World Championship Match 2014

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Has Carlsen indicated that he would want to play the match in Norway? It would draw a huge amount of attention, but that isn't always a good thing for the incumbent if the pressure might affect them. I wonder how much the match being contested between the same two players as last time has affected things as well? If someone else had won the 2014 Candidates Tournament, would sponsorship have been more likely?

And looking forward, one disadvantage of the challenger being decided by a Candidates Tournament is that the eventual challenger ends up (after a few cycles) with very little experience of how to play matches. In future cycles (if Carlsen defends successfully this time) you will end up in a situation where the incumbent has more experience of matchplay than the challenger(s). Training matches aside. That was an advantage of having a full-blown series of proper matches to decide the challenger. I wonder if Carlsen would ever put his crown on the line in a tournament if he got bored with matches?

[Roger de Coverly]

Has Carlsen indicated that he would want to play the match in Norway? It would draw a huge amount of attention, but that isn't always a good thing for the incumbent if the pressure might affect them. I wonder how much the match being contested between the same two players as last time has affected things as well? If someone else had won the 2014 Candidates Tournament, would sponsorship have been more likely?

I believe the official line is that Norway and potential sponsors are fully committed for this year in financing the Tromso Olympiad. Beyond that, a long standing Norwegian FIDE insider has changed sides to support of Kasparov, so perhaps there's a message of sorts that Kirsan as Life President of FIDE is alien to western sponsorship.

It is plausible that were Kramnik or Karyakin the challenger, that a Russian sponsor might have materialised. Equally if it were Aronian, the Armenian government or an Armenian sponsor might have been interested.

[NickFaulks]

I believe the official line is that Norway and potential sponsors are fully committed for this year in financing the Tromso Olympiad. Beyond that, a long standing Norwegian FIDE insider has changed sides to support of Kasparov

That has certainly been the official line for several years, and there is every reason to believe it is true. Personally, I shall be very relieved if Tromso passes without the sort of moneysaving measures that so damaged Istanbul 2012, Khanty 2010, Dresden 2008 and Turin 2006. The "Olympiad organisation fee" that has recently appeared out of the blue is not a good sign.

Even so, I have been surprised by the complete lack of enthusiasm for putting together a WC match in Norway. It certainly can't help that their most prominent chess politician does not appear to be on speaking terms with the home federation.

[Mick Norris]

Has Carlsen indicated that he would want to play the match in Norway? It would draw a huge amount of attention, but that isn't always a good thing for the incumbent if the pressure might affect them. I wonder how much the match being contested between the same two players as last time has affected things as well? If someone else had won the 2014 Candidates Tournament, would sponsorship have been more likely?

Mamedyarov would have led to a bid from the Azeris backed by oil and gas money - ditto the Russians with Kramnik, Svidler, Andreiken or Karjakin - the Bulgarians had something lined up for Topalov

The Armenians might have put something together for Aronian, but also the New York or Paris bids might have come in if it wasn't Anand-Carlsen 2

I'm not sure Carlsen necessarily wants to play in Norway, having seen the pressure Anand was under last time playing at home

[Jonathan Bryant]

Even so, I have been surprised by the complete lack of enthusiasm for putting together a WC match in Norway.

Yes it’s unexpected to me too. Earlier this year I happened to have crossed the path of dozens of Norwegian school teachers and then invariably knew who Carlsen was and that he was the World Champion. Frankly the failure to harness this market is rather embarrassing for chess. Or at least the chess world's governing body.

In happier times six european cities submitted losing bids for the 1978 match. There was a report of this in The Times (in the news pages, not a supplement or specialist column - copy at http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.c ... -xxii.html if you want to see it).

A very different world then, of course, Even so, it’s confusing that the current world wants to see the World Chess Champion wearing clothes but not watch him pushing pawns.

[JustinHorton]

Even so, it’s confusing that the current world wants to see the World Chess Champion wearing clothes

If indeed it does.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Even so, it’s confusing that the current world wants to see the World Chess Champion wearing clothes

If indeed it does.

You think it might want to see him not wearing clothes ?

[Geoff Chandler]

So hold the match on a cat walk.

The players wearing trendy clothes could parade along the rostrum in between moves.
Skinny models dressed in the latest fashion could operate the demo board.

The Arbiters too could get into the act.
Alex Mac is a snappy dresser, put him in charge to run things.

[Chris Rice]

Looks like the Norwegians are gearing up for a £4 million bid for the match. Carlsen’s manager Espen Agdestein and the Norwegian chess federation’s president, Jøran Aulin-Jansson, met the government minister in charge of culture and sports Thorhild Widvey last week. They asked for state support to back a world championship in Oslo although they'll need commercial sponsors as well, with large companies Telenor, Yara and Statoil on the list of potential contributors.

Source: http://www.newsinenglish.no

[JustinHorton]

If I'm not mistaken (which i may be) the Olympiad organisers are not entirely amused by this.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Ray Keene has been known to come to the rescue.

[JustinHorton]

A match sponsored by Tony Buzan and MindMaps! I'd look forward to that.

[Paolo Casaschi]

They asked for state support to back a world championship in Oslo although they'll need commercial sponsors as well, with large companies Telenor, Yara and Statoil on the list of potential contributors.

I wonder if the marketing people at Telenor (telecom operator in Norway, including mobile phone services) are aware of all the issues around mobile phones at chess events: just imagine a Telenor sponsored world championship match where a spectator is expelled for switching on his/her Telenor mobile phone!

[David Sedgwick]

Looks like the Norwegians are gearing up for a £4 million bid for the match. Carlsen’s manager Espen Agdestein and the Norwegian chess federation’s president, Jøran Aulin-Jansson, met the government minister in charge of culture and sports Thorhild Widvey last week. They asked for state support to back a world championship in Oslo although they'll need commercial sponsors as well, with large companies Telenor, Yara and Statoil on the list of potential contributors.

Source: http://www.newsinenglish.no

http://www.newsinenglish.no/2014/05/13/ ... team-ever/ is a more specific link.

[David Sedgwick]

If I'm not mistaken (which i may be) the Olympiad organisers are not entirely amused by this.

You appear to be correct.

https://twitter.com/TarjeiJS?original_r ... 7684930560

I've also posted the link in the Olympiad thread.