We are pleased to announce that the former World Chess Champion, Vladimir Kramnik, has now confirmed that he’s going to play in Norway Chess Tournament in June.
He is currently number three both on FIDE official rating list and on the live rating, with 2787 points.
Vladimir Kramnik (born 25 June 1975) was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007.
In October 2000, he defeated Garry Kasparov in a match in London, and became the Classical World Chess Champion. In 2006 he defeated reigning FIDE World Chess Champion, Veselin Topalov, in a match that unified World Chess Championship and Classic Chess Championship titles after Kasparov broke with FIDE in 1993.
Thus Kramnik became the first undisputed world champion with both the FIDE and Classical World Champion title. In 2007, he lost the title to Vishy Anand.
This means that all of the worlds top five players are coming to the Stavanger region in June: Magnus Carlsen,Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov and Fabiano Caruana.
Furthermore, Sergey Karjakin and Peter Svidler are confirmed. These two are now respectively number nine and ten on the live rating list.
The American Hikaru Nakamura has not yet confirmed, but regardless of this is Norway Chess likely to be a very strong, perhaps the strongest chess tournament ever.
They’re chicken because they’re afraid to invite Nakamura.
No way, no one of those guys are even a little afraid to invite Nakamura. Nakamura is the one who is already afraid because he has not yet confirmed. Why top five players would be afraid of him?
Nakamura is the champ. period. He will defeat any of them very easily. He feels sorry for them and that is why he lets them win.
The top players want Nakamura to be there. He is a sure win if they play against him. All you have to do is put some pressure, he would crack and lose.
Everyone is afraid if nakamura agreed to come then they will all lose their rankings.