(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
The Wall Street Journal Online on Anand-Carlsen | ChessVibes
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Reports | June 04, 2013 17:04

The Wall Street Journal Online on Anand-Carlsen

The Wall Street Journal Online on Anand-Carlsen

It's always nice to see when mainstream media are picking up chess – especially when the reason is not something like Toiletgate or the obligatory but completely inappropriate comparison with the royal game by a sports commentator. The Wall Street Journal Online has a piece on the Anand-Carlsen match, focusing on the process that resulted in Chennai as the venue, and on whether or not there's something like home-court advantage.

The title is For the No. 1 Chess Player On Earth—A Road Game and the subtile Norwegian Magnus Carlsen Heads to India to Play the World Champion—On His Home Turf. Ben Cohen, who usually writes for WSJO about basketball, did a piece on the (road to) the Anand-Carlsen World Championship match in Chennai in November of this year.

After introducing Carlsen, Cohen wonders if there's such a thing as home-court advantage. After a quote from the author of these lines (Cohen called me two times and said he used ChessVibes as good a source for research!) both Carlsen and Anand's take on this subject is given.

Carlsen has never been to India, and he may acclimate by arriving in Chennai a month before the three-week match. FIDE officials say they're importing two Norwegian chefs to tend to Carlsen's culinary wishes. Carlsen likes Indian cuisine just as much as traditional Norwegian food, but his team is concerned about foreign bacteria. "We have to be careful," said Espen Agdestein, his manager, "to make sure he doesn't risk getting sick."

The trickiest part of Carlsen's preparation could be dealing with India's climate. November is one of Chennai's mildest months, Anand said, and the weather by then should be "quite pleasant." But something like temperature still factors into high-level, indoor chess competitions. "Playing in Moscow in March is very different from Spain in February," Anand said.

You can read the full article here, which also gives a good summary of the process that led to Chennai winning a bidding procedure that never was.

 

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Peter Doggers's picture
Author: Peter Doggers

Founder and editor-in-chief of ChessVibes.com, Peter is responsible for most of the chess news and tournament reports. Often visiting top events, he also provides photos and videos for the site. He's a 1.e4 player himself, likes Thai food and the Stones.

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Comments

abc's picture

abc

3 days 20 hours ago

>> "It's always ... to see when mainstream media are picking up chess"

Did you want us to fill in the dots?

- worrisome
- awkward
- bad
- funny
- good
- nice

;)

Carl Smith's picture

Carl Smith

3 days 20 hours ago

Enough crying of "home-court advantage", WCC Anand has defended his title several times in "no-home court advantage"...

Thomas Oliver's picture

Thomas Oliver

3 days 22 min ago

---deleted---
http://www.chessvibes.com/terms

sundararajan ganesan's picture

sundararajan ganesan

2 days 21 hours ago

what do you mean by 'civilized country'? yours is a racist remark!

litmus's picture

litmus

2 days 18 hours ago

When Gandhi was asked what he thought of Western Civilization, he replied: "I think it would be an excellent idea."

Somehow I think that the provocative remark about "civilised country's" was not made by the real Thomas Oliver, whose comments are usually longer and better written. Unfortunately, Chessvibes doesn't seem to have a good way to discourage trolls.

Frits Fritschy's picture

Frits Fritschy

2 days 17 hours ago

And the real Thomas Oliver isn't likely to make mistakes like 'country's'.
The Chessvibes Terms & Conditions about this are clear:
"Therefore, we ask you not to post comments which: [...] are made to appear as if they have been posted by someone else (impersonation) [...] Anyone who submits material which breaks these rules may be banned from contributing in the future."
I hope the last does happen in cases like this.

Real Thomas Oliver's picture

Real Thomas Oliver

1 day 4 hours ago

I was on holidays away from the Internet for the last seven days, do I have to check all threads for fake comments?? Whatever was written in the (now deleted) latest one seemed to be derogatory about India - I never wrote anything like this, unlike some Carlsen fans ... .

Whenever I post I give my real email address, known to Peter Doggers and a few other people in the chess scene but probably/hopefully not to random impersonators. Next time I would appreciate if 'deleted' is accompanied by a clarifying remark "written by an impersonator".

S3's picture

S3

3 days 20 hours ago

Carlsen has secured a media advantage long ago. Just think of the many insulting questions fired at Anand and other competitors f.e. at the Norway tournament, or Carlsen being presented as world champion without him objecting on tv, or of the biased official commentary during the London candidates.
I'm sure the Indians will be much more fair than the Norwegians at his last tourney, or the Swiss from Biel, or any Western organizer for that matter.

Born's picture

Born

3 days 19 hours ago

What tv show was this in? Where they called him WC and he did not object? That would be note worthy :)

redivivo's picture

redivivo

3 days 19 hours ago

"Cohen called me two times and said he used ChessVibes as good a source for research!"

Well he missed out on the basic often repeated facts: Carlsen is nothing but an overrated cheating coward that only wins by outsitting older opponents and who will be remembered by no one, while Anand is a useless has-been on the even more useless has-been Gelfand's level.

He got this one right though, as I'm sure S3 and bronkenstein will agree :-)

"A win in the world championship would establish the Norwegian as one of the five best players ever"

Peter Doggers's picture

Peter Doggers

3 days 19 hours ago

Thanks for this wonderful and insightful comment with so much respect to two chess legends. I'd say you look for another forum to post comments like this.

redivivo's picture

redivivo

3 days 18 hours ago

Yes, a forum where irony is understood would certainly be an improvement on this one.

Anonymous's picture

Anonymous

3 days 17 hours ago

Irony is always respectfull, whereas bad taste is only bad taste

redivivo's picture

redivivo

3 days 17 hours ago

Well, I'm taking Doggers' advice and find another forum for my posts and all will be happy :-)

Frits Fritschy's picture

Frits Fritschy

3 days 17 hours ago

If you just meant 50% of the comment section, you made a pretty good description of this site (and the irony is clear enough for me).
But your comment suggests that that's all there is to this place. The danger of irony is that you forget about reality: this is a good, open, independent, well informed, well written site.
Your comment was both clearly ironic and clearly short-sighted (and quite unpleasant).

Eiae's picture

Eiae

3 days 2 hours ago

You are using sarcasm, not irony

anti johnny foreigner's picture

anti johnny foreigner

3 days 19 hours ago

I hope the Indian wins in India but think the little runt will batter him

Anthony Migchels's picture

Anthony Migchels

3 days 19 hours ago

A little bit off topic, but I like it and I'm sure some of you will too.

Grotesque Chess, or: Chess and the Conspiracy
http://realcurrencies.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/where-grotesque-is-sublim...

Stephen's picture

Stephen

3 days 17 hours ago

Thanks for the article Peter. I appreciate ChessVibes and all the work you put in. I am sure that I am not alone.

Lee's picture

Lee

3 days 2 hours ago

This goes without saying.

But lets be honest, the forums associated with news postings are frequently out of control and detract from an otherwise informative chess news site.

Theun's picture

Theun

3 days 1 hour ago

Peter
I really love yr site, part of my daily ritual actually.
What never seizes to amaze me is the lack of decency
some of the commentators have. Un-f..-believable
Is is envy, leading a life of no achievements whatsoever?
Well anyway, keep up the good work& thx for everything!

chesshire cat's picture

chesshire cat

2 days 22 hours ago

He was trying to be funny. Without success. It's obvious that he was trying to mock his arch-enemies in the incredibly childish manner to which we are accustomed. Redivivo, no-one cares about the arguments you and others have about top chess players, here or on chessbomb. And I mean no-one. Perhaps now you might stop posting upon this subject, with or without "irony"?

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