I just received a note from Elling Bjåstad that Magnus has withdrawn from the European Team Championship. Below is the article in Norwegian.
Magnus trakk seg fra Norges lag
GÅ TIL NETTAVISEN SJAKK
Bare åtte dager før EM for lag begynner i Serbia, kom beskjeden om at Norges sjakkstjerne Magnus Carlsen trekker seg.
Det får Nettavisen bekreftet hos Norges Sjakkforbund.
18-åringen er nettopp kommet hjem fra en superprestasjon i Kina, der han utklasset blant andre verdensener Veselin Topalov.
Les også: Magnus brøt magisk grense
OverraskendeAvgjørelsen om å droppe EM kom på kort varsel og overraskende for de fleste. Senest onsdag ettermiddag ble Magnus Carlsen sitert på NRK på at han hadde tenkt å spille.
– Mitt personlige mål er å bli den beste førstebordspilleren i turneringen, sa Carlsen til NRK.no.
Here is the full article.
I also received the following from Norwegian Journalist Ole Valaker:
Breaking news today is that Magnus Carlsen withdraws from ETCC 2009.
– After discussing the matter with Garry Kasparov, Magnus has chosen rest and preparation before Tal Memorial, says father Henrik Carlsen to the net site www.tv2.no:
http://www.tv2nyhetene.no/innenriks/magnus-carlsen-trekker-seg-fra-em-2954926.html
Teammate and Nettavisen’s chess expert GM Leif Erlend Johannessen says:
– This was not good for us. But I understand the decision. China was a huge effort. Kasparov probably decided that the wisest thing to do is to spend time before Tal Memorial to rest, he says to Nettavisen:
http://www.nettavisen.no/sjakk/article2730845.ece
Nobody knows what becomes of the decimated Norwegian team.
The team, which consist of GM Jon Ludvig Hammer, GM Leif Erlend Johannessen, IM Frode Elsness og FM Joachim Thomassen and coach GM Peter Heine Nielsen (DEN), was mentioned as a top 10 candidate, but now the lack their main man.
They are not allowed to put in a substitute, and probably have to play as round 1 with three players as Johannessen will arrive late in Serbia.
– This is a awkward position. It’s unclear if we are able to participate, says project manager Hans Krogh Harestad at the Norwegian Chess Federation to Nettavisen.
By the way, Magnus Carlsen has offered to pay the expenses due to his late resignation message.
Chessdom.com also covers the story here: http://reports.chessdom.com/news-2009/carlsen-withdraws-from-etcc-2009
VERY good decision by carlsen and kasparov, indeed. one can reason that kasparovs support for carlsen is sincere and professional.
competing at ETC carlsen would have risked dropping below 2800 again losing part of the psychological edge he has been working hard for in nanjing to acquire.
in addition he should relax and of course prepare for the much more prestigious tal-memorial.
I fully support Magnus’s decision (Tal Memorial is more important for him than ETC), although it puts his teammates in an awkward position.
Good decision? Not even close! Have we ever heard of Kramnik, Anand or Topalov acting in this manner? What becomes of the team? Did he not say just 2 days ago (after Pearl Spring) that he was looking forward to playing there?
‘VERY good decision by carlsen and kasparov’
Idiotic decision. Magnus refused to play for his country and should be fined and jailed a bit.
Good decision buy a very very bad timing.
I fully support Magnus’s decision although he deceived his teammates and country, but who gives a crap about those?
Carlsen had it in his contract with the federation that he may change his mind about playing and all agreed in advance. So what’s the big fuss about it now??
We are in confidence that Magnis will reconsider after some pressure has been placed onto him.
Anon @ 2:32, we actually HAVE seen exactly the same with at least some of the players you mentioned. When did you see Anand play for India the last time? How often does Kramnik play any given year as compared to Carlsen? Criticism is only then just if it is well founded, and here it simply is not.
Beelze
Actually I agree with Anonymous 3:12PM. Some other Tal Memorial players (Ivanchuk, Leko, Gelfand, Kramnik) also don’t play the European Team Championship, but they all said so well in advance. As far as I remember, Kramnik said that he doesn’t consider this team event as important as the Olympiad and wanted to give younger players a chance – (of course) Russia is the #1 seed even without him.
Kramnik did play the Olympiad for Russia last year, despite being tired after his match against Anand. Anand skipped the last Olympiad, but had been playing for India at earlier ones.
“They are not allowed to put in a substitute, and probably have to play as round 1 with three players as Johannessen will arrive late in Serbia.”
Maybe a compromise that Carlsen plays the first round or so then leave.
Norway has no chance at ETC with or without Carlsen.
So it’s better for him to focus on the big tournaments to let his country have the No. 1 player in the world.
You. Do. Not. Turn. Your. Back. On. Your. Country.
This wasn’t Carlsen’s decision. A guy like Kasparov doesn’t put his name on something without having a say in the matter. It’s only a couple of days ago that Magnus said, without hesitation, that he’s playing. My guess is that Carlsen had no choice. Kasparov stayed for 20 years at the top and won’t let anybody tarnish his name.
‘As far as I remember, Kramnik said that he doesn’t consider this team event as important as the Olympiad and wanted to give younger players a chance’
Huh?
‘When did you see Anand play for India the last time?’
Anand prefers rating over country duties. That’s ok, I guess.
‘Norway has no chance at ETC with or without Carlsen.’
So what? Norway is not any country to that makes a difference in chess.
I bet a few dollars that Magnus will reconsider.
Wonder if Magnus would make the same decision if offered 80,000 euros to play?
‘Kasparov stayed for 20 years at the top and won’t let anybody tarnish his name.’
Kasparov is big patzer.
‘My guess is that Carlsen had no choice.’
According to new contract between Kasparov and Carlsen, Kasparov owns him and his soul.
I would never play for my country if they don’t meet all my conditions, including regular cash flow.
‘You. Do. Not. Turn. Your. Back. On. Your. Country.’
Yes you do. Especially when the country turns your back on you before that.
Problem is that Olympiad is FIDE rated. If it were only USCF rated, many more would play there.
Does Magnus use Fritz or Rybka?
Magnus got chickenpox, that’s why. It’s all the Chinese arbiter’s fault.
‘Kramnik did play the Olympiad for Russia last year, despite being tired after his match against Anand.’
How the hell do you know if Kramnik was tired or not?
‘As far as I remember, Kramnik said that he doesn’t consider this team event as important as the Olympiad and wanted to give younger players a chance’
Your memory fails you.
What’s the difference between Magnus and home pizza delivery?
This fast flow of Internet informations is a real killer today. No privacy for any of us.
We all want to see Magnus play in Novi Sad. Let’s send him letters of support and well wishes.
Breaking news: Carlsen reveals Gary’s secret analysis: http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=pA8lVtPerJw
Norway has no chance of winning this tournament, and to be honest, chess is not a team sport. So no problem.
‘to be honest, chess is not a team sport.’
Not by the current rules, but that will change, as soon as we get rid of the top ten corrupted fide officials.
‘Norway has no chance of winning this tournament’
A stupid comment, really man, show you got some IQ, come on.
First of all: I do not make up any quotes (by Kramnik or anyone else), even if I cannot find them back and thus can’t give the EXACT words. So, at least in a general sense, his statement about the European Team Championship is accurate. Whether it makes sense is anyone’s pick. In any case, I would say Russia does not depend as much on him as Norway depends on Carlsen, Bulgaria depends on Topalov, Armenia depends on Aronian.
About Kramnik being tired after the WCh match, I think it’s obvious and there may have been signs of it in his play at Dresden: he DID try, got better positions in several games but could not convert them, hence a series of draws.
While searching for the other Kramnik quotes, I found this one (from a post-Bonn interview with Yury Vasiliev of Sport-Express, translation by Russianbear on the Chessninja message boards):
“in a couple of weeks the Chess Olympiad will start in Dresden, and I really want to win the gold for Russia. Especially since the Russian Chess Federation does so much for our sport now. And [the federation] helped me a great deal in my preparation for the match. I am seriously motivated and I will make an all-out effort in Dresden.”
Implications for the current thread: maybe Carlsen doesn’t owe as much to the Norwegian federation? Regarding Anon Oct 14 3:15PM: even if you are right (Carlsen’s contract wasn’t binding but had a one-way escape clause) it’s a bit strange to use it just one week before the event.
Magnus Carlsen is taking a page out of the Karpov playbook by his relatively late withdrawal from the European Team Championship, which runs from October 21-31.
The reason given, and it makes sense, is that he wants to rest up.
The decision to withdraw from the former, made in consultation with Kasparov, makes plenty of sense.
Well done by magasparov! Susan i think garry want to analyze a few of thoses games!! hehe.
“You. Do. Not. Turn. Your. Back. On. Your. Country.”
Well…. this sounds like av variation on the American republican mantra of not critizising the war effort while the “troops are in harms way”.
Which of course is a rather mundane form of reasoning.
You should support your country. But not always, and not unconditionally.
Regarding “Magsparov”, I think “Carlsparov” is a better sounding name for the coalition… 🙂
I am a chess-player from Norway and I support Magnus 100 %
‘I am a chess-player not from Norway and I support Magnus 0%’
‘You should support your country. But not always, and not unconditionally.’
Since when is this? Of course you should support your country unconditionally.
Norway is generally a weak chess country. Dunno how they got Magnus to be born there, must be luck. Amatuerism led to this unfortunate event with his cancellation. It would never happen in a strong chess country.
”You should support your country. But not always, and not unconditionally.”
You’re an immigrant?
Magnus must have had a fool-proof agreement with NCF, to do what he has done.
Kasparov always initiates some scandal. What does he care about Norway??
Karpov is better trainer than Kasparov. Both of them are not very good, because they have failed to get the trainer title in FIDE.
“You’re an immigrant?”
No.
Does Kasparov support his country unconditionally?
Or does he “turn his back on Putin”?
Is he wrong in turning his back on Putin?
According to your mantra he is.