patzermike wrote:
Why take sides?
Because Anand sees everything, and he sees it quickly.
Carlsen looks at the board with his elbows.
why do chess players root for carlsen or anand?
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cricketfan79 wrote:
It's called BIRGing (Basking In Reflected Glory). An individual associates themselves with a player or team and 'feels' the euphoria of the winner so that the successes of another feels like their own. It has been studied and is a real phenomena.
Interesting, I guess that would explain why I became suicidal after Carlsen lost twice.
"Right now there is a tiresome thread going on about whether Anand is past his prime and has any chance to beat Carlsen. Why take sides? I estimate Carlsen's chances as much better, but I have no preference"
One doesn't have to have some preference because one is interested in football or chess or high jumping, and likes discussing which teams or players or atheletes are the best right now or past it or who will win a certain event.
Thinking that Anand is past his prime doesn't have to equal being "against" him in some way. He will be 45 this year, and all world #1s since Lasker have been past their prime at that age. Some 15 years ago his results were almost always of the highest level whenever he participated. In for example Wijk 1999-2001 only a Kasparov at his best managed to finish ahead, and usually with the smallest of margins.
If Anand does win it will be an amazing achievement, but I think his chances are very small. I don't think anyone ever would be particularly unhappy about one of the greatest gentlemen of the game winning anything, but to me it does feel as if Anand no longer "belongs" on the throne. The last six years he only had one great result, and that was in the Candidates, where Carlsen naturally didn't play. Carlsen on the other hand usually wins whenever he plays, has been doing especially well against Anand the last years, and has in general been different level than Anand over the last five years.
It would be a big surprise to me if he could repeat his "once in six years"-chess, and even then it will probably not be enough unless Carlsen repeats his "once in four year"-chess from the Olympiad. And it's not as if anyone expects Carlsen to play the Ruy Lopez Bird or Scandinavian against Anand.
why do chess players root for carlsen or anand?
Exactly! Why don't more people root for Kramnik, like I do?
that question sort of answers itself.
It's called BIRGing (Basking In Reflected Glory). An individual associates themselves with a player or team and 'feels' the euphoria of the winner so that the successes of another feels like their own. It has been studied and is a real phenomena.