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| Chess Looks to Young Norwegian to Revive Interest in Game | Chess Looks to Young Norwegian to Revive Interest in Game |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| On Saturday, Magnus Carlsen, a 22-year-old Norwegian, and Viswanathan Anand, a 43-year-old Indian, will stride to the center of a stage in a hotel in Chennai, India, shake hands and sit down at a chess board to begin a match for the world championship title. | On Saturday, Magnus Carlsen, a 22-year-old Norwegian, and Viswanathan Anand, a 43-year-old Indian, will stride to the center of a stage in a hotel in Chennai, India, shake hands and sit down at a chess board to begin a match for the world championship title. |
| At stake is more than the roughly $2.5 million in prize money. In many ways, the future direction of the game is on the line. | At stake is more than the roughly $2.5 million in prize money. In many ways, the future direction of the game is on the line. |
| Mr. Carlsen, the world’s top-ranked chess player, is a rock star in the chess world. Young and telegenic, he models for a hip urban clothing company, G-Star Raw, and has appeared on “Charlie Rose,” “60 Minutes” and “The Colbert Report.” Mr. Anand, the reigning world champion, is a celebrity in his home country. But his star power pretty much stops at India’s border. | |
| Despite a record number of chess players worldwide, the game has lost the spotlight it basked in when Bobby Fischer, an American, defeated Boris Spassky, a Russian, to claim the world championship title in the international sensation known as the Match of the Century in 1972. Chess enthusiasts say the game needs another big personality to energize it, and they are pinning their hopes on Mr. Carlsen. | |
| “I think that it is fairly clear that chess is not at the height of its popularity,” said David Shenk, the author of “The Immortal Game,” a book about the history of chess. “All it takes is one guy to come along and electrify the world.” | “I think that it is fairly clear that chess is not at the height of its popularity,” said David Shenk, the author of “The Immortal Game,” a book about the history of chess. “All it takes is one guy to come along and electrify the world.” |
| An estimated 600 million people play chess worldwide, more than ever before, according to the research firm YouGov. The game has also been added to school curriculums in many countries, including the United States and India, where the game was invented about 1,500 years ago. | An estimated 600 million people play chess worldwide, more than ever before, according to the research firm YouGov. The game has also been added to school curriculums in many countries, including the United States and India, where the game was invented about 1,500 years ago. |
| But the World Chess Federation, the game’s governing body, has struggled to attract big corporate sponsorships and, other than chess fans, most people would probably be unable to name a single top player today. In the recently completed Grand Prix series of contests, held to select the next challenger for the world championship, sponsors were scarce and the tournaments were often held in remote or obscure locations. | But the World Chess Federation, the game’s governing body, has struggled to attract big corporate sponsorships and, other than chess fans, most people would probably be unable to name a single top player today. In the recently completed Grand Prix series of contests, held to select the next challenger for the world championship, sponsors were scarce and the tournaments were often held in remote or obscure locations. |
| In recent years, chess “just doesn’t have and really hasn’t had any great personalities driving it,” Mr. Shenk said. | In recent years, chess “just doesn’t have and really hasn’t had any great personalities driving it,” Mr. Shenk said. |
| The last dynamic force in the chess world was Garry Kasparov, a Russian who became the world champion in 1985, when he was 22, the youngest player ever to win the title. But he retired in 2005 and there has been a void since then. | The last dynamic force in the chess world was Garry Kasparov, a Russian who became the world champion in 1985, when he was 22, the youngest player ever to win the title. But he retired in 2005 and there has been a void since then. |
| Mr. Kasparov said finding corporate sponsors should be possible. “They love chess already,” he wrote in an email. “Countless banks, insurance companies, car companies, TV shows, etc., use chess images in their marketing and stories.” But the World Chess Federation and chess fans “gain nearly nothing from this positive image because the current state of the professional sport is so poor,” he added. | Mr. Kasparov said finding corporate sponsors should be possible. “They love chess already,” he wrote in an email. “Countless banks, insurance companies, car companies, TV shows, etc., use chess images in their marketing and stories.” But the World Chess Federation and chess fans “gain nearly nothing from this positive image because the current state of the professional sport is so poor,” he added. |
| What did Mr. Kasparov think was the best way to make chess popular again? “My best one-word answer: Carlsen!” | What did Mr. Kasparov think was the best way to make chess popular again? “My best one-word answer: Carlsen!” |
| To be sure, Mr. Anand is one of the greatest players in history, and has been undisputed champion since 2007. He is sponsored by the Indian company NIIT, one of the world’s largest information technology companies, and together they have opened chess academies across the country. | To be sure, Mr. Anand is one of the greatest players in history, and has been undisputed champion since 2007. He is sponsored by the Indian company NIIT, one of the world’s largest information technology companies, and together they have opened chess academies across the country. |
| Mr. Anand successfully defended the title in matches in 2008, 2010 and last year, but Mr. Carlsen is his greatest threat. The Norwegian has been ranked No. 1 almost continually since January 2010, and he now has an edge in the ratings system used to calculate the rankings that is the widest between two competitors since Mr. Fischer beat Mr. Spassky in 1972. If Mr. Carlsen wins, he will become only the second Westerner since World War II to be world champion. | Mr. Anand successfully defended the title in matches in 2008, 2010 and last year, but Mr. Carlsen is his greatest threat. The Norwegian has been ranked No. 1 almost continually since January 2010, and he now has an edge in the ratings system used to calculate the rankings that is the widest between two competitors since Mr. Fischer beat Mr. Spassky in 1972. If Mr. Carlsen wins, he will become only the second Westerner since World War II to be world champion. |
| Even in Mr. Anand’s backyard, Mr. Carlsen is a celebrity. When he went to Chennai in August to check out the location of the match, he was greeted by hundreds of screaming young women in a mall. | Even in Mr. Anand’s backyard, Mr. Carlsen is a celebrity. When he went to Chennai in August to check out the location of the match, he was greeted by hundreds of screaming young women in a mall. |
| Mr. Shenk said he would not put all of his money on Mr. Carlsen’s ability to repopularize chess. But could he do it? “Yeah, potentially, yeah,” said Mr. Shenk. “He does seem like a very appealing guy.” |