– What is the reason why we have to film Liren (Ding, chess player) with a winter jacket and closed eyes? There must be some limits. I don’t think it’s reasonable. There is also a lot of stress, says chess coach and profiler Peter Heine Nielsen to news. Liren, who these days is fighting against Jan Nepomnjashchij for the WC title in Kazakhstan, had just got up to leave the playing room during the first championship game between the two. CRITICAL: Nilsen reacts to Fide’s filming during the World Chess Championship. Photo: Jørund Wessel Carlsen / news Shortly afterwards, a worried Liren, with his eyes closed, could be seen in the break room. – Should have been a private blink of an eye As with previous world long chess championships, the chess profiles do not disappear from the public eye when they leave the board. Because inside a break room, where the players can rest during the game, cameras are attached in various places. The picture you see may remind you a bit of the reality show “Big Brother”. There, the participants are filmed and exposed to the public around the clock. And it is precisely the “reality” parallel Nilsen draws when he rages against the filming: – I don’t think we should entertain people with the fact that they were sleeping, as if it were a reality programme. It is natural that they take a little nap. It should be a private moment, says the Dane, who has been one of Magnus Carlsen’s sparring partners for several years. He believes that there is not a single sport apart from chess that can last six to seven hours, without having breaks where the players can have privacy. – It puts too much unnecessary pressure on the players, he says. CARLSEN HELPERS: Magnus Carlsen and Peter Heine Nielsen have been close partners over several years. Photo: Jørund Wessel Carlsen / news Answers The break filming during the World Chess Championship is nothing new this year. According to the press manager of the International Chess Federation, David Llada, this was also contractually agreed during the championship in 2021. Both players must also have accepted the filming this year, says the press manager on Twitter. “They are top performers, who perform at the top of the sport – and are paid accordingly. I think that at least they can be required to be in front of the camera throughout the match,” writes Llada. REPLY: David Llada responded to Nilsen’s criticism on Twitter. Photo: CHRISTIAN KRAKENES / CHRISTIAN KRAKENES The International Chess Federation (Fide) wrote in an e-mail to news that the most important thing is what happens on the board, but that what happens outside also helps to showcase chess as a sport. – This cry about “privacy” is absurd when you consider that they are participating in a WC with millions of viewers. The most important thing is what happens on the board, but the players’ reactions and body language are part of what makes chess a sport, and the public must be able to see that, write the association. See the full answer from Fide in the fact box below. This is what the International Chess Federation says. news presented the criticism of Peter Heine Nielsen to the International Chess Federation (Fide): This they answered: “They are top performers, who perform at the top of the sport – and are paid accordingly. I think that they can at least be required to be in front of the camera throughout the match. This cry about “privacy” is absurd when you consider that they are participating in a World Cup with millions of viewers. Having a camera in the break room is the least we could do: this was already included in the players’ contract before the match in Dubai 2021, even if it was not implemented. But the whole concept of the break room should probably be looked at more closely. The time the performers spend away from the stage is disproportionate. Just think about the impression the public, like the viewers of news, get about our sport if the camera only shows a table where, most of the time, only one of two participants sits. Occasionally, and over quite long periods, no one sits at the table at all. The most important thing is what happens on the board, but the players’ reactions and body language are part of what makes chess a sport, and the public must see that.” – Can lead to worse chess – I understand that they have signed a contract, but they are not going to stay away from a WC match because of a detail. I would draw up another contract if I were responsible, says Nielsen, who is heavily involved in the debate. – But isn’t this just part of the entertainment? – Seeing him (Ding Liren) with a winter jacket and that he is sleeping is not entertainment for me, it is just strange. I want to see him play chess. I don’t think it (pause filming) adds that much. The Dane believes that the chess community is divided on this, and that there are opinions both ways. After talking to several players about the subject, he is still resoundingly clear in his judgment. – I think it leads to a worse product and can lead to worse chess. – I have worked with players for 16 years. They are under extreme pressure. Of course, you should have access now and then, but not all the time, he concludes. But Heine faces opposition to the claims – also from experts. Chess player Sheila Barth Stanford believes that the break-time filming adds something to the product and is a source of entertainment. Among other things, she points out that the body language of the players in the room can say something about what they feel during the match. – I think it’s okay to film them. I disagree with Peter Heine. But they must do it in a way that does not disturb. – When you play the WC game, you have to tolerate being in public, she adds.
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