London Candidates?

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Michael Jones
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Michael Jones » Sat Feb 11, 2012 3:55 am

Steve Giddins wrote:Failing that, it must be someone connected with FIDE itself, maybe one of the various Russian promotional groups, to whom our alien abductee President periodically sells the exclusive rights to promote world chess for the next 400 years or so.
I don't very often agree with Giddins, but it looks like he's hit the nail on the head here.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sat Feb 11, 2012 9:15 am

There's much yet to be revealed. It appears that FIDE have delegated all the rights to the World Championship cycle to a new organisation. Whether this includes the responsibilities as well remains to be see. It also remains to be seen whether the national chess federation, in this case the ECF, is expected to be part of the set up. The last two matches in 1993 and 2000 didn't involve the BCF. The earlier match in 1986 did, and came close to triggering a financial meltdown for the BCF from overspending.

Sceptics will want to see some action from the organising body, namely to put money down to hire someone to get the show running, starting presumably with finding, selecting and hiring a venue. For an event involving 8 players, you could just use the upper room at the pub where the Drunken Knights play, but I would expect they would want space for media and spectators. You'd rule out the hall where the Golders Green rapidplays take place for similar reasons.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:15 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:Sceptics will want to see some action from the organising body, namely to put money down to hire someone to get the show running, starting presumably with finding, selecting and hiring a venue. For an event involving 8 players, you could just use the upper room at the pub where the Drunken Knights play, but I would expect they would want space for media and spectators. You'd rule out the hall where the Golders Green rapidplays take place for similar reasons.
The London Eye wouldn't really work as a venue, either. But are there any really 'out there' venues that might work? How about the fourth plinth in Trafalgar square? Bit small, sadly. Maybe on a viewing floor near the top of the Shard if there is one? Are there any 'top of skyscraper' venues in London?

Colin Patterson
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Colin Patterson » Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:13 pm

Recalling old episodes of The Apprentice, they have used some interesting, photogenic venues. One that stood out was Tower Bridge, which has a variety of award winning function spaces including the upper walkway with spectacular views over the Thames. If you wanted to sell London, I can't think of much that would compete with that.

Colin Patterson
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Colin Patterson » Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:19 pm

Does anyone know what Paulson's connection is to chess? Is he a fan? A player? Is it just his marketing tool of choice, given its importance in Russia where he is now based?

Alex McFarlane
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Alex McFarlane » Sat Feb 11, 2012 12:24 pm

I believe that a very senior FIDE official was in London in the last month. Perhaps this visit formed part of a scouting mission.

Other chess officials may well be visiting Britain before the summer on an unrelated matter.

I don't believe the ECF are/were involved in either. I am not in a position to say if the legal action has anything to do with it.

I do have it on very good authority that Malcolm is still highly regarded in FIDE circles. I cannot say the same for the ECF.

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Adam Raoof
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Adam Raoof » Sat Feb 11, 2012 1:32 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:Sceptics will want to see some action from the organising body, namely to put money down to hire someone to get the show running, starting presumably with finding, selecting and hiring a venue. For an event involving 8 players, you could just use the upper room at the pub where the Drunken Knights play, but I would expect they would want space for media and spectators. You'd rule out the hall where the Golders Green rapidplays take place for similar reasons.
With respect, we can easily hold the matches in the smaller hall and still have space for 100 press and spectators in the large hall. I have written to Mr Paulson with my bid.
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John McKenna

Re: London Candidates?

Post by John McKenna » Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:50 pm

[Paolo Casaschi]/Roger de Coverly > Going back in time... Also the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik, although that didn't get so much attention, being more noted for journalists being banned.<

PC >I must have missed that at the time: were (some) journalists banned from the London KK match in 2000?
Could you add more detail on that? Personal curiosity.<

Don't know if you got an answer but the 2000 WC match in London was a very strange private function. Held in an office building, I believe, that very few people actually got to go to.
It all seemed designed to give GK (like England football manager Fabio C) a way of handing over the title without a crowd and a quick exit stage left.

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JustinHorton
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by JustinHorton » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:35 pm

I thought it was held at the Riverside Theatre.
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John McKenna

Re: London Candidates?

Post by John McKenna » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:50 pm

I don't really know, Justin. I was out of the country in 2000 but got the impression it was held in a building that had something to do with a TV company. Maybe I misunderstood.

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JustinHorton
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by JustinHorton » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:53 pm

I didn't go (I was living in Newcastle at the time, I think). Funnily enough a couple of years later I got a job just round the corner: I could have gone to all the games!
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John McKenna

Re: London Candidates?

Post by John McKenna » Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:59 pm

OK, so it must have been open to the public. How, I wonder, did the journos get banned.

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Re: London Candidates?

Post by John McKenna » Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:03 pm

I also wonder if anyone here actually attended the match in any capacity?

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Tristan Clayton
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Tristan Clayton » Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:14 pm

John McKenna wrote:I also wonder if anyone here actually attended the match in any capacity?
I was there, as my favourite chess bookmark will confirm...

Image

I was there for Game 3, which was one of the many draws, but a fairly long one as Kasparov failed to break through Kramnik's Berlin Wall.

The match had a much lower profile than 1993, naturally, and I don't remember the TV studio where it was being held being particularly full.

No idea about journalists being banned, though.
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Mike Gunn
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Re: London Candidates?

Post by Mike Gunn » Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:15 pm

It was at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith. I went as a spectator on a couple of days and there was a reasonable crowd there. I believe we had to leave any electronic equipment in the cloakroom and we may have actually been frisked for any electronic gadgets before we went into the playing area. I think you could hire headphones to hear the expert commentary while you looked at the game in progress and we got into trouble for laughing at the commentators' jokes, although possibly that was at Kasparov-Short or the Intel rrapid event at Aldgate. All-in-all it was a fairly standard setup for a UK chess event of this sort although I remember the games being on the tedious side.