2018 World Championship in London

[LawrenceCooper]

Quite apart from that, isn't the supposed deal with Agon for the World Championship that it's Agon making the decisions about when and where?

Isn't Kirsan part of Agon?

[Mick Norris]

I thought it was going to be in Norway

So did I. My impression from the article is that FIDE (or perhaps its just Kirsan, does he have the authority to negotiate given his powers have been stripped?) are trying to create the idea that this is not guaranteed and that there are other challengers out there. It would be interesting to find out, just who, the businessmen and lawyers he refers to, actually are.

Oslo has pulled out according to Tarjei

[NickFaulks]

Oslo has pulled out according to Tarjei

Who is demanding "open process"? I thought it was the Norwegians. All very odd.

[Mick Norris]

Tarjei says that Norway wanted, and failed to achieve, an open process; no surprise really with Agon

[Chris Rice]

Peter Doggers article on Oslo pulling out. I would highlight the update at the end

" An article by Norwegian media NRK now quotes Merenzon saying: "I think the Culture Minister misleads the Norwegian people. It seems that politicians are trying to find excuses. This is obviously highly political in Norway, but for us this is show and business. I'm a little disappointed that the Minister of Culture says such things."

Merenzon then describes how Agon works: "We select the host country which we like best. The factors are money that the host country can provide itself, the environment for sponsors, media, etc."

NRK then quotes Helleland: "He has a completely different understanding of transparency than we do. (...) It appears to be a closed process about who puts the most money on the table."

[Roger de Coverly]

It appears to be a closed process about who puts the most money on the table."

Perhaps the Tromso World Cup and Olympiad sets a poor precedent as the funding required for both was in excess of what the Norwegian government thought it was committed to.

You can see the Norwegian point as well, it's not worth their while putting a bid together if Kirsan or whoever is taking decisions in FIDE or Agon just decide to hold the match somewhere else.

[Alex Holowczak]

NRK then quotes Helleland: "He has a completely different understanding of transparency than we do. (...) It appears to be a closed process about who puts the most money on the table."

Isn't this just like the World Cup? Or the Olympics? Or how any other sport awards these sort of things?

[NickFaulks]

Perhaps the Tromso World Cup and Olympiad sets a poor precedent as the funding required for both was in excess of what the Norwegian government thought it was committed to.

If the Tromso organisers didn't tell them the full story, whose fault is that?

You can see the Norwegian point as well, it's not worth their while putting a bid together if Kirsan or whoever is taking decisions in FIDE or Agon just decide to hold the match somewhere else.

Except that it seems they had put an acceptable bid together. Now they don't want to do it any more, and are complaining that other bidders weren't given a fair chance to compete.

[Chris Rice]

The 2018 eight player Candidates tournament to decide the World Championship challenger looks to be between London, Baku and potentially a city in Germany according to this report. The report is in Russian but basically says they are looking to have the Candidates in the first half of next year and Ilyumzhinov mentioned in the phone call (to I don't know who) that Baku was discussed as a venue during the 2016 Olympiad and that was when he also met potential German sponsors.

[Tim Harding]

Baku would of course be bad news for Aronian, even in the unlikely event of him qualifying. The previous Candidates was sponsored by an Armenian and he got the wild card, and I for one think he deserves to get it again. If it's Baku then presumably Mamedyarov would get it.

[NickFaulks]

If it's Baku then presumably Mamedyarov would get it.

To be fair, he would also be a highly deserving case. Three or four potentially serious challengers will have to miss out.

[Chris Rice]

Looking more like the WC match will be played in London in November 2018 according to this report from Leontxo Garcia in El Pais.

[Roger de Coverly]

A press conference taking advantage of the presence of Magnus for the London Chess Classic has now confirmed London as the host city but not the actual venue.

As reported by chessbase.

https://en.chessbase.com/post/world-cha ... -in-london

and by chess.com

https://www.chess.com/news/view/2018-wo ... -in-london

Agon are still claiming monopoly rights on reporting of the games once in progress.

World Chess will provide a free live broadcast of the moves of the Match exclusively on www.worldchess.com and media partner sites.

[Roger de Coverly]

More on the major sponsor.

https://www.phosagro.com/press/company/item14921.php

PhosAgro CEO and member of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Chess Federation Andrey Guryev

Nothing new there, it's a long standing model for chess sponsorship that it happens when the boss is interested.

[Bob Kane]

Lets hope the ECF can rise to the once in a generation challenge..

FIDE's Makropoulos told Chess.com he is happy with the choice, but he has a wish list. "I would like the local federation to be very much involved. Besides, I want to see a parallel program with side activities before, during and after the match. Maybe they can get some support if they approach the municipality."