Norwegian phenom has powerful pal
Saturday, October 3, 2009 3:18 AM
By SHELBY LYMAN
Times are surely changing for the royal game.
If publisher Espen Agdestein of Norway has his way, 20-year-old Magnus Carlsen will achieve superstar status.
Agdestein, also a chess player and former director of the media corporation Hjemmet Mortensen, is searching out sponsors for Carlsen, ranked fourth in the world.
“My job is to make Magnus a very attractive object for the market and pick the right sponsors who can build a brand,” Agdestein said.
With few exceptions, big money has been absent from the chess scene.
Bobby Fischer spurned contracts worth millions to live in near-poverty.
Ironically, Garry Kasparov — who became world champion while representing the socialist Soviet Union — probably has amassed the most money from chess: $30 million, according to one estimate. Prize money, fees, endorsements and book royalties have formed the basis of his wealth.
Carlsen is the ideal candidate to give flesh to Agdestein’s concept.
Already a logical choice to become world chess champion, his association with Kasparov — his trainer for the past eight months — raises that probability to a virtual certainty.
Source: http://www.columbusdispatch.com
Carlsen and Radjabov are the future of Chess.
I remember suggesting last year a exibition match with Carlsen and Kasparov (Which would have made WAYYYYY more money and interest than the WCC coming up.)…and nobody believed or thought anything of it….now look what we have. Interesting.
Mike Magnan
Nevertheless chess is art and culture, but not commerce and merchandising. Remember that!
Magnus is 18 years old..
Chess was art and culture, now its commerce and merchandising.