26 May: Behind the scenes – part 2 (VIPs and Grandmasters)

After the chess and football and chess and art articles it is about time to take a look in the VIP and pressroom again. When the most important event on the chess calender 2012 takes place in the center of the chess world, it is no surpise that many VIPS and grandmasters step by the Tretyakov gallery to take a look, socialize,shake hands, meet old friends, comment to the game and to have a drink or two.

At most days, the playing hall is overcrowded, but there are some neat “public viewing” areas in the Tretyakov, where people can watch the games, listen to the commentary and talk about the games. As you can see, these areas are very popular.

Meanwhile, in the VIP room, you can follow the games, get a drink and a snack or take  a nap. Following the games is exhausting for some  guests…

…whereas the journalists and photographers in the press room perform a “journo shuffle” to get the best spot. You can see Cathy Rogers (Australia) elegantly performing the shuffle before the eyes of  official match photographer Anastasiya Karlovich. The Dutch jury gives 12 points.

A VIP giving a press conference on “Chess and Terror”: Edvard Stanislavovich Radzinsky (Russian: Э́двард Станисла́вович Радзи́нский). He is a Russian playwright, writer, TV personality, and film screenwriter. He is also known as an author of more than forty popular history books.

Another guest at the press conference last week: Anatoly Karpov, who celebrated his 61st birthday on 23 May.

After the press conference, Karpov was invited in the studio to chat about the game and his career with host Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam and Hungarian Super Grandmaster Peter Leko. According to the expression on Karpov’s face, this was one of the most exciting games of the match!

One for the girls: Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi (Russian: Ян Непо́мнящий; born July 14, 1990), current ELO 2716. Ian has a very difficult last name and I will never get used to it, although I met Ian at various Chess Classic tournaments in Mainz and had to write down his name very often, since he won the Ordix Open in Mainz 2008.

Here is an old “Nepo” picture I shot in Mainz during the Chess Classic 2008. Nepo is much easier to write, pronounce and to remember… He was wearing his lucky sweatshirt during the event.

After the press conference Ian played several blitz games with Maria Fominykh, under the critical eye of a 7- year old kibitzer.

Maria’s boyfriend, GM Alexander Morozevich doing an interview for ChessVibes with Peter Doggers.

Enter Garry Kimovich Kasparov for the press conference, having a quick chat with the legendary Russian coach Boris Postovsky. What is the security gorilla in the back looking at?

FIDE president Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov sharing the latest news of the Alien Conference 2012 in Moscow with Russian chess journalist Yuri Vassiliev, Sport Express.

All smiles: FIDE Vice President Boris Kutin (Slovenia) and Anna Sharevich (Belarus). Kutin is member of the Appeals Committee.

Peter & Peter discussing the games. Peter Svidler took his sons to the Tretyakov on two match days.

The Svidler twins Nikita and Daniel met Aruna and Vishy Anand after one of the games.

One of the strongest chess couples in the world: Robert Fontaine and Ekaterina Lagno.

And one of the strongest players in the world dropped by for a quick stop on Saturday: Levon Aronian. Levon will play the Tal Memorial in Moscow, which will be played almost immediately after the world championship match from 7-19 June.

I’ll leave you today with the “Moon over Moscow”: a quiet Saturday night in the streets and on the Moskva River.  The Russians are all watching the babushki at the European Song Contest in Baku.

22 May: Photo reconnaissance

In an earlier post, on 11 May, I wrote that I had skimmed some Russian newspapers in the hotel , looking for news and pictures about the 2012 match and chess in general. In “Vedomosti” (Russian: Ведомости, literally “The Record”, http://www.vedomosti.ru/eng) I found this picture  in the Sports section. I had never seen this lovely picture from the 1985-1986 match between Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.

In the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow, I discovered the picture in the exhibition: “Chess figures of the 20th Century”.

And the text that goes with the picture:

Question answered.

18 May: Opening ceremony – part 3/3

This is the last picture gallery of the opening ceremony, that took place on 11 May in the Tretyakov Gallery. Chicks and chessplayers, oil traders, FIDE officials and a former Soviet President attended the ceremony and the cocktail party. An enjoyable evening, with the best drinks and fingerfood, talking business and chess.

Pictures: piano concert and cocktail party

After the speeches, Denis Matsuev entered the stage.

 Denis Leonidovich Matsuev (Дени́с Леони́дович Мацу́ев; born June 11, 1975) is a Russian pianist, one of the most popular classical music performers of his generation, the winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998 in Moscow, laureate of esteemed Shostakovich Prize in Music and State Prize of Russian Federation in Literature and Arts. Today the name of Denis Matsuev is known to the whole world. The man, whose career started so dramatically and in such a young age, is now associated with one of the best world pianists, who managed to mix in his performances the grandest of Russian traditions and innovatory creative conceptions, high quality of concert programmes and moving rendering.

One more interview after the piano concert. The players did not attend the cocktail party. In the back you can see Denis Matsuev packing up his piano.

After the concert, the cocktail party took place in the most beautiful setting possible in one of the galleries of the Tretyakov. Look at those paintings.

Some nitwits just put their empy glasses next to valuable statues, much to the chagrin of the Tretyakov staff.

 “A glass of champagne, Sir?”

 The highly decorated legend Yuri Lvovich Averbakh talking to English GM Nigel David Short. “Did you try the champagne yet”?

Former world champion Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (Russian: Анато́лий Евге́ньевич Ка́рпов, born May 23, 1951) attended the party.   He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once again after Kasparov broke away from FIDE in 1993. He held the title until 1999, when he resigned his title in protest against FIDE’s new world championship rules.

Karpov chatting with former president Mikhail Gorbachev and FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. It’s a small world.

New in Chess editor-in-chief Dirk-Jan ten Geuzendam enjoying a glass of champagne with Ilya Levitov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Russian Chess Federation. “Tell me Dirk-Jan, how to knot a tie?”

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin born January 12, 1990 in Simferopol enjoying the fine fingerfood with Hans-Walter Schmitt and the beautiful young woman in the center, whose name I do not know. Shame on me! If anyone knows her name (and telephone number) let me know!

Update 18 May, 23:05: Macauley Peterson, who is following the blog in St.Louis at the US Championship, knows who the beauty in the center is: Galiya Kamalova. He even has her phone number! Thanks!

This is Mr. Vasily Zhukov, talking to HWS, who retired as president of the Moscow Chess Federation this February. He invited HWS and your @Chessurfer to visit famous chess clubs in Moscow on a free day. Zhukov is a highly decorated scientist, founder and rector of the Russian State Social University, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Honoured Scientist of the Russian federation, Laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of education.  In 2011 Mr. Zhukov was awarded the Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow II degree.

After the party, everybody was sent home with this limited edition medal. Check Ebay….

 ..and the other side of the medal.

 The final shot of the opening is reserved for our favourite photographer.