It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Platts to launch first carbon-accounted tanker assessments as shipping faces EU emission trading system coverage
July 27, 2022
Tsuneishi
S&P Global Commodity Insights has announced it will launch daily Platts price assessments for freight emissions under the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS). The new assessments will show the cost of carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion to transport crude or fuel oil on an aframax tanker via an initial four European shipping routes, beginning August 1.
“As efforts to decarbonise the shipping sector continue, pricing transparency is crucial for the industry to act effectively,” said Peter Norfolk, editorial director, global shipping and freight at S&P Global Commodity Insights. “The effect of the EU ETS on the shipping industry will be profound, and will be followed by more such measures as the industry faces up to the challenge of energy transition.”
The new assessments build on the suite of freight carbon intensity values and freight carbon intensity premiums Platts began publishing in October 2021. Those earlier carbon intensity assessments show the volume of greenhouse gas emissions generated through transporting various crude grades from production storage terminals to typical refinery locations around the world, as well as the cost of offsetting those emissions using carbon credits on a per barrel of crude basis.
The new carbon-accounted aframax freight assessments show the cost of EU Emissions Allowances (EUAs) that would be required to comply with the EU ETS for some of the key tanker routes supplying Europe, and will be published in Worldscale points and in US dollars per ton.
Last July, the European Commission proposed adding shipping to the EU Emissions Trading System from 2023, with obligations phased in gradually between 2023-2026, requiring shipowners to hold EUAs covering all their emissions on routes and at ports inside the EU, and 50% of their emissions from third-country voyages beginning and ending in the EU. The European Parliament voted June 22 to push for a faster implementation, including 100% of emissions from intra-European Economic Area (EEA) from 2024, 50% of extra-EEA routes between 2024-2027, and 100% thereafter.
For its new assessments, Platts is employing baseline market norms for vessel speed and bunker fuel consumption, verified by extensive market surveys. The calculations will use Platts daily EU Emission Allowance Nearest-December price (EADLP00). The tank-to-wake carbon emissions based on the fuel consumption will be calculated using the carbon conversion factors published in Annex 1 of Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport.
Mexico highlighted as potential zero emission fuels hub for shipping
July 28, 2022
Mexico has the potential to establish itself as a global leader in maritime decarbonisation by engaging in green fuel production and bunkering with swift and strategic action, according to a new report by P4G Getting to Zero Coalition.
Being placed between well-established shipping routes and trade relations to multiple continents in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the report found Mexico could tap into new markets and by investing it itself, the country could create new revenue streams from scalable zero emission fuels (SZEF) exports and bunkering, establish green hubs and ports, as well as open possibilities for green corridors along key shipping routes.
“The massive demand for zero emission fuels that will arise constitutes a major growth opportunity for Mexico, having the chance to become a future powerhouse for international shipping in Latin America,” said Ingrid Sidenvall Jegou, project director at the Global Maritime Forum.
According to the report, the development of green fuel infrastructure to serve Mexico’s shipping sector could attract investments ranging from $1.9bn to $2.7bn in onshore infrastructure by 2030. It discovered three key opportunities for Mexico, including the port of Manzanillo, DH2 Energy activities in Central Mexico, and Baja California, all of which are said to benefit from SZEF production, offtake, and distribution.
A facilitative policy and financial framework capable of effectively motivating and convening key actors across sectors and value chains is critical to unlocking these opportunities. The 111-page analysis stressed that the country currently lacks a favorable ecosystem, both politically and economically, to leverage benefits from SZEF production and use, particularly given the current administration’s preference to continue exploiting the country’s fossil fuel resources.
The report suggested that with appropriate incentives and targeted action towards encouraging investments into renewable energy and fuel production, Mexico could gain a competitive advantage in the bunkering and export of fuels in Latin America as other countries in the region take steps to prepare their own bunker supply chains.
Liners get a preview of alternative fuel costs
July 27, 2022
Two German consultancies have collaborated to pen a detailed report on expected bunker costs for the largest boxships afloat, the 24,000 teu so called megamaxes. The study has since been analysed by liner experts at Alphaliner who warn of the significantly elevated fuel bills shipping will face once alternative forms of energy are adopted.
The joint study by OCEANS ONE and GMW Consultancy finds that bunker costs for alternative fuels will be significantly higher with biofuels, for instance, predicted to be at least a factor of 2.5, but most likely a factor of four times higher than in the past.
The technical and commercial comparison provides a clear insight into the impact of different fuel options on capex, open, slot costs and total costs of ownership for operating a megamax and key pricing considerations for the different fuels are neatly encapsulated in the chart below.
Investment costs will no longer be as important as the availability and prices of the appropriate fuel
“Considering that in the past bunker costs represented about one third of slot costs per loaded container, it is clear that in the future fuel costs will be a main driver for transporting containers around the world,” Alphaliner stated in its most recent weekly report, having studied the German report.
Alphaliner argued investment costs will no longer be as important as the availability and prices of the appropriate fuel.
“Vertical integration, cooperation and joint development projects for fuel supply will be solutions for a viable decarbonization strategy and will decide the future success of shipowners,” Alphaliner suggested.
Zodiac Maritime backs hydrogen startup TES
July 22, 2022
TES
Eyal Ofer-led Zodiac Maritime is investing in Belgium-based startup Tree Energy Solutions (TES), a company that plans to build the world’s largest portfolio of hydrogen projects by 2030.
TES is developing a green energy hub in the German port of Wilhelmshaven, comprising a green hydrogen import terminal, storage facilities and an oxy-fuel combustion power plant, with the goal of supplying 250TWh of green gas annually. A strategy is also in place to develop similar hubs in European ports in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
The company has concluded its second fundraising round at €65m ($66.6m), which also attracted a global investor base comprising leading financial institutions and international energy corporations including E.ON, HSBC and UniCredit.
Marco Alverà , CEO of TES, said: “This newly raised capital will be used to bring us to a final investment decision by the end of 2023. Our sustainable business model has attracted the interest of world-class industrial and financial players, demonstrating the growing appetite for renewable natural gas. TES is now further progressing to become an agent of change, driving this revolution.”
For TES, the plans involve combining CO2 and hydrogen to create synthetic methane, which can be shipped to facilities in Europe, offering renewable energy with an estimated cost of $25 per MWh. The company also has plans for production and export terminals in the Middle East, Canada and the US.
Ofer Global Group is involved in various areas of energy production globally via its subsidiary OG Energy, ranging from renewable energy to the production of green hydrogen. Through its Omni Offshore Terminals, it also provides floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) solutions to the offshore oil and gas industry.
“Zodiac Maritime and OG Energy are excited to be founding investors in TES Energy. We look forward to scaling hydrogen as a green and sustainable energy source for the future,” remarked Daniel Ofer, chief executive of Zodiac Maritime.
MW & L Capital Partners served as TES’s sole financial advisor and placement agent. Burggraaf & Hoekstra acted as legal advisors.
Ontario farmers say Canada's fertilizer tariff punishes them for Russia's war
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Fertilizer was hit with new general tariff in March, leaving no time to pivot for 2022 growing season
A Russian soldier guards a field as foreign journalists observe the wheat harvest near Melitopol in southern Ukraine last week. Canada collects a 35 per cent tariff on all Russian imports, including farm fertilizer shipments, in retaliation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (The Associated Press)
As the federal government continues its efforts to punish Russia economically for its invasion of Ukraine, Ontario agriculture groups and representatives of Canada's fertilizer sector are warning that cash crop farmers and consumers are the ones bearing the cost.
In March, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and International Trade Minister Mary Ng announced that in retaliation for Russia's illegal invasion, Canada was imposing a 35 per cent general tariff on virtually all Russian imports — including nitrogen fertilizer that Eastern Canadian growers rely on to boost crop yields.
The timing — mere weeks from the start of planting season — couldn't have been worse. Farmers make often risky decisions about what crops to grow and place orders for seed and fertilizer months in advance.
Russia had been a reliable source of nitrogen shipments. Before the tariff was imposed, it was exporting 660,000 tonnes of nitrogen fertilizer annually into Eastern Canada — about 85 to 90 per cent of the total fertilizer applied.
"Around one third [of the 2022 shipments] had not been delivered into Ontario yet when that tariff was applied, and some of those ships were even being told that they would have to turn around," said Ryan Koeslag, executive director of Ontario Bean Growers, which represents roughly 1,100 farmers growing approximately 100,000 acres of dry crops like white or black beans.
Fertilizer prices are a major input cost for already low-margin cash crop operations. A 35 per cent hike from this tariff — when combined with farmers' already-inflated energy and gasoline bills — puts a lot of upward pressure on commodity prices.
That's why Koeslag's organization — along with the Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Canola Growers, the Atlantic Grains Council, Les Producteurs de Grains du Quebec, a half-dozen other farm groups from Eastern Canada and fertilizer industry representatives — called on the federal government again this week to reconsider.
Why is it that Canada is the one that's forcing our farmers to pay for the cost of the war in Ukraine?- Ryan Koeslag, Ontario Bean Growers
"Take a second look at it, determine if this is ultimately the outcome that they wanted to achieve with applying this tariff and then compare that with what we see as being an inflationary problem in the grocery store," Koeslag told CBC News.
"We need compensation for farmers negatively impacted by the tariffs, and we want a secure and reliable supply of fertilizer so we can roll up our sleeves and do our part to help the world through this crisis," said Brendan Byrne, chair of the Grain Farmers of Ontario, in a media release.
Other options?
The groups say that if the government won't rebate the cost of the tariff, it should invest in expanding the domestic supply of fertilizer so growers aren't in this situation again in 2023.
Canada has the natural gas resources to become self-sufficient in fertilizer if the government invests in domestic nitrogen production, Koeslag said.
Following a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture in Saskatoon on Friday, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the government was investing in the fertilizer industry by funding research and innovation and helping farmers find new suppliers.
While modern farm techniques such as cover crops and crop rotation can help to reduce bulk fertilizer use, not all growers can pivot on a dime, Koeslag said. Natural nitrogen sources, such as livestock manures, also have been targeted by the federal government's climate change policies.
"It's hard to be a green farmer when you're operating in the red," Koeslag said.
When farmers can't afford optimal levels of fertilizer, they may apply less to their fields and resign themselves to lower crop yields.
Meanwhile, a bumper crop of plant proteins and grains from Canadian producers could help to address food insecurity and supply chain challenges resulting from Ukraine's lost acres and blocked exports.
G7 allies left fertilizer alone
"Tariffs and retaliation and sanctions are the most effective when you can devise policies that have the maximum impact on the counter party whose attention you are seeking to get, and do the minimal damage to yourself," Freeland said one week after Russia invaded and two days before slapping on the tariff last winter. Even at that early stage, she warned the war was likely to hurt Canada's economy.
The fertilizer tariff could be making Canada's crops less competitive on the world market during a period of relative scarcity, holding back economic growth.
Other G7 allies didn't target fertilizer, making this exemption request different from those involving sanctions that were closely co-ordinated among Western democracies.
"The United States is not applying a tariff. The U.K. and France are not applying a tariff. Why is it that Canada is the one that's forcing our farmers to pay for the cost of the war in Ukraine ... which we also believe to be unjust and unwarranted?" Koeslag said.
About 90 per cent of the edible beans grown in Ontario are exported.
While Germany's request to Canada for a sanctions exemption to permit the return of a natural gas turbine for Russia's Nord Stream 1 pipeline was approved — a controversial decision that's now the subject of upcoming parliamentary hearings triggered by the Official Opposition — farm groups have yet to see any response to their request for a reprieve.
Agriculture ministers on Friday announced improvements to advance payment and loan programs for farmers, but Bibeau offered nothing in response to specific questions about this tariff.
"There is a bit of a double standard when it comes to how we deal with large companies versus the small farmer out there," Koeslag said.
"I know that there has been messages communicated back that ... once you remove a tariff for one industry, that you would have to remove it for all, which I don't believe. I think that we're smarter than that. We're more nimble than that. The public understands the situation more than that."
The idea that it costs a premium to go green and clean is long expired in the electricity industry. A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) indicates that most of the renewable energy installed in G20 countries last year had lower costs than the absolute cheapest coal power in the world.
Despite supply chain challenges and economic inflation, renewable energy costs dropped strongly. Utility-scale solar PV costs dropped 13%, offshore wind energy costs dropped 13%, and onshore wind energy costs dropped 15% compared to the year before (2020).
Average utility-scale solar PV costs (LCOE) got down to 4.8¢/kWh, onshore wind energy costs got down to 3.3¢/kWh, and offshore wind energy costs got down to 7.5¢/kWh. (Concentrated solar thermal energy costs rose 7% to 11.4¢/kWh.)
Image courtesy of IRENA.
“Almost two-thirds — or 163 gigawatts (GW) — of newly installed renewable power in 2021 had lower costs than the world’s cheapest coal-fired options in the G20,” IRENA states, “confirming the critical role of cost-competitive renewables in addressing today’s energy and climate crises.
“The global weighted average LCOE of new utility-scale solar PV and hydropower was 11% lower than the cheapest new fossil fuel-fired power generation option in 2021, and 39% lower for onshore wind.” Image courtesy of IRENA.
Geothermal energy and bioenergy, on average, remained a bit more expensive than the cheapest fossil fuel power, and thus more expensive than wind and solar power.
Looking longer term, the cost drops are of course much larger. From 2010 to 2021, utility-scale solar PV costs dropped 88%, onshore wind power costs dropped 68%, concentrated solar thermal power costs dropped 68% as well, and offshore wind power costs dropped 60%. Image courtesy of IRENA.
With electricity savings from renewable energy sources, IRENA estimates that people around the world could save $55 billion in 2022.
Enjoy this smart chart for more fun numbers and facts on the renewable energy story:
“The lifetime cost per kWh of new solar and wind capacity added in Europe in 2021 will average at least four to six times less than the marginal generating costs of fossil fuels in 2022,” IRENA states.
Despite all of this good news, the prices of things have gone up globally in the past year (a lot) and IRENA forewarns that prices could show a slight rise in 2022. Of course, fossil fuel power projects are not immune from the rising costs either — “extremely high fossil fuel prices mean that any plausible scenario for renewable cost increases are outweighed by the extensive economic benefits of new renewable capacity overall.” In fact, fossil fuel costs have risen so much that renewable energy is even more logical than normal for new power capacity. “If ever there was a year to dramatically increase the deployment of renewable power generation, it is 2022. Renewables will reduce fossil import bills and average electricity system costs, and lessen the damaging impacts of high electricity prices on consumers and industry. This year’s fossil fuel price crisis demands a response; renewables and energy efficiency provide the answer, bringing unprecedented benefits for consumers, the environment and the global economy.”
NEW SYSTEM CREATES JET FUEL FROM WATER, CO2 AND SUNLIGHT THIS COULD BE HUGE.
Light Work
Scientists in Switzerland say they've figured out how to make jet fuel from nothing more than water, carbon dioxide and sunlight.
New research published in the journal Joule this week explains how the team built a solar tower to handle the entire process. The tower uses solar energy to produce synthetic alternative fuels instead of ones derived from fossil fuels. The kerosene the solar tower makes is supposedly ready for normal use in aviation, including storage and flying — which, given the sky-high carbon footprint of air travel, is an extremely intriguing proposition.
"With our solar technology, we have shown that we can produce synthetic kerosene from water and CO2 instead of deriving it from fossil fuels," said Aldo Steinfeld, co-author, in a press statement. "The amount of CO2 emitted during kerosene combustion in a jet engine equals that consumed during its production in the solar plant. That makes the fuel carbon neutral, especially if we use CO2 captured directly from the air as an ingredient, hopefully in the not-too-distant future." Better, Faster
Finding better methods of energy production across the board has really never been so important.
Magnus Carlsen wins 2022 Super United Rapid and Blitz
The 2022 SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz the 3rd stage of the 2022 Grand Chess Tour has come to an end. Magnus Carlsen did it again clinching the victory with two rounds to spare.
The 10-player event took place in the Westin Hotel in Zagreb from July 20-24, 2022. The rapid was a 10-player single round-robin with 3 rounds each day on the first 3 days at a time control of 25 minutes for all moves and a 10-second increment from move 1. The final two days were a blitz double round-robin, with 18 rounds of 5+2 blitz. Rapid games counted double, with 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw.
A Test of Endurance
While Magnus had a couple of nice games on the final day, he really paved the way in Day 4 after his 5-game winning streak. After securing the title he lost his last two games and scored 4.5/9. It just goes to show what a moment of relaxation can mean, even for the best player in the world. Not long into Day-5 it became clear that everybody else was fighting for second place.
The first casualty to exhaustion was Jorden Van Foreest, who had finished the Rapid in clear 1st and began Day-5 in clear 3rd, but eventually finished 6th.
Van Foreest was one of the many that saw his play suffer due to exhaustion
| Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
The Dutchman had an incredible display of fighting spirit. He came back after every one of his losses, up until round 24, which is when it all went wrong for him. He was not able to recover from that blow and finished scoring 0.5/4 in the last rounds.
Van Foreest - Vachier-Lagrave, Round 24
24.Bxe7+? [24.Nc5!! Bxc5 (24...Bxg5 25.Nxe6+ recovers the bishop with a winning position) 25.Rxc4+- Black cannot defend the minor pieces along the c-file] 24...Kxe7 and soon Black’s queenside pawns became overwhelming 0–1
Perhaps the greatest casualty to exhaustion was Wesley So, who began the day (and had spent the entire tournament at the top of the standings) in clear second and finished in a disappointing tie for 4-5 place. He seemed to have finally solved his problem with White (he won three games, more than in all the other days combined!). However, he conceded too many draws and in the final stretch only managed 0.5/3.
Dominguez - So, Round 25
After endless maneuvering, Wesley takes the bait 85...Nxa5?? [85...Ne3 would have held on] 86.Bd5! the knight is dominated and was eventually lost. 1–0
Always with a cheerful disposition, Wesley’s final place in the standings did not reflect his protagonist throughout the event
| Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
The final day was all about the Frenchmen. Alireza Firouzja scored an impressive 7.5/9, while Maxime Vachier-Legrave an unbelievable 8/9. While most struggled to keep a grip on themselves, the Frenchmen were frantically pouring energy into their games.
Carlsen - Firouzja, Round 26
46.Bxh3?? [46.Rg4! Ne4+ (46...g2 47.Bxg2= White will happily give up the bishop for the two pawns; 46...h2 47.Bg2 now the pawns go nowhere) 47.Kb2 g2 48.Bxg2 hxg2 49.Rxg2=] 46...Nxh3 47.Rg4 Nf2!-+ White cannot take the pawn on g3 because of the fork on e4. 0-1
MVL displayed tremendous endurance and scored a whopping 8/9!
| Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
Firouzja - MVL, Round 22
After defending tenaciously, Firouzja lets his guard down and allows the draw to slip away after 48.Kh4?? [48.Ra1 Rc7 49.Bf3 there is no way for Black to make progress] 48...Rc7 White cannot stop 49…Rh7 mate! 0–1
Firouzja scores a crucial win against Carlsen in the penultimate round on his way to shared 2nd place | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
No one would dare accuse the MVL or Alireza of lacking fighting spirit. And they certainly proved they have endurance as well. But unlike Magnus (at least in the case of Alireza and Van Foreest), they played better chasing the lead than when they had it. While Magnus, once he had it, took off with it.
A lot has happened in the past five days. One of the main takeaways from the event is that despite the new format, the traditional virtues that define chess greatness remain the same: fighting spirit and endurance.
From left to right: Grand Master and event organizer Zlatko Klaric, GCT Executive Director Michael Khodarkovsky, GCT Founder Garry Kasparov, tournament winner Magnus Carlsen, President of Super United Marin Marusic and President of Superbet Foundation Augusta Valeria Dragic | Photo courtesy of Grand Chess Tour, Lennart Ootes
The Grand Chess Tour will conclude with the final two legs of the tour being held in Saint Louis, MO the Chess Capital of the USA. The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz from August 25th - August 30th and Sinquefield Cup from September 1st - September 13th. Fans can follow all the action live on grandchesstour.org and on the Saint Louis Chess Club's YouTube and Twitch.tv channels.
It wasn't a bolt from the blue, but GM Magnus Carlsen's decision not to defend his world title still came as shock to many. A day after the news came out, Chess.com gives an overview of reactions from the chess world.
GM Vishy Anand, FIDE World Champion between 2000 and 2002 and the undisputed 15th world chess champion between 2007 and 2013, said to Chess.com in a voice message:
"Magnus certainly hasn't surprised anyone in the sense that he has been talking about let's say his hesitation or turmoil about this subject for quite some time. I think the decision still comes as a mild surprise in the sense that you almost don't think he will cross this bridge.
"But I understand his decision fully. In a way, I was also getting tired of playing matches every year or two years several times in a row. In a sense, because I lost, this problem solved itself. Magnus's problem is a little bit that he isn't losing.
"Look, I understand his decision. I think we can only have respect for his accomplishments and I wish him all the best with 2900!"
Anand: "I wish him all the best with 2900!" Photo: Peter Doggers/Chess.com.
GM Vladimir Kramnik, the 14th world chess champion between 2000 and 2007, is currently recovering from Covid—the reason why he sadly had to cancel his participation in Dortmund at the last moment. He replied in an email: "It's a very rational decision, which was expected. Whether it's good or bad for chess itself, who knows at this moment? We will see."
GM Garry Kasparov, the 13th world chess champion between 1985 and 2000, posted a series of tweets in a thread on Twitter:
My first thought was that I wished my mother were still alive to see someone else do what I did, or similar! Walking away from what everyone expects, or demands, you do takes courage. My sympathies are with Magnus.
Of course, Magnus will still be playing--he's playing right now in Zagreb. But he's doing what he decided is best for his goals, not just personally to live his creative life, but to promote chess without fighting with FIDE guys about how he spends his time.
I'm not a shrink or mind-reader, just sympathetic to even a world champion needing change, and wanting to see change in the chess world. And it needs it. FIDE has been a direct & indirect vehicle for Russian intelligence for decades and looks to continue as long as it's useful.
I'm still working to develop & promote chess globally via sponsorship, education, and technology, and I'm sure Magnus will too. Does anyone believe that's what FIDE does? As I finally accepted in 2014 after I ran for FIDE president, its structure puts it beyond redemption.
Magnus has been a great champion and will continue to be one. Perhaps there was no way to reconcile his need for creative expression and the classical match format I myself favor. So be it. On to new challenges and more great chess instead of politics!
Staying on top is harder than getting to the top because you are competing against the feeling you have achieved your life's goal already. Staying motivated after climbing the chess Olympus is like climbing Mount Everest a second time, or a sixth. Humans need purpose.
In a comment to local TV, Kasparov gave a more political comment: "History repeats itself. Nearly 30 years ago I decided to walk away from FIDE. I understand there are probably many reasons for Magnus to make such a drastic decision. I guess he is not happy with FIDE as an organization, and I have been saying for many decades, that it's not an entity that could guarantee the professional development of the game of chess. It's still being controlled by Russia and I think under the current international conditions it's probably not a good sign for the future of the organization."
GM Nigel Short co-founded the Professional Chess Association with Kasparov back in 1993 and played in the PCA's first of three title matches. He emailed: "It is sad because Magnus is such a brilliant player and we all enjoy watching him. I can understand his decision though: I have only played one world championship match, and that was physically and emotionally draining enough. The toll of playing one after another must be stupendous. Nevertheless, the game is much bigger than one individual and we will move on. There will be new champions, with wonderful games, and we will admire them in turn."
GM Hikaru Nakamura feels that the result of his final-round game in the Candidates (where a draw was enough to finish second, but he lost instead) made a difference. He commented while discussing the news in a stream:
"The Catch-22 here is if that I had actually finished second, I'm pretty sure Magnus would have played. (...) At the end of the day, the two players who are the most recognizable in the world of chess at the moment are Magnus and myself. Furthermore, the idea of a world where I could be a world chess champion and Magnus is not the world chess champion, there is no way that Magnus would really be OK with that, at least, based on my understanding of the situation."
On Twitter, Nakamura jokingly suggested he would stop streaming:
Carlsen's response (re)tweet:
"At first I thought he would play, but in the last few days it was clear Magnus wouldn't play," said GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who mentioned "internal sources" for this inside information. Interviewed in Zagreb, where he is playing the Super United Croatia Rapid & Blitz, the Frenchman continued: "Anyway, it's Magnus's decision. For me, it doesn't change anything for now. The question is, of course, it will not provoke a change of [the world championship] cycle this time but maybe for the next cycle, actually. Then, the best thing is to get everyone at the table, Magnus and other players, to think about what we want. It could be that we don't change anything but it's a pity of course when the world number one and world champion for 10 years is not part of the cycle anymore. So we'll see in the next few years."
Asked whether he feels the world champion now has less value, Vachier-Lagrave replied: "To be honest, I thought it was already worth less because I think it's not adapted to our time. So I think there are probably better ways of designing the world championship. Of course, it's been a tradition and a lot of people don't agree with me on that. But I still think it was maybe time for a change and maybe this move by Magnus will be a catalyst."
GM Wesley So also commented from Zagreb: "Definitely shocking. Magnus is still the big favorite. He is clearly the strongest player so it's very shocking. I can understand that he's played a lot of world championship matches already and he doesn't want to play, I guess, 14 classical games, and there's also a lot of training involved. Maybe he wants to do other things.
At the same time, I feel this will give other players more chances, and more initiative. I think Magnus has been number one for 11 years so it's quite depressing for other players! [Laughs.] Now that he's not part of the world championship cycle it's a big sigh of relief. But it's definitely interesting because he's very young and he's got a lot of gas left in his tank. We'll see what happens."
Wesley So: "I think Magnus has been number one for 11 years so it's quite depressing for other players!"
Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.
GM Ruslan Ponomariov, FIDE World Champion from 2002 to 2004, said: “Magnus' decision should come not as surprise as it was circulated in mass media before and Magnus already explained his reasons. Do we really want more speculations about this topic?”
Asked how bad the new situation is for the chess world, he replied: “Is it really bad for the chess world? I think the world is in such deep crisis right now, that some things like who plays whom in chess now doesn't look important for me at all. This too shall pass.”
Chess.com commentator GM Daniel Naroditsky: "There is no question that Magnus' decision comes as a disappointment to every single chess fan. However, it is important to put things into perspective: Magnus has affirmed and reaffirmed his dominance over the chess world, and his reluctance to undergo the punishing process of yet another match is understandable. It is a treat to watch him play, and I look forward to watching him pursue his remaining chess goals and hope to see him in the 2024 Candidates Tournament!"
GM Jesse Kraai made his thoughts pretty clear in a short but powerful tweet:
GM Jacob Aagaard, author and co-owner of the chess publisher Quality Chess, commented on the suggested devaluation of the world championship:
GM Nigel Davies, author and trainer, put things into perspective: Agadmator, one of the biggest streamers in the business, added some historic perspective:
WFM Alexandra Botez, commentator and streaming superstar, said: "Obviously it's a very personal decision for Magnus. I’m sure it was a long time coming and I can’t imagine he took it lightly. While I respect it, I feel sad that the chess world will no longer experience seeing one of the GOATs compete at this peak."
Leontxo Garcia, the renowned Spanish chess journalist who has covered world championship matches since 1984: "Carlsen is rowing backward when the whole chess world should be rowing forward to seize the big moment. He has a moral responsibility, which he is failing to fulfill despite the fact that FIDE, a conservative body, is offering him very innovative changes. Chess is going to lose at least two years at a key moment."
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich issued a statement, in which he said: "Magnus Carlsen deserves nothing but respect from FIDE, and from the whole chess community, in whatever decision he makes regarding his career. Only a handful of people in history can understand and assess the tremendous toll that it takes playing five matches for the title."
Dvorkovich: "Magnus Carlsen deserves nothing but respect from FIDE."
Photo: Maria Emelianova/Chess.com.
In yesterday's breaking news report, we already included the first reactions of GM Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Ding spoke of "a new era" and said he was "very excited about playing a world championship match to fight for the crown next year." Nepomniachtchi said he respected Carlsen's decision but also called it "quite disappointing" for him personally.
"I've been in this mindset now for over a year. Obviously, when it's official it feels a bit weird but I'm fine with that. I'll continue to play a bunch and I'm trying just to do as well as I can. For a few years now I haven't been as competitive as I used to be but I still want to play chess and I still want to do well. I don't have quite the same drive, but that doesn't mean I'm going to play a lot worse!"
When asked if he thinks that the world championship is devalued when the best player is not involved, he replied: "Yeah, I guess so, but that's not really my problem."
A Polish scientific institute has classified domestic cats as an "invasive alien species," citing the damage they cause to birds and other wildlife.
Some cat lovers have reacted emotionally to this month's decision and put the key scientist behind it on the defensive.
Wojciech Solarz, a biologist at the state-run Polish Academy of Sciences, wasn't prepared for the disapproving public response when he entered Felis catus, the scientific name for the common house cat, into a national database run by the academy's Institute of Nature Conservation.
The database already had 1,786 other species listed with no objections, Solarz told The Associated Press. Invasive alien species No. 1,787, however, is a creature so beloved that it often is honoured in Poland's pet cemeteries, often reserved for cats and dogs.
Solarz described the growing scientific consensus that domestic cats can have a harmful impact on biodiversity, given the number of birds and mammals they hunt and kill.
Domestic cats have been cited as having a harmful impact on biodiversity, given the number of birds and mammals they hunt and kill. (Vadim Ghirda/The Associated Press)
The criteria for including the cat among alien invasive species, "are 100 per cent met by the cat," he said.
In a television segment aired by independent Polish broadcaster TVN24, the biologist faced off last week against a veterinarian who challenged Solarz's conclusion on the dangers cats pose to wildlife.
Dorota Suminska, the author of a book titled The Happy Cat, pointed to other causes of shrinking biodiversity, including a polluted environment and urban building facades that can kill birds in flight.
"Ask if man is on the list of non-invasive alien species," Suminska said, arguing that cats were unfairly assigned too much blame.
Solarz said that some media reports about the listing created a false impression that the institute was calling for feral and other cats to be euthanized. Earlier this month, his institute published a post on its website citing the "controversy" and seeking to clarify its position. The institute stressed that it was "opposed to any cruelty toward animals."
It also argued that its classification was in line with European Union guidelines.
As far as categorizing cats as "alien," the institute noted that Felis catus was domesticated probably around 10,000 years ago in the cradle of the great civilizations of the ancient Middle East, making the species alien to Europe from a strictly scientific point of view.
The institute also stressed that all it was recommending was for cat owners to limit the time their pets spend outdoors during bird breeding season.
"I have a dog, but I don't have anything against cats," Solarz said.
