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Here in cyberspace we tend to look with a mix of pity and wonder at print publications in general and print chess magazines in particular. How can they do it? Games are available live online, analysis can be done by Fritz and friends, and pixels are a lot cheaper than paper and ink. And the mailing costs, good grief!
And yet we would surely weep if you took away our subscription to New In Chess. The Dutch magazine (which is completely in English) is pure chess content cream. Long interviews, analysis by all the top players of their best games, tournament reports, it's enough to make us forgive the lack of online replay and color photos.
Now they have really upped the ante by adding Garry Kasparov as a columnist. The retired world number one will get a few pages in each issue (eight each year) to sound off on what's going on in the chess world. And of course he's never been shy about his opinions. By chance, this week Kasparov was in New York City at the same time as NIC owner and publisher Allard Hoogland. With their midtown hotels only one block apart, it was a good chance to meet up. (Kasparov is giving classes to talented chess kids this weekend in NYC as part of a Kasparov Chess Foundation program. We'll have a report on that on Monday.)
Garry Kasparov and Allard Hoogland.
The column will be opinion with analysis tossed in here and there. There's no title; for some reason they thought our suggestion "The Chess Tourist Guide" was lacking gravitas. There certainly won't be a lack of topics for Kasparov to choose from. His first column, coming out in this week's issue, focuses on his long relationship with Linares. We'd be surprised if the Mtel Masters, anti-draw rules, and Vladimir Kramnik's latest interview don't come under review next time. We know which section we'll be flipping to first!
Shaking on the deal.
This isn't the first time Kasparov has joined the fourth estate. Apart from his various contributions to Russian publications, he had a column in the American magazine "Chess Life" from 1993-94. That was mostly deep analysis, but this time around Kasparov is looking forward to exploiting his new position above the fray and being a pundit on the chess scene.
Hmm, not bad already!
