– It is sad to give up, says Atle Grønn to news. In recent years, the expert has been one of the most prominent voices in chess. Since 2014, he has been a regular part of news’s chess broadcasts – both during the long chess in the autumn and the lightning and rapid chess in Space Christmas. In recent years, he has had a special responsibility for summarizing the games of the players who are best placed in the WC summary. But when the elite occupy the WC venue in Wall Street in New York in December, news’s broadcasts will therefore be without Grønn in the studio. – There are complex reasons why I give up. The short version is that I feel I got the most out of that role and my contribution in the TV production. So I don’t want to hold on to that role until it’s no longer fun, says Grønn, who describes the whole thing as a “fantastic journey”. PROFILE: Atle Grønn has become a profiled expert over the past ten years. Photo: Lars Bryne / news – It has been a great time in every possible way. I think we have gotten the most out of chess as a televised sport. In all modesty, I feel that we couldn’t do much better, and I don’t really see how it can be improved going forward, so I’ll give it my all. – I disappear every Christmas The expert has been employed externally during the broadcasts and actually works as a professor of Russian at the University of Oslo, in addition to being an Aftenposten columnist and chess writer. Grønn is now looking forward to being able to celebrate Christmas with his family. – I’ve been thinking that I have to grow up soon, and that I don’t go on like this … that I disappear every single Christmas. It’s more than what the viewers see, we don’t just work during the hours the camera is on. There is also before and after. We are completely absent, and at my age it feels a bit strange, he smiles. WELL-KNOWN GROUP: Torstein Bae, Carl Andreas Wold, Ole Rolfsrud, Heidi Røneid and Atle Grønn have guided the viewers through a number of chess broadcasts. Photo: Julia Marie Naglestad / news However, the 53-year-old will not let go completely: He will continue to deliver chess pieces to news’s coverage at Christmas. Grønn says that he is proud of how they have managed to involve the public through the nuts. – When people stop me in the street, it is often to tell me that they are sitting and solving these tasks, says Grønn. HIGHLIGHT: Atle Grønn highlights Carlsen’s replay victory over Fabiano Caruana as one of the highlights from his time as an expert. New expert takes over Espen Olsen Langfeldt, sports editor at news, thinks it’s sad that the expert is giving up. – Atle Grønn has entertained and taught the Norwegian people about chess for so many years, and he has been a solid capacity. We think it’s a great shame that he won’t continue, but we fully understand that, says Langfeldt and continues: – We think we’ve found perfectly good replacements, but they can never be Atle Grønn. NEW IN THE STUDIO: Kristoffer Gressli will be seen as an expert in news’s studio in December. Photo: Jørund Wessel Carlsen / news The man who now joins the expert panel is called Kristoffer Gressli. In recent years, he has had daily WC broadcasts on news.no with Sheila Barth Stanford and Odin Blikra Vea. Now Atle Grønn is looking forward to following Gressli and the championship from the comfort of his home in Telemark. In addition, he will use the time ahead to cultivate the more “nerdy parts of the chess universe”. – I continue to take an interest in chess culture and chess history, but I want to go even deeper into the matter. If I have to convey this, it will probably be in written form and not on the TV screen, says the chess author. TOOK TO TEARS: Atle Grønn was moved by what he refers to as “the best blitz game played on TV”. Published 14.10.2024, at 08.45
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