World Chess Championship

Magnus Carlsen of Norway is a phenomenal player in chess. Though only 19 years old, he is already rated as even better than the current world champion, Viswanathan Anand of India. He has raised a meaningful issue about the logistics of anointment of world champion. The present system is that a challenger to incumbent champion will have to emerge from a set of tiring tournaments. The challenger so chosen will play against the incumbent. This system , accordng to Carlsen and perhaps logically also, offers an undue advantage to incumbent champion who need not go through the dilatory process. Carlsen should be appreciated for flagging this issue. However his decision not to participate in the process unless the rules are changed forthwith is disappointing.