I think its weird not having him there. I mean he's world champion!!!!!! I want to see him play Magnus!!

I think he might be scared of Mag town or simply they wont pay him the moola that he wants and he said eff it.

   I think it all comes down to money. Yes he is the reigning World Champion, and money has gone back to the Fischer days when he wanted more money to play Spassky. So that's nothing new. I DOUBT heavily he just said "nah, I'm the champion, I'm taking some me time."

   -mark

I feel like the Olympiad and the National Championship of a country are the two times when a top player should "donate" their time. Consider Germany, now maybe GM Naiditsch and company have a legitimate point about the problems in their organization but the end result is just the fans suffer.

Meanwhile Michael Adams appearance in the British made for increased interest in the event. I mean when was the last time you saw a top GM take on the hippo opening? Great stuff.

   Siberia is Russia last time I looked Kayden. Stalin sent a lot of people to Siberia to prisons during his purges

speaking just as an avid spectator, it would be nice to have Anand join the competition in my opinion, but he has no "obligation to his country" whatsoever if the format and the timing doesn't work for him (which is the case), or he simply wishes not to participate. I think it shouldn't be handled any different than him not attending to, say, corus.