Latest news with #EmilSutovsky
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
GothamChess addresses viral drama over Emil Sutovsky's tweet: 'It should change.. now I look like an egocentric idiot'
(Image via YouTube/GothamChess) A major controversy in the chess community has sparked discussions this week, putting International Master Levy Rozman in hot water after he made a comment about his fame. It further escalated when Emil Sutovsky, FIDE CEO, weighed in, leading to a feud. The entire drama involved perceptions of players' fame in the game and online creators' influence. Rozman now has stepped forward with the pointed response, clarifying his stance on this escalating situation. GothamChess claims misrepresentation of the post, calling it out of context Levy Rozman has finally addressed the ongoing drama which was ignited after a critical tweet by Emil Sutovsky. It's asserted by him that his non-controversial statement that was made on the global chess recognition was ripped from its original context, leading to a widespread misinterpretation. "This image and quote is quite out of context, which is annoying, but understandable," Rozman stated as he expressed his frustration at how his words got spread online. GothamChess further clarified his intention, which was not self-aggrandizement. He explained, "My quote was a reference to... speaking to an athlete (casual chess fan) who could only name myself, Magnus, and Hikaru as chess." My Response To The Allegations The International Master further emphasized he was trying to highlight a problem. He said, "I was simply making the point that it's unfortunate if someone can only name us 3 as chess players, and it should change. But of course, now I look like an egocentric idiot." He conceded this label might at times fit, but he argued it was definitely undeserved in the instance. Discussing the original comment that sparked the entire drama 'That's Not My Fault' – GothamChess Fires Back in Chess Drama! The ongoing controversy can be traced back to the interview Rozman gave during one of his recent European tours. An individual reportedly expressed difficulty following up professional chess and claimed familiarity with only 3 figures worldwide: Magnus Carlsen Hikaru Nakamura, and Levy Rozman Rozman presented the anecdote not as a boast but as evidence of some significant accessibility gap that exists within chess. The core argument of the player, before the quote gained traction, was actually centered on the struggle of the game to promote a diverse array of top players to a mainstream audience, much beyond dedicated fans. He even saw the limitation within recognition as a barrier to a player's broad growth. Emil Sutovsky challenged the streamer's perfection and influence The drama escalated when Emil Sutovsky, the CEO of the global governing body of chess, shared Rozman's isolated quote on social media. Posting the image, he questioned the fans, "Do you agree with that? I don't - but maybe that's because my bubble consists of hardcore chess fans." He even directly critiqued Rozman's viewpoint as "extremely US-centric," reflecting regional bias. Further, Sutovsky even cast doubt on YouTubers' and chess streamers' current impact, suggesting their significance has decreased compared to the previous years. He stated, " I also feel, that in general streamers/youtubers impact on the game is much less significant than it used to be few years ago," acknowledging he "might err." His comments prompted a flood of reactions, debating chess popularity's true drivers today. Chess Community reacts to Emil Sutovsky's stance Sutovsky doubled down in the follow-up tweet that quite subtly compared Rozman to Sagar Shah (ChessBase India), suggesting that Shah's content creates "hardcore chess fans" and not just some casual viewers. It further sparked more debates on whether chess's popularity should be measured by the mass appeal or its dedicated engagement. Rozman did fire back and defended content creators and their roles within growing chess. He argued that without any accessible figures, including himself, there would be many fans who would not engage with the game at all. On the other hand, Shah took a diplomatic stance, praising creators and FIDE for pushing the game of chess forward. The entire drama highlights a very deep divide between whether or not chess requires mainstream influencers or any traditional ambassadors to thrive. For now, the debate is still raging without any resolution. But hopefully, it will soon come to an end. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
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First Post
14-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
FIDE announces €1 million prize money, 'exciting' new format for World Rapid and Blitz Championships
Qatar capital Doha will be hosting the World Rapid and Blitz Championships from 26 to 31 December this year. Here's what's in store as far as the revamped format of the prestigious tournament is concerned, and how the prize money will be distributed. read more FIDE, the Switzerland-based global governing body for chess, has announced a prize fund of €1 million ($1.12 million) for the World Rapid and Blitz Championships that will take place later this year besides announcing 'format enhancements' for what is among the most prestigious events in the chess calendar. Out of the total prize money, €700,000 has been allocated for the 'Open' section with €300,000 reserved for the Women's Category. Additionally the format for the Rapid championship remains unchanged, with the 'Open' and 'Women' sections having 13 and 11 rounds respectively. The winner of the two sections will be decided through a tie-breaker in case there are multiple players finishing at the top spot. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD FIDE announces revamped format for Blitz championship FIDE, however, has unveiled a revamped format for the knockout stage of the World Blitz Championship, with the top four players from the Swiss stage of the tournament advancing directly to the semi-finals. The tournament previously had eight players advancing to the knockouts in the 'Open' as well as 'Women' sections. 'The new format is an exciting mix of the Swiss system and knockout. The increased number of rounds in the qualifying part ensures that the strongest players will progress to the knockout. Also, the final match-up is ideally scheduled to suit audiences across all major chess hubs. 'We are very excited about the event, and have already started preparations to produce the best quality broadcast for millions of spectators,' FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky was quoted by as saying. 'These format enhancements aim to make the event more dynamic while preserving the sport's integrity and excitement for both players and fans,' said FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich. Qatar capital Doha will be hosting the World Rapid and Blitz Championships from 26 to 31 December this year. The previous edition that took place in New York City witnessed the infamous 'Jeansgate' scandal in which world No 1 Magnus Carlsen found himself embroiled in a massive controversy for showing up during the Rapid tournament in a pair of jeans, and subsequently getting penalised after refusing to change into a pair of formal trousers. Carlsen also made headlines for the wrong reasons during the Blitz championship as well for sharing the title with Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi after a viral backstage video showed the two having a chat, with the Norwegian chess icon allegedly telling his opponent to play out a series of draws and force FIDE to hand the trophy to both of them. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy, meanwhile, had been crowned women's world rapid champion – becoming only the second player to win the title more than once.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
FIDE announce €1 million prize fund, ‘format enhancements' for World Rapid and Blitz Championship
The global governing body for chess, FIDE, have announced a €1 million prize fund for the year-ending FIDE World Rapid and Blitz tournament besides 'format enhancements'. Set to take place in Doha, Qatar this year, the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships are played over a six-day window and is one of the most prestigious events on the international chess calendar since their official launch in 2012. Of the prize fund, €700,000 has been allocated to the Open section — evenly divided between the Rapid and Blitz tournaments — while less than half of that amount, €300,000, has been reserved for the women's section, also split equally. The format for the Rapid World Championships remains unchanged: there will be 13 rounds in the Open section and 11 in the women's competition that will culminate in a playoff in case of a tie for first place. READ OUR CHESS COLUMN: Can chess force broadcasters to change the channel and put it on TV? Meanwhile, there is a new knockout format for the two-day Blitz World Championship. In 2024, FIDE had introduced a new knockout format for the blitz event. That has now been refined. Only the top four players from the Swiss stage of the tournament will advance directly to the knockout semifinals (previously, eight players in both competitions qualified for the knockout stage). READ OUR CHESS COLUMN: Why Vishy Anand prescribes a 'take it easy policy' for teenage world beaters 'The new format is an exciting mix of the Swiss system and knockout. The increased number of rounds in the qualifying part ensures that the strongest players will progress to the knockout. Also, the final match-up is ideally scheduled to suit audiences across all major chess hubs,' FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said. 'We are very excited about the event, and have already started preparations to produce the best quality broadcast for millions of spectators,' Sutovsky added. The blitz schedule includes 19 Swiss rounds for the Open and 15 Swiss rounds for the Women, both played over two days, followed by semifinals and finals on December 30.
