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World Chess Championships logos cause controversy

Frank Carnevale
By Frank Carnevale
2 Min Read Dec. 20, 2017 | 7 years Ago
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Logos unveiled for the 2018 World Chess Championship are drawing plenty of reaction online, but little to do with the chess.

The logos feature two intertwined figures, with arms and legs in various positions, kind of like a game of Twister gone wild, or worse.

The Telegraph described the logo as "pawnographic."

"The chosen image shows two chequered bodies entwined around a chess board. It is, World Chess say, unashamedly sexual. Perhaps, one could even say, pawnographic," the newspaper wrote.

"People are openly laughing at it," said chess expert David Kramaley, who runs learning site Chessable , is quoted in the story. "But, joking aside, I've got to say it has grown on me."

The World Chess organization itself posted on its site that the logos as "controversial and trendy, just like the host city."

The host city is London and the tournament is set for November 11-30 of next year.

The match will feature the current World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen defending his title against a challenger who will be determined during the a tournament in March.

The designers - Shuka Design - also designed the 2016 logos, which were also black-n-white but not as NSFW.

Some took to Twitter to comment on the logos.

Susan Polgar, a chess competitor and coach.

[embed width="350" height="450"] https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar/status/943493958952538112 [/embed]

David Smerdon, Australian chess grandmaster.

[embed width="350" height="450"] https://twitter.com/dsmerdon/status/942925235463979008 [/embed]

Bryan Armen Graham, of the Guardian.

[embed width="350" height="450"] https://twitter.com/BryanAGraham/status/943176320615354369 [/embed]

Frank Carnevale is a Tribune-Review Digital Producer. Reach him at fcarnevale@tribweb.com or via Twitter @frnkstar.

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About the Writers

Frank Carnevale is a Tribune-Review assistant multimedia editor. You can contact Frank at 412-380-8511, fcarnevale@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

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