They made a big deal on the Chessbase news page about Kramnik announcing that he and Aronian are to play a 6 game match 'somewhere' at the end of April. Really, they could have just held it in Kramnik's living room - I mean there's literally nothing at stake here, not even rating points as far as I can see. Why would anyone sponsor a non World Championship cycle match?

Because Kramniks return to good form combined with Aronians seriously impressive play of late will make for a far more entertaining encounter than Anand and Gelfand for a start.

I agree its a bit weird to have a training match being sponsored, but I'm looking forward to it.

The thing is, if this is supposed to be preparation for the candidates cycle neither of them are going to bust out any amazing novelties so it could be six 1.Nf3 yawners...

Their games in the Candidates tournament later in the year will be very important, and that makes it even less likely that they will want to show anything in an exhibition that they rather save for a competitive game. So to me it won't be a particularly exciting event, at least not compared to Linares, if that tournament will be played at around the same time, as rumour has it.

They are capitalising on their good performance. Entreprenurial. They are also both very likeable guys, I 'll be tuning in!

It will be rated

'First ever friendly match between top players' like they haven't heard of Lasker-Janowski 1909 or Euwe-Flohr 1932 or Botvinnik-Flohr 1933 or Marshall-Capablanca 1909 or any of the dozens of other non world title matches played up to now. This is a complete distortion.

It is the first match EVER between two players over 2800.  Ever.

They call that, "history."

 Only if you think the numbers mean anything, when Kasparov played Kramnik in 2000 the combined ratings of the players was higher than Kramnik -Aronian, I'm sorry but a match that has no bearing on the World Championship cannot be construed as significant in any way.

 I have to disagree with that.

So only the World Championship has meaning, no other chess match is important?

That's just silly.

Go  Vladimir!

i do.

Of course there is a long history of "friendly" matches between strong grandmasters. Aside from the ones mentioned above, Marshall and Janowski played two matches, I believe, and produced a number of highly entertaining games. Sammy Reshevsky played friendly matches against Gligorich, Najdorf, and Benko is the 50's, and Larry Evans and Bill Lombardy, two of the top American players in their day, also played a friendly match. And didn't Nakamura play a friendly match with a strong GM last summer?

As a chess fan, there is a lot to anticipate when two of the strongest players in the world get together, and the fact that the match isn't for the world title may mean that the players are less cautious than usual, so some entertaining chess might result

It's a 6 game match between 2 of the top 3 players in the world. I'll be tuning in, and I bet most other chess fans will as well. Who wouldn't?  Even if they aren't breaking out novelties, we're almost guaranteed to see some excellent chess being played.

Who cares if it has any bearing on the world championship? 

I would like to see two 3000+ rated computers battle over longer time controls...like 1 day per move.  The only entertainment value for me from this encounter is the "idea" that it is the first time two 2800s had a match one-on-one and Aronian is on my "Classy Chess Players" list.

The chess is so beyond me that there is more value in the computer game for me...because I know it is unlikely to make a "blunder".

In any case...I'll follow this match.  Why not?

Who wins and who loses may not be significant, but that does not mean that the games themselves are not significant. If we get a chess beauty in the match would you disregard its brilliance just because it would have no bearing on the world championship?

 Its just an exercise to make a few easy bucks, they could play out 6 turgid draws and they still get whatever fees they have been offered. As to the point about significance of the match, no, there is nothing of any importance in sporting terms about a 'friendly' match at all. If Aronian pulls out a refutation of the Berlin Ruy Lopez or Kramnik unleashes a 20 move 'Immortal' then I will reconsider my opinion, otherwise its just a publicity stunt for the pair of them.

And I forgot, Keres-Euwe and Capablaca-Euwe are two more to add to the list of great "friendlies."  It turns out that there's a long, rich history of these kind of matches.  I think the idea that this is just a publicity stunt is complete nonsense.

does it have to be for the WC in order for a match to be interesting?nope.....I'll take Aronian-Kramnik over Anand-Gelfand any day of the week

It's my observation that there is less then total respect for the world champion title. World #1 is quite a meaningful title as well and Aronian is certainly in the competition for that.