Normandy landings

Magnus Carlsen’s Twitterman Tarjei J. Svensen announced today that “There are serious plans to organize a Fischerandom/Chess960 World Championship in Norway next year!”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it were true? I hope they will have the strength to organise it independently, and maybe it would be a good idea, on the occasion, to found a new, worldwide organization which may worthily represent both classical and Fischerandom chess.

Sleepless Beauty

Magnus Carlsen’s Twitterman, Mr. Tarjei J. Svensen, takes stock of Norway’s bid to host in Oslo Carlsen’s World Chess Championship match in 2018. General Secretary of the Norwegian Chess Federation Mr. Geir Nesheim told Matt & Patt that so far the Federation has already allocated 500,000 kroner for Oslo’s application, but it will need much more money – between 30 and 45 million kroner – to organize and stage such an event. What is to be done? Before being tempted to ask for a loan from Magnus himself, Mr. Nesheim could maybe seek the assistance of the newly constituted charitable foundation “Kirsan Fund”.

“Sleepless Beauty”
Oslo Opera House (Operahuset)
March 11 – May 6

Monolith at Vigeland Park

Magnus Carlsen’s Twitterman, Tarjei J. Svensen announced today that Oslo – Norway’s capital – will bid for hosting the next World Chess Championship match.

The Vigeland Park is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, and is one of Norway’s most popular tourist attractions. The park is open to visitors all year round. Photo: Alamy.

Not Exactly

And finally the King of Chess Magnus Carlsen – just a bit thoughtful as pictured above – speaked out against Mr. Andrey Vasilievich Filatov’s provocative proposal to sell the King’s Crown at the best offer when there are too many sellers and very few buyers. “I am not exactly a big fan of that”, he told Tarjei J. Svensen in an interview for Matt & Patt (August 31, 2016), of which we recommend a careful reading. Photo: Chess-News.ru.

Fire in the Snow

16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen conceded a press conference today in which he gave some impressions of Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin’s last minute withdrawal from the 4th Altibox Norway Chess. “I think it was a strange thing. I understand his reasons, but he should have thought about it before accepting our invitation”. On the other hand, Magnus showed his usual fair-play attitude when asked about Karjakin’s chess skills: “I was much impressed by his ability to handle difficult situations. Like in the last round, as well as in the penultimate, when he survived Aronian, he impressed me very much. Overall, I didn’t see anything that I didn’t already know about him, but his practical abilities are enormous and his defensive skills are great”.

• Tarjei J. Svensen, Magnus Carlsen ville ikke gjort det samme som VM-motstanderen. (Magnus Carlsen would not have acted like his challenger did), Matt & Patt, April 13, 2016 (Norwegian language)

Magnus Carlsen (L.) with his manager Simen Agdestein. Photo: Tarjei J. Svensen.

Wedding taboos

Olimpiu G. Urcan (@OlimpiuUrcan)

The Big Chance

• 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) to postpone wedding to participate in Altibox Norway Chess, norwaychess.no, April 8, 2016

Grandmaster 李超 (Lǐ Chāo) from China was called to substitute for Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin in the 4th Altibox Norway Chess. He has had to postpone his wedding in order to participate in such a contest. Norwegian organizers wrote on their site: “The Altibox Norway Chess board are very happy that Lǐ Chāo has accepted participation on such a short notice and look forward to a spectacular tournament”.

李超 (Lǐ Chāo)’s Sina Wēibó account

TRANSLATION

It’s not about whether I win or lose; I speak seriously.

Clock synchronization

Norwegian organizers haven’t decided yet who’s gonna get Karjakin’s spot at the upcoming 4th Altibox Norway Chess. They took time till the afternoon. We hope with all our hearts that they understood the importance of not-looking-like and having-any-looks-in-common with the GOP :).

4th Altibox Norway Chess (@NorwayChess)

King’s Audience

Thus Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin decided to withdraw his participation in the 4th Altibox Norway Chess. The announcement was made quite suddenly today, but most likely it’s nothing but a coup de théâtre that must have been previously conceived, to make sense for such fiction. Lately the chess world looks more and more like a grotesque soap opera. Even a coffee house player could foresee a year in advance the moves of such Beautiful Minds. Officially, the reason given for Sergey Alexandrovich’s great refusal is the need to hide his own preparation from Magnus’ eyes. I’ve already heard a story like that, and you saw – I believe – how sad it was. “So any suggestions on who should replace Karjakin in Norway Chess?”, asks Tarjei J. Svensen. Perhaps his question is too easy and hasty for someone like me who had followed the Altibox Norway Chess Qualifier in the hope of another future for chess. Nevertheless, I am sure that Norwegian organizers will be able to show themselves as leaders of a strong ethical community and that they will choose without prejudice the player more compatible with their cultural norms. We as audience, of course, might not share their nomination, but it would not be a drama, because we can always turn off the film and focus on other matters.

Artwork © candymax

No-broadcast theorem

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)

Unfairly correctness

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)

He was told, so maybe he will tell Magnus too

Tarjei J. Svensen ‏(@TarjeiJS)

The King of Volcanoes

The 20th European Team Chess Championship opens tomorrow in Laugardalshöll, Reykjavík, and continues through November 22, according to skak.is. Among the participants is World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen from Norway and Women’s World Chess Champion Mariya Muzychuk from Ukraine. This is the most significant chess event in Iceland since the world championship in 1972, between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. Teams from 35 countries compete, and almost 500 of the participants come from abroad. [Read more].

• Vala Hafstad, Magnus Carlsen Competes at ETCC in Reykjavík, Iceland Review On Line, November 12, 2015

Magnus Carlsen
Photo: Yerazik Khachatourian

Taxman

Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS)

Magnus Carlsen just landed in Reykjavík-Keflavík Airport
Photo: Donika Kolica