Carlsen, Anand World Chess Match Star Commentary Team: Svidler, Sopiko (English); Shipov, Smirin, Kosteniuk (Russian)

Hello chess blog friends, the Carlsen - Anand World Chess Championship has chess superstars for the expert chess commentary in Sochi, Russia. Peter Svidler and Sopiko Guramishvili, both elite level chess players, will be the English voices of the 2014 World Chess Championship match.

Peter Svidler and Sopiko Guramishvili are going to be the lead hosts at the upcoming match in Sochi. A number of special guests will also join the studio conversation. One of them will be Vladimir Kramnik, the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007. Also, there will be Russian language commentary provided by Sergei Shipov, Ilya Smirin and Chess Queen Alexandra Kosteniuk. The first game of the match will start on November 8 at 3PM Moscow time.

Peter Svidler is a Russian chess grandmaster and one of the world’s Top 20 players. He is well known in chess as seven-time Russian champion, five-time Olympic Chess Champion, and 2011 FIDE World Chess Cup Winner. Svidler has worked as a studio commentator before, being a guest host at the London Chess Classic, Tal Memorial and some other tournaments.

Sopiko Guramishvili is one of the world’s Top 100 woman grandmasters and a chess journalist. Many chess fans would know her as ‘Miss Tactics’, a popular contributor to the chess24.com website. Along with another woman grandmaster, Anna Rudolf, she’s doing an educational video series reviewing some of the most remarkable games in the history of chess.

The organizers aim to make chess a spectator sport, and video broadcast is one of the ways how people can watch the game and see what’s really happening on the board. The commentary will be accompanied by a life feed from the playing hall, and viewers will be able to see the exciting match live.

GM Alexandra Kosteniuk is the 12th Women's World Chess Champion and Russia's top woman chess player.

“Chess is truly an Internet sport,, says Ilya Merenzon, one of the organizers of the match. “Only a few hundred people can watch the event in person, but millions of people watch it online, and we will try to make the broadcast as exciting and interesting as we can” adds Merenzon.

Over 5 million viewers are expected to tune in on the broadcast. It’s likely to be one of the most watched online chess events in history. It’s going to be available on the official Match website, sochi2014.fide.com. (FIDE)

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