Is chess too slow?
So… the Viswanathan Anand vs Veselin Topolov has been slated by World Chess Federation (FIDE) for April 2010.
Yawn. April 2010? Isnt that, like, almost a year away? Is anyone but the hardest of hardcore nerds excited about a chess match that far in the future?
What prior engagements could these guys possibly have that would prevent an earlier game? What else are they doing?
Is this what the sport needs, given that Topolov is coming off a controversial match in which Kramnik was accused of taking too many bathroom breaks? While I must admit I myself do some of my best thinking while making my offering to the szarshelf in particular and in the water closet in general, however, I don’t think this is the image that a professional sport should have.
I think chess should have a „shot” clock like in basketball. Give the guy 45 seconds to make the move (plus maybe a couple of timeouts). This could keep down the cheating allegations plaguing the game.
With a faster clock, chess might be a real sport. These glacial-paced correspondence games are interesting solely for geeks too socially inept to play Dungeons & Dragons.
In the meantime, I saw Topolov beat Kasparov in Kasparov’s final game and it was a piece of art.
I will take Topolov (7/4 at Paddy Power) and a changing of the guard.