Nigel Short: Kramnik and Aronian are Carlsen’s most likely challengers in 2014

Famous English chess grandmaster Nigel Short summed up the Viswanathan Anand versus Magnus Carlsen match in Chenna.

In his article posted on Indian Express, Short said it is difficult to remember any match that “has been so bereft of theoretical novelties.” He stressed that Carlsen’s idea was: “Give me an equal position that you have not studied with a computer and I will outplay you.”

Nigel Short also mentioned the likely challengers of Carlsen in 2014 with Armenian GM Levon Aronian among them.

“Of Carlsen’s most likely challengers in 2014, I would say that Kramnik, despite his ripe age (38), will give him the hardest time. Another tough opponent will be the world number two, Levon Aronian (31) from Armenia — although I would still back Carlsen to fend off either threat. Beyond that short horizon, one must look to the next generation — such as Hikaru Nakamura from America (who, on Twitter, perhaps not entirely jokingly, refers to Carlsen as “Sauron”— the evil, all-seeing eye from Lord of the Rings), Fabiano Caruana from Italy, or maybe Sergey Karjakin from Russia,” he wrote.