Top-ranked Carlsen gives chess shot of hipness
Source: Agencies |
May 7, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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HE does fashion shoots with actress Liv Tyler, enjoys soccer-style sponsorships deals and was recently named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people. Who is this superstar? The world's top-ranked chess player.
With his trendy look and athletic physique, Norway's Magnus Carlsen has brought an injection of cool to the normally sedate world of global chess - extending its popularity beyond its niche following. The 22-year-old's home country is buzzing with excitement as he competes in a tournament here just months before he tries to win the chess World Championship.
In November, the young Norwegian challenges the reigning world champ, Viswanathan Anand, for the title, which typically is contested every other year. The inaugural Norway Chess competition in Stavanger, starting today, is being widely touted as a dress rehearsal for the championship tentatively slated to be played in Chennai, India, where Anand has a home crowd advantage.
With the lure of Carlsen and the 43-year-old Anand, and the 275,500 euros (US$360,400) prize money, the competition has attracted one of the strongest lineups ever assembled for a chess tournament. Even with the withdrawal in April of world No. 2, Vladimir Kramnik, the 10-man competition will feature seven of the world's top 10 players, and nine of the top 16, all vying for the top prize of 100,000 euros.
"It is very good timing for us. It is very big for Norway that Magnus is doing so well and this probably wouldn't have been possible without him," said Norway Chess chairman Kjell Madland. "We hope it will be the first of very many big chess moments in Norway."
The competition is the first example of Norway leveraging Carlsen's brilliance to try to earn a place alongside chess superpower Russia.
He has an unusual style of favoring the middle and long game over obsessive strategizing about opening exchanges.
"I do focus quite a bit on the opening," Carlsen said. "But I have a different goal. Some people try to win the game in the opening. My goal is to make sure I get a playable position and then the main battle is going to happen in the middle game and the later game."
With his trendy look and athletic physique, Norway's Magnus Carlsen has brought an injection of cool to the normally sedate world of global chess - extending its popularity beyond its niche following. The 22-year-old's home country is buzzing with excitement as he competes in a tournament here just months before he tries to win the chess World Championship.
In November, the young Norwegian challenges the reigning world champ, Viswanathan Anand, for the title, which typically is contested every other year. The inaugural Norway Chess competition in Stavanger, starting today, is being widely touted as a dress rehearsal for the championship tentatively slated to be played in Chennai, India, where Anand has a home crowd advantage.
With the lure of Carlsen and the 43-year-old Anand, and the 275,500 euros (US$360,400) prize money, the competition has attracted one of the strongest lineups ever assembled for a chess tournament. Even with the withdrawal in April of world No. 2, Vladimir Kramnik, the 10-man competition will feature seven of the world's top 10 players, and nine of the top 16, all vying for the top prize of 100,000 euros.
"It is very good timing for us. It is very big for Norway that Magnus is doing so well and this probably wouldn't have been possible without him," said Norway Chess chairman Kjell Madland. "We hope it will be the first of very many big chess moments in Norway."
The competition is the first example of Norway leveraging Carlsen's brilliance to try to earn a place alongside chess superpower Russia.
He has an unusual style of favoring the middle and long game over obsessive strategizing about opening exchanges.
"I do focus quite a bit on the opening," Carlsen said. "But I have a different goal. Some people try to win the game in the opening. My goal is to make sure I get a playable position and then the main battle is going to happen in the middle game and the later game."
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