Magnus Carlsen piece in the Guardian

[Jonathan Bryant]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/ma ... orld-title

"Magnus Carlsen is the Tiger Woods of chess" it begins. I wondered if Stephen Moss had discovered that Magnus had shagged 150 waitresses, but it turns out that Mr. Moss just meant Carlsen is very good.

[Joey Stewart]

Actually, that is a good point. I heard that in some of these russian countries in the east of europe, the chess players there are considered celebrities and have women throwing themselves at them.

Did anybody else ever hear anything like that...?

[Clive Blackburn]

I heard that in some of these russian countries in the east of europe, the chess players there are considered celebrities and have women throwing themselves at them.

Not while they are playing I hope!

[Giulio Simeone]

Interesting interview. I was impressed by the statements "When I lose I'm like a wounded tiger" and "Should my rating fall under 2700 one day, I will quit chess". I have some 915 ELO points less of him, but the way of reacting to defeats and ELO losses is very similar ... the ELO rating is something we are never satisfied with!!

[Jonathan Bryant]

And now, it seems, Magnus is Justin Bieber.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 41278.html


PS:
For anybody interest in the standard of reporting in that article, it claims Nigel Short came "very close to becoming World Champion twenty years ago."

"unsurprisingly sends a lot of players mad" is another choice quote

and then it gets worse!

"After rook 94, C8 black just takes on A4 so it is very comfortably a draw."


Oh and it finishes off with a dollop of sexism

"Don’t come if your wife if heavily pregnant. It will last many, many hours – and you’re not allowed your phone."


Apparently the author is unable to conceive of the possibility that women might read newspapers and/or be interested in going to chess tournaments.

[Clive Blackburn]

The bit that I found particularly hilarious was:-

The assembled audience at World Chess: The Candidates numbers about seventy.

[Brendan O'Gorman]

Never mind the chess inaccuracies, the writer has only a loose grip on English idiom and the meaning of words. Does The Independent actually pay for this drivel?

[Roger de Coverly]

For anybody interest in the standard of reporting in that article, it claims Nigel Short came "very close to becoming World Champion twenty years ago."

An exaggeration, but he did compete in a match for the title.

The journalist should reflect that technical jargon should not be mocked, after all cricket commentaries would be unfathomable to Americans and possibly several of the eight Candidates. It does perhaps indicate the uphill battle that FIDE, Agon and Paulson will face if they want to promote top class chess as spectator friendly.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"And now, it seems, Magnus is Justin Bieber."

except Magnus turns up...

[Chris Rice]

Yes perhaps they should subject Justin Bieber to the zero tolerance rule.

[Jonathan Bryant]

For anybody interest in the standard of reporting in that article, it claims Nigel Short came "very close to becoming World Champion twenty years ago."

An exaggeration, but he did compete in a match for ....

Very true. It was a fine achievement and it would be very reasonable to say that Nige came closer than any Englishman before or since.

To say that he came "very close" to winning is patently ludicrous. Similarly, I did not come very close to getting jiggy with one of the spice girls last year when I walked past her on Regent Street.

[Clive Blackburn]

"And now, it seems, Magnus is Justin Bieber."

except Magnus turns up...

....and Magnus has not so far attempted to punch anybody from the press, although in the case of this reporter I think he would have been fully justified to do so!

[Phil Makepeace]

After I called him out for misogyny, Tom Peck has just blocked me on Twitter. Lovely fella.

[Jonathan Rogers]

After I called him out for misogyny, Tom Peck has just blocked me on Twitter. Lovely fella.

Well, to be honest I don't blame him. There seems to be no sign of misogyny in his article. Aren't you going rather far by basing this on one sentence where he advises people not to bring heavily pregnant women into a place where there is supposed to be absolute quiet, and presumably not much walking around?

[Jonathan Rogers]

For anybody interest in the standard of reporting in that article, it claims Nigel Short came "very close to becoming World Champion twenty years ago."

An exaggeration, but he did compete in a match for ....

Very true. It was a fine achievement and it would be very reasonable to say that Nige came closer than any Englishman before or since.

To say that he came "very close" to winning is patently ludicrous. Similarly, I did not come very close to getting jiggy with one of the spice girls last year when I walked past her on Regent Street.

But it's not similar, is it? similar would be you getting jiggy with lots of celebrity women just short of spice girl status, and then going on several dates with a spice girl, but just failing to go that one last step.

Something about this article seems to trouble the Streatham brigade out of all proportion. Short was just the third person to challenge for the world championship since 1975, and he beat Karpov on the way - are you really going to shout at a journalist for calling that "very close" even if he was predictably outgunned at the end?