Do you know who Britney Spears' manager is? Do you care? Okay, I admit having read a
news item about the breakup between Britney Spears and her previous manager, but, of course, that was not because of the news itself, but because it involved Britney. And I have absolutely no idea who her new manager is.
Actually, the reason I clicked on the above news link may be the same as why you've clicked on this one... Seriously though, in the chess world, managers seem even less interesting than in the world of showbiz. I guess I can still imagine a manager actually
helping Britney with stuff (understanding contracts, writing official publications), but what can any manager do for a confident and hyperintelligent chess player apart from chasing away journalists and fans?As far as I know, managers are indeed a rarity in chess. This is no surprise. Employees in companies have managers to evaluate their work from a position of experience and broad knowledge. Most chess managers can hardly boast such a position towards a super grandmaster. Another legitimate role of managers is to support and motivate employees. For chess players, this role is logically suited for their partners: indeed, Anand's wife, Aruna, is also his manager. And of course, if we're interested in people surrounding famous chess players at all, it
is usually their wives, or perhaps their parents ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú or their seconds. We all know Yuri Dokhoian ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú not as a chess player, but because he was Kasparov's most loyal second for years. (In fact, we all know Kasparov's mother, too.) But who is Kasparov's current manager? Perhaps he even has two? I have never met anyone who's even remotely interested in this question, except maybe some journalist or organizer who might want to contact him.Admittedly, we wouldn't hesitate a single moment to bring you news about a breakup between Veselin Topalov and his manager Silvio Danailov. But then again, perhaps this is because they have created so much fuss together, and especially because Danailov, in some way, really does resemble a parent for Topalov and Cheparinov ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú he's rather like Klara Kasparov, in this respect.So, no
news on ChessVibes about Kramnik's
breakup with Carsten Hensel. If you just wondered: Carsten Who? ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú never mind. The only relevant place for the question
'Who's the manager?' is a restaurant with bad food.
Do you know who Britney Spears' manager is? Do you care? Okay, I admit having read a news item about the breakup between Britney Spears and her previous manager, but, of course, that was not because of the news itself, but because it involved Britney. And I have absolutely no idea who her new manager is.
Actually, the reason I clicked on the above news link may be the same as why you've clicked on this one... Seriously though, in the chess world, managers seem even less interesting than in the world of showbiz. I guess I can still imagine a manager actually helping Britney with stuff (understanding contracts, writing official publications), but what can any manager do for a confident and hyperintelligent chess player apart from chasing away journalists and fans?As far as I know, managers are indeed a rarity in chess. This is no surprise. Employees in companies have managers to evaluate their work from a position of experience and broad knowledge. Most chess managers can hardly boast such a position towards a super grandmaster. Another legitimate role of managers is to support and motivate employees. For chess players, this role is logically suited for their partners: indeed, Anand's wife, Aruna, is also his manager. And of course, if we're interested in people surrounding famous chess players at all, it is usually their wives, or perhaps their parents ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú or their seconds. We all know Yuri Dokhoian ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú not as a chess player, but because he was Kasparov's most loyal second for years. (In fact, we all know Kasparov's mother, too.) But who is Kasparov's current manager? Perhaps he even has two? I have never met anyone who's even remotely interested in this question, except maybe some journalist or organizer who might want to contact him.Admittedly, we wouldn't hesitate a single moment to bring you news about a breakup between Veselin Topalov and his manager Silvio Danailov. But then again, perhaps this is because they have created so much fuss together, and especially because Danailov, in some way, really does resemble a parent for Topalov and Cheparinov ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú he's rather like Klara Kasparov, in this respect.So, no news on ChessVibes about Kramnik's breakup with Carsten Hensel. If you just wondered: Carsten Who? ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú never mind. The only relevant place for the question 'Who's the manager?' is a restaurant with bad food.
