I don’t know the complete answer to that, but it is basically a two-year cycle. This match coming only a year after the last one is a one-time thing. The next match is planned for 2016.
Let’s power down for a second.
Even before FIDE put off the deadline to Sept. 7 it looked like this was going to be be resolved.
The idea that Kirsan wants to split FIDE by forefetiing Magnus is severely lacking in logic. After all, this is the guy who ended the Kramnik-Topalov standoff that threatened the reunification of the world championship.
Carlsen’s advisers have given him some bad advice in the past, such as backing out of a championship cycle he most likely would have won. FIDE has dropped all sorts of silly demands in the past.
There is plenty of room for compromise.
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Whoa, let’s not rewrite and distort history.
It was Shirov who rejected the WCChamp title match that Kasparov and Shirov were offered. Kasparov accepted the offer.
I was active on Mig Greengard’s blog when Shirov chimed in one day and explained that the $650,000 offered for the match was not enough to make the match worth his while. Reading between the lines it seems that Shirov knew he would lose to Kasparov, and wanted the Winner-Loser portions adjusted closer to each other than the proposed $450K - $200K split in the offer.
As I understand it, Shirov’s main defense of his argument that Shirov was “wronged” is that Shirov assumed that his rejection of the match would be followed by another offer with a bigger purse. But this gamble failed, perhaps because everybody knew Kasparov would defeat and probably crush Shirov and the match would be dull (Shirov had a poor lifetime record against Kasparov). In any case, no more bids for a Shirov match were forthcoming; and Kasparov wanted to play a WCChamp match.
When more money was offered on the condition that Kramnik be the challenger, it was the only offer, and Kasparov and Kramnik agreed. As Larry Evans put it - one can argue whether Kramnik had the strongest right to be the challenger, but nobody can doubt that he proved to be a very worthy challenger. Even if we postulate that Shirov was wronged, the WCChampionship was not wronged - it remains a famous title match with an exciting and surprising outcome that changed the course of chess history.
If I got any historical details wrong and anyone can offer better evidence, I am willing to adjust my understanding.
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As I said earlier, it was time to calm down.
Carlsen signed the letter, despite the public comments of all the talking heads in St. Louis urging him towards disaster.
It’s a statesmanlike decision.
Bravo, Magnus.
Now it’s up to FIDE to act correspondingly.
It’s traditional and proper for the winner of the match to get a larger share, but 69% / 31% is not a very equitable split. (The real financial windfall of becoming champion comes from rematches, invitations, endorsements etc.)
Keep in mind that Kramnik received $100K (of a total promised $200K) for losing the 1998 Candidates’ Match. The second tranche due to Kramnik was originally contingent upon the completion of Shirov-Kasparov (granted, this was almost certainly reworked with the diminution of the title prize fund, and I may have muddled or misstated the contract terms). So it was particularly galling, from Shirov’s perspective, for the winner of the Candidates to receive $0 and the loser to receive $100K.
While Shirov certainly did not handle the situation well, I don’t think Kasparov dealt equitably with Shirov, especially considering that Kasparov was the prohibitive favorite. Kasparov needed this match, as Anand’s strong tournament performances had briefly made him people’s champion (this would change with Kasparov’s top form in 1999).
It’s not just FIDE that’s mismanaged the World Championship: this fiasco was part of the non-FIDE Classical World Championship cycle.
Anyway, looking forward to Baku! While I expect Carlsen to defend successfully, I think Anand has reasonable chances.
Sorry. I disagree. Carlsen should not become a prima donna. He is not satisfied with a million dollars? The reason nobody including the Indians are not willing to put up more is he wiped out Anand last time and everybody figures he will wipe up Anand again and nobody is going to put up money to see a slaughter.
Now Carlsen is almost not credible as a World Champion in view of the result by Caruana. Carlsen had better take the money while it is still available.
Oh of course. After completely dominating the top 10 for a few years and being the sole and undisputed world champion by match play…it’s clear that the writing is on the wall after one tournament.
Still a very credible world champion.
But after Stavanger and Tromso, not an absolutely dominating world champion like Kasparov.
When one looks at the continued corruption and malfunctions of FIDE,
and then consider that so little thought has truly been given to USCF
leaving this organization. At what point does USCF say “uncle”??
Rob Jones
FIDE confirmed that the championship match will happen!