Anand-Kramnik: Opening Press Conference (video)
13 October 2008 12:01 PM Last modified: 12:06
www.chessvibes.com
With a slight delay we’re now presenting the first video from Bonn – and it’s a big one! Please enjoy the opening press conference of the 2008 World Championship, held yesterday in the Art & Exhibition all in Bonn, Germany.
Exactly 48 hours before the opening move of the World Chess Championship 2008 Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik were present at the opening press conference yesterday.
Both players were in a very good mood. Although Anand seemd a bit tense at the start, he soon made a very cheerful impression and so did Kramnik. The ones who were most timid at the start, were the journalists! After press officer Rolf Behovits let us know that it was time to start asking questions, apparently nobody wanted to be first. At some point I decided to “break the ice” by asking both players how they were feeling, two days before the match.
Anand and Kramnik made clear they’re eager to play. After so many months of preparation they are happy that it’s finally all going to start. They also announced the members of their teams:
Anand (4 seconds):
Peter Heine Nielsen (Denmark), Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan), Radoslav Wojtaszek (Poland) and Surya Shekhar Ganguly (India).
Kramnik (3 seconds):
Peter Leko (Hungary), Sergey Rublevskyi (Russia) and Laurent Fressinet (France).
The biggest surprise in the Anand team is of course the young Polish GM Wojtaszek. Anand explained that when they met at a Bundesliga weekend last year, Radoslav made a very good impression on him. They kept contact with each other and at some point Anand decided to invite him.
Click here to see the full video by Chessvibes.com.
I enjoyed a lot while reading your post.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Me, too.
The Polish boy will be sent home after 3 games have ended. It will be uncovered that he is in fact a spy from the other team. It will take three games until team Anand realises that.
Kramnik made a horendous mistake by sacking the three seconds who helped him overcome Toplaov, the great Bulgarian hamburger.
Mark my words.
Only Chinese seconds are good. See mind games to learn who is the dominating chess race of today.
Asian Anand should have stuck to Asian seconds only. I recommend to him Mr. Mas Hafizul, probably the best young Asian in the field of theory analysis. Added his recent tons of novelties uncovered during training with super-GM Rogers, he would been a great resource of help, dominating over Kramnik’s seconds. Well, maybe next time.
May we know hom much are the seconds being paid and is it tax-free?
The Russians are back on track. Alexandra is on the loose, and Kram will crush the Indian decaying superstar.
Interesting Seconds line-up..
I wonder if these analysis are documented as a part of World championships– Can make a very good literature…
For Chess players, Psychologists and Computerscientists to work on…