Carlsen - Anand 2014

[Chris Rice]

the Grand Prix, particularly the Women's seemed to be in difficulties

Really? I thought that one was a success story. Hou Yifan and Humpy Koneru seem happy enough.

Have to agree with Nick on this one. Certainly judging by the well funded Sharjah event the women look just fine with the way they are being catered for. Reports & photos

Round 1

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... und-1.html or http://en.chessbase.com/post/last-women-s-gp-under-way

Round 2

http://en.chessbase.com/post/sharjah-02 ... ces-appear

[Chris Rice]

Things now getting really serious for the proposed world championship rematch in Sochi. FIDE now telling Carlsen he's got until Sunday ( August 31) when Carlsen supposed to be playing Aronian. Guess in reality they may wait until Monday or Tuesday to show how reasonable FIDE is.

Mystery still surrounds who is behind the bid. Its been confirmed that Agon helped find the bidder but does that mean AP or is it some new Russian oligarch? No one is saying.

Are Russian seperatists in Donetsk funding part of the bid? No one is confirming.

Carlsen doesn't seem keen to go, he's desperately trying to postpone having to make a decision. Who can blame him for not wanting to go with all this uncertainty but is he willing to give up his world title and all the kudos that surrounds it? Neither he nor his manager Adgestein are really willing to talk about that with the elephant in the room being Karjakin silently waiting in the wings to be rewarded for his loyalty to mother Russia.

Couple of reports:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/trouble-br ... nship-2014
http://www.chess.com/news/is-magnus-car ... -risk-1470

[JustinHorton]

Karjakin, I think.

[Mick Norris]

Anand has signed the contract, so a match will take place hopefully with Carlsen not Karjakin

[Matthew Peat]

Saw this excerpt from an interview with Anand''s wife on Chess.com.

How do you feel about playing in Sochi? Do you share Carlsen team's worries about the many uncertainties?

“Like we have said before, a world championship match in Russia always has a special place. In 2012 the RCF treated Anand with the respect befitting his status. We should place on record our gratitude to the Government of Sochi for sponsoring the match. The RCF under the Presidentship of Mr. Filatov and his team which comprise of the captains of Russian industry and government will ensure the smooth functioning of the championship.

We would certainly look forward to the match and I am sure the organisers will ensure that the the conditions of the match are commensurate with the prestige of the title that is being contested. The logistics and venue are being worked out and we hope that as per the contract we will have a clear picture by the time of the team inspection.”

I used to have respect for Anand but am somewhat take aback by the above statement. Carlsen has rightly demanded some clarification about who the organisers of the Sochi match are (two months ago Ilyumhinov stated that an agreement was made with the governor of the Krasnodar Region, Alexander Tkachev, who is now on the EU blacklist as a self-proclaimed leader of the Russian seperatists). Anand's statement shows a complete lack of respect for Carlsen and the admirable stance he has taken. I suspect FIDE (aka Russian Chess Federation) now see a golden opportunity to parachute a Russian challenger in to face Anand. Sadly it would not surprise me if Carlsen is promptly defaulted at midnight on 31 August.

[Roger de Coverly]

Alexander Tkachev, who is now on the EU blacklist as a self-proclaimed leader of the Russian seperatists)

I thought it was just for being a crony of Putin.

Googling for the announcement, it says
http://famagusta-gazette.com/eu-adds-pe ... 493-69.htm

the Krasnodar Territory’s Governor Alexander Tkachev, head of the mobilization department of the Defence Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Pavel Gubarev and his wife Yekaterina Gubareva, command official of the republic Fyodor Berezin, President of the Republic of Novorossia Valery Kaurov and Novorossia's militia military leaders Sergei Zdrylyuk and Alexander Antyufeyev.

Assuming reliability of the punctuation, it's Gubarev and his wife who are amongst the Donetsk leaders as the job title precedes the name.

It was never very clear where the State funds of Kalmykia ended and Kirsan's wealth began, so perhaps the same applies in Krasnodar. In that case the mystery ownership of Agon, still legally a Jersey company as far as anyone is aware, might be the way of trying to avoid any potential issues. It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that the owner or financier of Agon is now, or perhaps still is, Kirsan himself. It would be difficult so soon after the numerous assertions to the contrary to admit this.

[JustinHorton]

1. I very much doubt that FIDE actually want Carlsen to be defaulted. Given that he's not just the world number one by miles, and an active one at that, I see no political advantage to kicking him out. It would not clever and it would not be well-received.

2. As the match is not being played in the EU, who is or is not on an EU blacklist may not be considered pertinent. (There's a contrast to be made with the 1992 Fischer-Spassky match, where I believe the sanctions on the then Yugoslavia were imposed by the UN.) Moreover Norway, of which country Magnus Carlsen is a citizen, is not a member of the EU.

[Roger de Coverly]

(There's a contrast to be made with the 1992 Fischer-Spassky match, where I believe the sanctions on the then Yugoslavia were imposed by the UN.)

It was by no means universal. Spassky as a French citizen was not in any way prohibited, even though the State Department famously wrote to Fischer.

There's another, more local, precedent. There was a Women's Zonal or Interzonal scheduled for Belgrade at around this time. The future Mrs Lalic declined to play.

[JustinHorton]

But neither of those issues relate to the present one - not unless Carlsen declares that he doesn't wish to play as a protest, or that a player were to be involved whose government is supposed to be supporting sporting sanctions against Russia.

[John McKenna]

"I very much doubt that FIDE actually want Carlsen to be defaulted..."

But what about the Russians (who are to a significant degree in de facto control of FIDE) - wouldn't they like it?

They (FIDE & Russia) seem to be linking the World Championship, as they did the Olympiad - via K. Lagno - to the events in Eastern Ukraine. Why wouldn't a leading Norwegian citizen consider distancing himself from such an association?

Anand, on the other hand, is from a non-aligned nation that had ties with the USSR and still maintains them with Russia. His decision to sign the contract is much less problematical, and as a leading Indian citizen not at all unexpected, to me.

(Edit: section moved, by author, to Ukraine thread in Not Chess!)

(Edit: Norway may not be a full member of the EU but it is a founding member of NATO.)

Coincidentally, the South Wales International Chess Tournament is taking place literally alongside a NATO summit.

http://southwaleschess.co.uk/index.html

Edit: to correct spelling.

[NickFaulks]

If Carlsen wishes to resign his title in protest against Russia's disgraceful behaviour in Eastern Ukraine, he is free to do so. I think he won't. As always, if anyone fancies a friendly bet on this outcome, you know where to find me.

[John McKenna]

NickFaulks>... you know where to find me.<

At the coming match in Sochi - rooting for Carlsen if he decides to go?

[Paolo Casaschi]

They (FIDE & Russia) seem to be linking the World Championship, as they did the Olympiad - via K. Lagno - to the events in Eastern Ukraine. Why wouldn't a leading Norwegian citizen consider distancing himself from such an association?

Because of the cash associated with winning the world championship.
Same as for all the athletes that happily went to the winter Olympics games.
I find extremely unlikely for Carlsen to default because of the Ukraine events. If this is his intention why not saying that explicitly? All the communications so far from the Carlsen team look like very vague complains in order to negotiate better conditions. Instead of "we are not going to Sochi because we don't like Russia's actions in Ukraine" we just heard "it's not clear...".

[Leonard Barden]

My take....

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/a ... tle-threat

[Chris Rice]

Some breaking news here. Emil Sutovsky, President of the ACP has convinced FIDE to extend the deadline to September 7:

On FB - 'Yours truly just had a very constructive and fruitful conversation with FIDE President, Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. After hearing all the arguments, FIDE President has accepted my proposal to approve Carlsen's request, and agreed to extend the deadline for signing the contract till September 7. Gens una sumus again?"

Emil won't say what convinced KI to do this but everyone seems to believe this is a good thing. Needless to say Carlsen's manager knows nothing about this and Sutovsky's confirmed that KI has already sent the letter out.