English Chess Forum

Angus French wrote:

NickFaulks wrote:Next, can someone speculate on why Agon would think this the natural backdrop for the Candidates? Beats me.

"Gens una sumus"?... Just wonder if it's part in memory of Andrew Paulson?

I thought of that too, but apparently:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_fraternal_kiss

It is a good example of how artworks and behaviour can be seen in a different light by later generations. Certainly the image has been used to illustrate themes very different from what it originally signified.

Example: http://www.bbc.co.uk/culture/story/2016 ... eally-mean

JustinHorton wrote: Though do we know who's actually getting their wallet out for this one?

Named sponsors per Agon

Leading brands continue to support the Championship cycle and will be represented in the Candidates Tournament: EG Capital Advisors, an international asset management company, as Official Partner; Kaspersky Lab as World Chess and FIDE Official Cybersecurity Partner; S.T. Dupont as Official Writing Instrument; and Isklar as Official Water.

If the wildcard isn't a GER player, one might expect a player with long standing Bundesliga connections. But that doesn't narrow the field greatly as most top players have taken part.

Some of Lev Aronian's family live in Berlin, according to past interviews.

EG Capital Advisors appears to be a Russian affair.

Or, you know, sponsors might just pick the highest-rated non-qualifier....

JustinHorton wrote:Or, you know, sponsors might just pick the highest-rated non-qualifier....

Would that likely be Anand or Giri? Wait. Maybe Kramnik or Mamedyarov. They should make this less confusing...

Roger de Coverly wrote:

JustinHorton wrote: Though do we know who's actually getting their wallet out for this one?

Named sponsors per Agon

Leading brands continue to support the Championship cycle and will be represented in the Candidates Tournament: EG Capital Advisors, an international asset management company, as Official Partner; Kaspersky Lab as World Chess and FIDE Official Cybersecurity Partner; S.T. Dupont as Official Writing Instrument; and Isklar as Official Water.

Is that the same sponsors as last time (or as New York for the WC match)?

EDIT: After checking, not same as 2016 Candidates (when Aronian was the wildcard)

EG Capital were sponsors in New York chess.com

Martin Bennedik who keeps the spreadsheet on the race for the Candidates updated also gives a list of the possible wildcard picks on his twitter feed (Bu might join this list if he keeps winning).

He also asks the rather important question as to whether anybody knows who actually picks the organiser's nominee, FIDE, Agon, Worldchess, Kaspersky, mayor of Berlin?

Chris Rice wrote:He also asks the rather important question as to whether anybody knows who actually picks the organiser's nominee

It had never occurred to me that it was anyone but the organiser, perhaps influenced by their financiers.

NickFaulks wrote:

Chris Rice wrote:He also asks the rather important question as to whether anybody knows who actually picks the organiser's nominee

It had never occurred to me that it was anyone but the organiser, perhaps influenced by their financiers.

This sounds right to me. It's like at football matches where reputedly (i.e. according to cynical opinion) the sponsors' Man of the Match is actually named by the club, because the sponsors are likely to be unfamiliar with the players. (Also in that instance because by twenty to five they're quite familiar with the hospitality, but that's another story.)

Yes, the organiser picks the organiser's nominee. It's in the FIDE-Agon agreement:

FIDE-Agon agreement, 3.1(c) wrote:Notwithstanding anything in 3.1(b) to the contrary, Agon will retain the right at its option to name one player in each Competition, except the World Chess Championship, provided that for a Challenger Competition such player has a FIDE rating of greater than 2700;

Macauley Peterson on the road to the Candidates 2018

Nice visual look at the possible (and probable) qualifiers

IM Jack Rudd wrote:The first thing I'd look at is whether there's a player from the host country who's strong enough to be the wildcard. There isn't.

That may be good news for IA Klaus Deventer

I still think the wildcard will be a financial decision and they will keeping an eye on Wes So.
and Fabiano Caruana

If either fails to make the candidates then America will not be represented,
so it's 239,882,242 internet users will not have any reason to subscribe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... users#List

(Nakamura has very very slim chances of getting there via the grand prix).

China (Ding Liren?) and India (Anand?) have more net users but Americans
are richer (and more gullible). That is were the market is.

Ding Liren still has two paths open to him to make the candidates.
I think he will make it by legit means. if not he will be considered.

So depending on what happens in the next few weeks and if America has no rep in the candidates.

Fabiano Caruana (actually born in America) justified by the fact he came 2nd in the last Candidates.
(though we will know the real reason.)

If both Wes and Fabiano qualify then perhaps another lad (or Yifan..and why not?) from China.

Yes tonight I'm a cynic, but they are putting a lot of money in, they will want some back.

Geoff Chandler wrote:I still think the wildcard will be a financial decision and they will keeping an eye on Wes So.
and Fabiano Caruana

If either fails to make the candidates then America will not be represented,
so it's 239,882,242 internet users will not have any reason to subscribe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... users#List

(Nakamura has very very slim chances of getting there via the grand prix).

China (Ding Liren?) and India (Anand?) have more net users but Americans
are richer (and more gullible). That is were the market is.

Ding Liren still has two paths open to him to make the candidates.
I think he will make it by legit means. if not he will be considered.

So depending on what happens in the next few weeks and if America has no rep in the candidates.

Fabiano Caruana (actually born in America) justified by the fact he came 2nd in the last Candidates.
(though we will know the real reason.)

If both Wes and Fabiano qualify then perhaps another lad (or Yifan..and why not?) from China.

Got to be 2700+ I think.

Richard Bates wrote:Got to be 2700+ I think.

2725 on any 2017 rating list

List of potential wildcards

Which is quite a low figure when you think about it. I wonder how it was come to?