Anand - Carlsen venue and date

[Mick Norris]

http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/chenn ... prize-fund

[Ray Sayers]

Yes, from what I have read, it seems India was given the first refusal this time for stepping aside from the last match.

So, on the face of it, India are just confirming that they are hosting it.

However, whenever money and a possible bidding process is concerned, things are not so simple. I understand Norway is considering making a bid, for example. The addition of lots of extra cash can make previous 'promises' go away...

India are likely to be announcing they are hosting to try and make it a fait accompli, before the talk of bids escalates.

[David Robertson]

There's a bit to go yet. The date (mid-November) may be fixed, for now. But not much else is.

If Tromso (or elsewhere in Norway) makes a higher bid, that might shake things up rather. But at that time of year, the temperature is -1c; and daylight is about two hours or less. By contrast, Chennai is a humid 30c and not the finest city in India.

Moreover, the players have to agree the venue, then sign it off. Carlsen won't be keen on Chennai. But I'd bet Anand won't be too keen either - he'll be mobbed to death everywhere he goes.

This one will run on yet, I think

[AustinElliott]

Hmm - split the difference / somewhere neutral / in between.....

I'm betting on Dubai.

[Greg Breed]

Hmm - split the difference / somewhere neutral / in between.....

I'm betting on Dubai.

Or London!

[Mick Norris]

http://www.chessdom.com/world-chess-cha ... um=twitter

[Roger de Coverly]

I've seen it reported that Agon have yet to pay FIDE various financial guarantees, but if the original announcements were to be believed, Agon had the contract to organise, or at least be involved with the Grand Prix, the Candidates, the World Cup and World Championship.

http://en.chessbase.com/home/TabId/211/PostId/4007985
in which

FIDE asked me to create a new company (Agon Ltd.) that would only deal with chess; ‘agon’ means ‘struggle’ in ancient Greek. They have granted this company the long-term rights to organize, promote and commercialize the World Chess Championship cycle.

[Chris Rice]

So Chennai it is then. No bidding process, Chennai get it because they didn't get it last time, although why they didn't get it last time is still unclear. An MoU is signed, but what are the players getting once FIDE have had their cut(s)? It doesn’t look clear to me. (See FIDE Articles below). Kasparov says it's a scandal but isn't it fair to says it's just Business As Usual? The FIDE Articles have already made provision if the players don't like the deal. Anand to be replaced by Gelfand and Carlsen by Kramnik. Both players are getting a raw deal but clearly Carlsen is the one with the odds being stacked against him.

http://en.chessbase.com/Home/TabId/211/ ... 00413.aspx

Extract on FIDE Articles on the 2013 World Championship:

13. Prize Fund

13.1 The prize fund of the match, provided by the organizer, should be a minimum of
1,000,000 (one million) euros, net of any applicable taxes. The prize fund will be divided
60% for the winner and 40% to the loser if the FWCM ends within the 12 regular games. In
case the winner is decided by tie-break games, the winner shall receive 55% and the loser
45%.

13.2 The organizer shall pay to FIDE an amount of 20% over and above the total prize fund,
net of any applicable taxes.

13.3 If the match is played in the country of one of the players, then the opponent shall
receive 100,000 (one hundred thousand) euros from the Prize Fund. The balance of the Prize
Fund shall then be shared in accordance to Article 13.1 above.

13.4 Before the start of the FWCM, the players shall each receive 200,000 (two hundred
thousand) euros in accordance to the terms of the contract to be signed with FIDE. This
amount shall be deducted from the Prize Fund. The balance of their share of the Prize Fund
shall be remitted to the players within ten days after the completion of the FWCM.

14. Other expenses

14.1 The organizer shall pay to FIDE an additional 5% over and above the prize fund, net of
any applicable taxes, to receive the commercial rights of the event.

14.2 The organizer shall pay to FIDE an additional 5% over and above the prize fund, net of
any applicable taxes, for the budget of the FIDE Commission for World Championships
and Olympiads. This budget includes all expenses of FIDE concerning inspections,
meetings with the Organizer, stipend of FIDE Supervisor (where appointed), other
meetings of the WCOC, etc.

14.3 If required by FIDE, the organizer will provide an electronic device to block all mobile
signals around the playing area of the FWCM. The total cost should be included in the
budget of the organizer and will not exceed the amount of 8,000 (eight thousand) euros.

14.4 If the FWCM is played in the country of one of the players, the organizer shall provide
an amount of 3,000 euros to the opponent as compensation for transportation and hospitality
for inspection visits.

14.5 The stipends to be paid to the FIDE Principals of the FWCM are (in euros):

Chairman of Appeals Committee: 7,500
Two members of Appeals Committee: 9,000 (4,500 euros each)
Chief Arbiter: 6,000
Deputy Arbiter: 4,000
Press Officer: 4,000
FIDE Medical Commission: 2,000

[Mick Norris]

Both players are getting a raw deal but clearly Carlsen is the one with the odds being stacked against him.

I take issue with that, Anand will be under extreme pressure playing at home, I don't think it did Topalov any favours in Bulgaria

I don't think Carlsen has to fear any dirty tricks from the Indians (which has been the issue in the past with home venues)

I don't think the climate will be any issue in the playing venue or his hotel, and I don't think he will have any food problems either

In fact, if it gives him a sense of injustice, it might help him

[Jonathan Rogers]

Could a more assiduous researcher than me find out whether Carlsen has ever played in India before? I believe that first-time visitors often have, er, health effects ... and we wouldn't want a world championship to disintegrate about arguments on whether one player was spending too much time in the loo

I still believe that nothing is truly settled yet. FIDE's capacity to repeat past mistakes is astounding. Has anyone in FIDE asked themselves exactly what it was that so annoyed Nigel Short that he and Kasparov played outside FIDE in 1993, with the consequence that FIDE has, after 1990, arguably only annointed the truly undisputed title holder since 2009 (the winner of Kramnik v Anand)?

[Chris Rice]

Both players are getting a raw deal but clearly Carlsen is the one with the odds being stacked against him.

I take issue with that, Anand will be under extreme pressure playing at home, I don't think it did Topalov any favours in Bulgaria

I don't think Carlsen has to fear any dirty tricks from the Indians (which has been the issue in the past with home venues)

I don't think the climate will be any issue in the playing venue or his hotel, and I don't think he will have any food problems either

In fact, if it gives him a sense of injustice, it might help him

I wasn't having a go at the Indians Mick, I'm sure they wouldn't stoop so low as to stick a few extra chillies into Magnus's Chicken Tikka Masala, just FIDE's way of going about things. Carlsen's team clearly tried to convince FIDE not to hold the match there http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/fide- ... th-chennai so they must definitely feel that the odds are stacked against him.

[Adam Raoof]

Could a more assiduous researcher than me find out whether Carlsen has ever played in India before? I believe that first-time visitors often have, er, health effects ... and we wouldn't want a world championship to disintegrate about arguments on whether one player was spending too much time in the loo

I still believe that nothing is truly settled yet. FIDE's capacity to repeat past mistakes is astounding. Has anyone in FIDE asked themselves exactly what it was that so annoyed Nigel Short that he and Kasparov played outside FIDE in 1993, with the consequence that FIDE has, after 1990, arguably only annointed the truly undisputed title holder since 2009 (the winner of Kramnik v Anand)?

Carlsen, if playing in India, would take his own chef, and would be unlikely to suffer too much internal strife!

It is certainly true that neither player would have India as a first choice, but for different reasons. Both players would prefer London, or perhaps Paris or New York. But definitely London is high on the list.

[Roger de Coverly]

FIDE's capacity to repeat past mistakes is astounding. Has anyone in FIDE asked themselves exactly what it was that so annoyed Nigel Short that he and Kasparov played outside FIDE in 1993,

The trigger was awarding the match without consulting the players. But I had the impression Nigel had disliked Campomanes ever since Campo had objected to Nigel wearing shorts during a rather hot Candidates tournament in the middle of a French summer.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Hmmm, I am no friend of FIDE but to say the 1993 split was *just* their fault is distinctly over-simplistic. Hasn't no less than Gazza himself admitted as much??

Agree with those who say playing in India might not be such a big plus for Anand, btw.

[Jonathan Rogers]

I didn't say that the 1993 split was "just" FIDE's fault. But it was a mistake by them, and one which they haven't learnt from - whereas, as you say, at least Gazza seems to have learnt from his own mistake in the whole affair. Notably, at the moment he is criticising FIDE but he is not exhorting the players to break away.