kiss with a sweaty, champagne-soaked Larry O’Brien Trophy, and then another. That’s Magnus, and Anand, in this equation, is something like this year’s San Antonio Spurs.

For Anand, whose play has steadily declined, this championship defense may be part swan song, part torch passing. He will stage his title defense against Carlsen in Chennai—the very place Anand calls home. The narrative is tidy enough; the question is how it will end. What’s clear is that Carlsen may yet be Anand’s most formidable—and bold—challenger. In April, on Charlie Rose, Carlsen said: “You need to have that edge, you need to have that confidence, you need to have that absolute belief that you’re the best and that you’ll win every time. It’s just a feeling I had...[that] I’m probably going to be the best at some point.”

Should Carlsen prove prescient and win in November, he’d become the first chess player from the “West” to win the world championship since American Bobby Fischer defeated Russian Boris Spassky in Reykjavik in 1972, which ended 24 straight years of Soviet chess dominance. At that time, Fischer’s quirky mega-ego, manipulative posturing in a press corps hungry for Cold War scandal, and brilliance on the board, proved the locomotive force chess needed to gain the international spotlight.

Fischer, of course, would go on to become one of chess’ foremost what-if men, never defending his crown; he’d wander Europe and Asia for decades, showing up every now and again to offer vitriol against, among other subjects, Jews and the U.S. (famously during 9/11). He’d die of Kidney failure in Iceland in 2008. Being the next Bobby Fischer is not an uncomplicated aspiration.

Perhaps aware of Fischer’s reputation, Carlsen, during a comedic interview with Rainn Wilson, said, “I’m only 21 years old so give me some time to develop the crazy.” But Carlsen, besides being handsome and well-spoken, appears to have his head on straight, and is held fast by the type of close-knit familial and managerial support that eluded Fischer. Add it up and Carlsen, whose first name means “the great,” represents chess’ best chance is over 40 years to return to international mindshare without a fastidious, political spectacle—and instead with positional, hard-nosed chess playing.

The first part—the well-adjusted bit, the charisma—makes him interesting to talk to. The second part—the generational brilliance and maturity—makes him worth listening to.

JZ: You were recently on a trip to New York City. Tell me some of the highlights.

Carlsen: I had a couple of really good burgers.

JZ: What do you take on your hamburgers? Cheese, bacon...?

Carlsen: Yeah – everything that’s good and unhealthy.

JZ: I saw on Twitter that you were wearing a Shaquille O’Neal jersey at a Celtics game [in February]. Is that your favorite basketball player?

Carlsen: [He’s] one of my favorites. I didn’t really start following until a few years ago, and when he was playing with the Celtics. I thought this is probably going to be his last season so it’s about time to get a jersey.

JZ: I happen to be from Boston, and you were right. That was the end of his [playing] career.

Carlsen: I thought that in general the atmosphere in Boston was absolutely amazing, especially when they beat the Lakers, of course. At one point in the third quarter they made a three-pointer and then Jeff Green made a block and a dunk at the other end. The building was just ecstatic at that point. And also the next game I saw in Boston, where the Celtics beat the Bulls, which was absolutely brutal offensively for three quarters and then they somehow ground it out in the fourth. That was amazing.

JZ: How did that compare with Madison Square Garden?
Carlsen: I think probably the New York fans are a little bit more spoiled in a way. You can feel the same thing in football or soccer—that for the best teams in Spain and England, for instance, the public... they’re not really going to cheer at all when they play against bad teams unless they do something spectacular. Even if they’re winning by a few goals they’ll probably just say, “nah.” That’s normal and they’re not excited about it. Maybe it’s a little bit of the same in New York, although they’re obviously not that used to winning there. They’re used to big stages and so on. It takes a little bit more to excite them.

JZ: Speaking of the big stage: you’ve got the world championship in November. What are you doing to prepare for that match?

Carlsen: Well, right now I’m in the process of contacting people, finding out who will be helping me during the match. And probably there will be two training sessions—one at the end of July [or] at the start of August for two, two and a half weeks, and then another one later probably in late October.

JZ: What are these training sessions? For someone that is just looking at chess from the outside, when you say a two and a half week training session, what does that consist of?
Carlsen: It just means that we’re a group of people that assemble at a place, preferably a good place where they are possibilities for sport and so on, and that the weather is good. And then we work on chess together for many hours a day and we also do some sports, [and] if we’re at the sea we go swimming and generally have a good time, and a good atmosphere. And hopefully find some inspirations and some new ideas for the chess as well.

JZ: When you talk about your team – are you talking about your trainers or who potentially you’ll have as “seconds” at the match in November against Anand?

Carlsen: Both people who will be helping me during the match either as advisors or working hard as seconds.

JZ: If you win in November, you’ll turn 23 a few days after. When athletes win a big game [like] the Super Bowl, for example, there’s sort of a tradition of say [when an] announcer asks them, “What are you going to do now?” and they’ll say, “I’m going to Disney World...” So put yourself in that mindset for a minute: You win the championship, [you’re] on top of the chess world, you turn 23 – What are you going to do to celebrate your birthday and that win?

Carlsen: I don’t know [he laughs]. I haven’t really thought that far ahead. I’m never really been a big fan of these kinds of lavish celebrations before, but obviously a world championship – if I win that one – it’s going to be something special. We’ll see. Right now my focus in on winning [it] rather than how to celebrate it. But I know for sure that I’m probably going to have a break after the world championship regardless of whether I win or lose.

JZ: So you know, a lot of people are hyping it to be the most anticipated match since Fischer–Spassky in’ 72. Why has it taken the world over 40 years to remember the game of chess?

Carlsen: I don’t know. I think also the Karpov—Kasparov matches in the ‘80 and early ‘90’s were pretty exciting as well.

JZ: With Fischer [and] his demands before the match and the Cold War – that fed into it. This [championship] seems to have a lot more of a natural feel to it.

Carlsen: I’m definitely the first no.1 in the world since Fischer, and probably at least since Kasparov, who probably has the most potential to dominate for the foreseeable future. So that’s something unusual and hopefully exciting for people.

JZ: How much do you think marketing has to do with getting chess into the mainstream yet again?

Carlsen: I think with chess as with everything, marketing is the main issue. I think the game has definite potential, it’s just about the way you present it and maybe make it exciting while preserving the qualities that make the game special. And we’ll see how that will work out. For me, the most important thing is to continue to play well and to be a positive figure and hopefully a role model for kids as well.

JZ: Speaking of the kids. They’ll probably want to know who your favorite chess player in the past is, and why.

Carlsen: That’s simple. I’ve never really had a favorite player, past or present. There are certainly loads of players that I admire; I try to learn from all of the great masters both of the past and contemporary as well. I’m more interested in the games than the people.

JZ: Is there a particular game of the past, or even one of your own that you look back on fondly, or that you continue to learn from?

Carlsen: Um, nah. I don’t know. It’s hard to say. There are so many games that I’ve seen that I’ve learned from. I never – that’s also part of the same – never single out a particular player or a particular game.

JZ: What kind of music do you listen to?

Carlsen: More or less anything – both contemporary music and older stuff. Depends on my mood.

JZ: Is there anything you listen to when you’re focusing on studying the game of chess, let’s say?

Carlsen: No, then I usually do without music [he laughs].

JZ: How about movies? Any favorite movies you can name?
Carlsen: I don’t really watch too many movies. I don’t have the patience usually to watch one, one and a half or two hours in a row.

JZ: I feel the same way. [I’m usually] ready to get up and go somewhere.
Carlsen: Yeah. I watch some TV series though.

JZ: Can you give me an example?
Carlsen: Right now I’m just watching through all [the] Seinfeld episodes that I’ve seen so many times already. It never gets old for me.

JZ: Who’s your favorite “Seinfeld” character?

Carlsen: It’s hard to say, but it’s more or less a tie between George and Kramer. I just like everything about it. I’ve also watched all of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” It’s a bit of the same humor.

JZ: The Larry David connection.
Carlsen: Yep.

JZ: I read that you like to go ski jumping. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Carlsen: Actually I haven’t done that for many years, but I’m thinking about going back to doing that. It was an exciting thing to do when I was younger and at some point I think I reached my peak. If I was going to do that anymore I would have to spend more time on it and also to go for some really dangerous large hills. And I was really going to do that.

JZ: Is that popular in Norway? The thought of going straight down a hill and flying through the air terrifies me personally.

Carlsen: Yeah. Lots of kids try it at least. It’s fun.

JZ: In Norway how have you seen [chess] grow?
Carlsen: In a way that before I would know all of the people in the chess environment, and now there are people who are walking up to me on the streets, who are following all the top tournaments, that I’ve never met in my life. Even people who don’t actually play the game themselves, they follow me and other tournaments; and people who have never played in a club they play online and they get lots of pleasure from that. And I think there are also more kids interested to learn the game. At least I hope so.

JZ: Tell me why. What sort of influence can chess have on kids?
Carlsen: First of all my impression is that most kids think it’s a fun game, at least until they’re told otherwise by society. And I think it helps you to concentrate, to think ahead, to think analytically and so on. But again, most of all, it’s fun and when you have fun then you’re more interested in learning. That’s the main aspect for me, that it can be used as a learning tool for kids.

JZ: And you think society tells kids that they should do something different for fun?
Carlsen: Yeah. In my experience, when I went to school, and especially in after-school, and during breaks, a lot of people wanted to sit down and play chess up till a certain age when it was not supposed to be cool anymore and people wanted to do other things. Kids love games and chess is a game where you have to sit down and concentrate and it just helps in every way.

-- First appeared in The Classical Illustration by Alex Roland.

Jonathan Zalman is a New York-based journalist, writer and teacher. Connect with him on Twitter @ZalmanJ.

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Top 7 Commentators you would Like to see at Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013 in Chennai

State-of-the art transmission of top chess tournaments has created a new niche: Chess commentary. Somewhere from the Anand - Gelfand World Chess Championship 2012 to the London Chess Candidates 2013, chess commentary has developed as an art form.  

They're not giving out chess commentator Grandmaster titles yet, but we wondered what chess fans' popular pick would be/could be for best chess commentators at the 2013 Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship in Chennai (not in any specific order):
  

1 - Garry Kasparov: No two thoughts about this one. Expect carpet bombing, ballistic missiles, commentary room on fire, a zillion re-tweets, journalists in hectic-jot-mode or stunned mode, audience in aww-man mode and all without gunpowder... That's just when he enters the room. What's life, or chess, without passion?
  

2 - Nigel Short: Nothing could possibly replace quintessential British humour, knowledge of chess history and chess real-life tales from a guy who's been there, done that. Short would make the shortlist any day also because of all the cricket he can toss in! (in a cricket-addicted country like India).

3 - Alexandra Kosteniuk: Okay this one's a package deal. You connect to the Russian, French, Spanish and English audience in one go (not to mention Swiss and American residents speaking any language). You get hangers-on for chess even if they don't know chess. She brings the technical knowledge of a world chess champion to the table along with the distinction of having squashed both Anand and Carlsen in blitz (not to speak of Aronian, Polgar and the rest of the A-list). The organisers also get a one-(wo)man newsroom team, social media expert and a chic Chess Queen rolled in one.

4 - David Howell: Reigning British chess champion, handsome quotient for the girls in the audience and fun comments... We want him back... where's he been since the London Chess Candidates. Sigh.

 

5 - Lawrence Trent: If Howell is there, how can Trent be far behind. He's the guy who knows his job. He makes all the chess mortals in the audience feel good about themselves and keeps their self esteem from dipping.

6 - Anastasiya Karlovich: Lady, just sit there!

7 - Dirk Jan Ten Geuzendam: For all the ways he can play with the editor's pen and twirl it without dropping... for the way he brings out the best in his interviewees and co-hosts. The mild mannered Clark Kent with his chess reminiscences, anecdotes and great chess questions - all are worth their weight in gold. 

Of course, we've not counted so many other great Grandmasters, but we'd like to see them as special guests. This one was about taking us through the long haul of commentary at the Anand - Carlsen World Chess Championship 2013. -- Zainab Raza Undulusi 

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Carlsen got Kasparov's database of 20 Years' Work: Exciting New Book by Agdestein Releasing Sept 16

How Magnus Carlsen Became the Youngest Chess Grandmaster
The Story and the Games by Simen Agdestein
Publisher: New In Chess, 2013
Expected to be available on Amazon by September 16 for $14.65. Currently on New in Chess for $19.95.

At the age of 13 years, 4 months and 26 days, Magnus Carlsen became the youngest chess Grandmaster in the world. The international press raved about the Norwegian prodigy. 'The Washington Post' even called him ‘the Mozart of chess’.

Ten years on Magnus Carlsen is the number one in the world rankings and a household name far beyond chess circles. 'Time Magazine' listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.

The fairy-tale-like story of Magnus Carlsen’s rise is told by Simen Agdestein, who trained Magnus in the years leading up to his grandmaster title, repeatedly pinching himself in amazement at his pupil’s lightning progress.

Agdestein explains the secrets of Magnus’ play in clear and instructive comments and tells about the Carlsen family life. The story of Magnus’ fabulous journey will fascinate parents and help gifted children to realize their full potential.

Simen Agdestein is a most remarkable double talent. Not only did he win the Norwegian national chess championship six times, but he also used to be a highly gifted football player. He played for Lyn FC in Oslo and represented the Norwegian national soccer team on eight occasions.

This book was previously published as "Wonderboy'. Here are some reviews:

Jan Timman, former World Chess Championship finalist:
"Compelling tale, exciting chess."

Heinz Brunthaler, Rochade Europa Magazine:
"From beginners’ errors to better and better achievements, the reader learns how a real chess prodigy develops, temporary setbacks and disappointments included ... One has to give great praise to the author for his honesty and empathy and for the unselfish way he tells the story.”

Herman Grooten, author of ‘Chess Strategy for Club Players’:
"A splendid book, accessible for a big audience."

Taylor Kingston, ChessCafe:
"No doubt about it, the kid is good (..) Agdestein does a good job indicating how various moves and ideas show Carlsen’s growth as a player."

Johan Hut, Gooi en Eemlander:
"A wonderful book for children, but also for adults."

Minze bij de Weg, SchaakMagazine:
“It is quite special to see how this boy, when he is 10 years old, starts to advance with giant strides through the chess world. That is why playing through these games is such a valuable experience.”

Jules Welling, Schaaknieuws:
"I finished it in one go."

Harald Fietz, Schach Magazine:
“Agdestein’s insider story is packed with detailed information about what makes the boy so successful.”

Max Pam, Het Parool:
"What Agdestein has written is clearly a labor of love."

In the preface to the book, Agdestein writes: 

"I assured myself after writing the first edition of this book that there would be no follow-up. No Wonderboy II or III from me. Magnus had be come a Grandmaster at an extremely early age and I had been given the chance to follow this extraordinary talent from when he started getting interested in chess at the age of 9 to when he was the youngest Grandmaster in the world four years later. It was an adventure and certainly a story to tell!

However, such enormous success also brings a lot of pressure. Magnus has been a prey for journalists since he was 13 and I didn’t want to add to this by pretending I was his personal biographer. I was worried already then about how all this attention would affect him. Magnus certainly was very mature for his age and chesswise he was of professor level even before he was a teenager. But still, he was just a child. In hind sight we can breathe a sigh of relief that things turned out as well as they did. Magnus became the number one in the world when he was 19 and is now way ahead of the next players in rating."

On Kasparov and Carlsen

Agdestein writes: "There are actually a few things that we talked about when Magnus was just a little boy that we can still see in the way Magnus plays to day. Kasparov was really dominant at that time, but one day he would quit, and then how would the next number one play? Anatoly Karpov had his style, and it worked in his day – Kasparov had a completely different style. Kasparov was the first and the best in exploiting the power of the computer, but the others followed in his footsteps and soon their preparation became just as good as Kasparov’s. 

The way to get away from all this would simply be to vary your openings all the time. Kasparov’s opening repertoire was fairly limited (although I believe he knew absolutely every thing!). The next number one had to be totally unpredict able. And that is exactly what Magnus is now. He can play anything and you never know what to expect from him. While Kasparov is (or was) concerned about ‘eternal values’, Magnus is only interested in what works to beat that particular opponent on that particular day. I have the impression that Kasparov was close to analysing many of his lines until the very end, but this approach seems more like science.

"Magnus is a sportsman. By changing your openings all the time you force your opponent into unknown territory and you also keep the game much more interesting for yourself. How exciting it is to discover new ideas over the board! It would have been interesting to see Kasparov’s depth added to Magnus’ pragmatism, but the general answer to all this well-meaning ‘advice’ is that you can’t argue with success. Magnus has been extremely successful with his

over-the-board fighting approach. Now he is the number one, and the one whose play everyone tries to imitate. In that respect, he’s very powerful."

Agdestein writes in the preface, "When Magnus left school three years later, he was the number 3 in the world. He then started to train with Garry Kasparov and soon rose to the very top. It must have been tremendous working with the man who I believe is the great est chess player in history ever (Magnus still has a way to go be fore he can compete with Kasparov in that respect). Magnus even got hold of Kasparov’s database with all his work from the last 20 years or so. According to Magnus that was pure gold!"

"However, I don’t see that much of Kasparov in Magnus’ style to day, I must say. Without claim ing any honour or anything – I’m just one of many that have been around Magnus –, to me it seems that Magnus is now playing more or less exactly the way we already visualized when he was 10."

Agdestein talks about the whole lot of hard work that has gone into nurturing Carlsen and, of course, the will to win the upcoming World Chess Championship in Chennai against Viswanathan Anand. We just cannot seem to wait - for the book and the championship! 

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Prince of Chess Film Excerpts: Magnus Carlsen at 13 Drawing Garry Kasparov, Beating Anatoly Karpov

The movie 'Prince of Chess' is a 48-minute work chronicling the world's youngest Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen's early chess life. The Carlsen family sublet their house for a year in order to travel around with Magnus and help him fulfill his potential as a world class chess player. The film also looks at the game of chess as a player in both cultural history and international politics. Magnus has already fulfilled his dream of becoming the highest-rated chess player on the planet. He now heads to Chennai, India to claim the title of World Chess Champion from Viswanathan Anand of India. Can he do it?

Prince of Chess is directed and produced by Oyvind Asbjornsen. You can watch the film behind a paywall of $6.75 at www.princeofchess.com. For now, here is a trailer and two short videos from the film: One is Carlsen beating former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov and the other is Carlsen drawing with former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov.

prince teaser from Main Island Production on Vimeo.

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