The 2016 World Chess Championship title match would be held in New York. A press release, issued by Agon Limited, the company which organizes the World Chess Championship on behalf of FIDE, the governing body for chess, stated the match would be played from November 11 to 30.
“I and all New Yorkers welcome the World Chess Championship back to New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement that was included in the Agon news release. “What better place to be than the city where parks are often populated by chess enthusiasts.” Washington Square Park in Manhattan is perhaps the most famous venue worldwide for the likes of blitz-chess hustlers.
It is said that known chess grandmasters appear in disguise to play their erstwhile opponents, and lose. It is said, also, that a Guyanese chess player from the Broomes’ brothers’ era, played with distinction at Washington Square Park. He opposed all comers in quick succession utilizing less than a minute on his timer.
Undoubtedly, local chess player Frankie Farley who contested the Trophy Stall tournament, played chess in the Park and may be in a position to share its secrets. The most famous chess player of all time, Bobby Fischer, played there. Visiting grandmasters from Europe have played chess there. In short, Manhattan is famous for its Washington Square Park as it is for Madison Square Garden or for Times Square.
Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, the formidable and charismatic 25-year-old world chess champion, is the only known contender for the 2016 World Chess Championship title. Who will be his opponent? A closed Candidates Chess Tournament is to be held this month in Moscow from March 10 to 30 to decide just that. The eight candidates who will compete for the opportunity to challenge Carlsen are, simply put, the best active chess players with the exception of the world champion, on planet Earth.
The top contender of the group has to be Hikaru Nakamura, 28, the American grandmaster ranked Number 2 in the world. Vishy Anand from India is also there, but past tournament stats does not favour him. However, Anand should not be dismissed. He overcame insurmountable odds at 43 to carry off the 2014 Candidates Tournament when hardly any one gave him a chance to do so.
The Netherlands’ Anish Giri is there also, as is Levon Aronian, Peter Svidler, Fabiano Caruana, Sergey Karjakin and Veselin Topalov, all familiar chess names. Giri does not lose a lot of games, being solid as a rock. However, he has been criticized for his drawing abilities which would not assist his cause in this instance. Svidler has been making waves on the tedious tournament circuit and therefore he is one of the grandmasters to watch. Caruana can beat any other grandmaster on his favourite day. Armenia’s Aronian enjoyed the elite Number 2 chess status for some time but fell down suddenly and disappointingly. Now he’s back in the world’s top ten. Russia’s Karjakin and Bulgaria’s Topalov have defeated all of their opponents at one time or another, and can do so again.
The 12-round match is expected to attract an online and TV audience of approximately one billion fans. At the 2014 World Championship, the match enjoyed record-breaking coverage with the total audience topping 1.2 billion people.
The venue for the World Championship Match in New York has not as yet been decided.
Agon Limited is the official partner of FIDE and owner of the World Chess brand as well as commercial rights holder to the World Chess Championship cycle. The company aims to develop and commercialize chess.
Chess is becoming increasingly popular around the world, and is the only game that is pre-downloaded on nearly every new smart phone.
