Carlsen interview and visit to Downing Street
4/3/2013 – The Candidates Tournament is over, Magnus Carlsen has emerged as winner and Challenger for the World Championship title. In closing we were able to record a 14-minute interview, and on the same day tour the city with the Norwegian star – a tour that included a visit to Number 10 Downing Street, an address you might recognize. Video and pictorial.
From March 14 to April 1, 2013, FIDE and AGON – the World Chess Federation’s commercial partner – staged the 2013 Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2013. It was the strongest tournament of its kind in history. The venue was The IET, 2 Savoy Place, London. The Prize Fund, shared by the players, totalled €510,000. The winner of the Candidates is the Challenger to Viswanathan Anand who has reigned as World Champion since 2007. The main sponsor for the Candidates was State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic SOCAR.
The eight candidates: Teimour Radjabov, Magnus Carlsen, Alexander Grischuk, Levon Aronian, Vassily Ivanchuk (standing); Peter Svidler, Vladimir Kramnik, Boris Gelfand
Interview with the winner
After the event and his victory Magnus Carlsen gave a pool interview with a number of journalists
Visit to Downing Street
Andrew Paulson (2nd from left), Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian on their way to...
... a street normally closed to the general public, which for over two hundred years...
... has been the official residence of the senior-most members of the British Cabinet
10 Downing Street is the official residence of the British Prime Minister. This photo of Magnus Carlsen was taken on April 2nd, one day late for some mind-bending April Fools stories.
Inside Magnus is awarded the official Candidate's trophy and the World Championship Challenger's medal by British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. On the right are FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and World Chess CEO Andrew Paulson.
George Osborne is himself a keen chess player, who regularly visits the London Chess Classic
Magnus in Downing Street – not a bad combination
Afterwards some of the sights of London: first
Buckingham Palace, the official London
residence and principal workplace of the British monarch.
Westminster Abbey, the large Gothic church that
is the traditional
place of coronation and burial site for British monarchs.
Big What's-His-Face, the most famous bell and clock tower in the world
The city and its subway system: London in the evening
Pictures by Ray Morris-Hill, Anastasiya Karlovich and Pascal Simon
LinksThe games were broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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