Tata Steel chess hit by controversy after Norway’s notorious robber invited as visitor in broadcast

The ongoing Tata Steel Chess event has been embroiled in an pointless controversy after the occasion’s broadcaster has invited Norway’s most notorious financial institution robber, David Toska as a visitor for a present.
Known because the mastermind behind the largest heist within the nation’s historical past, Toska has been invited to hitch as a visitor throughout TV 2’s Tata Steel Chess broadcast.

The controversial transfer, nevertheless, has provoked sturdy reactions from the chess fraternity with one sponsor pulling out of the present hours after the announcement, in response to chess24.com web site.

Controversy in Norway as a financial institution robber who spent 13 years in jail will commentate on #TataSteelChess on nationwide TV immediately! https://t.co/ZhmQIn4l5P #c24live pic.twitter.com/TJyRB6ROwG
— chess24.com (@chess24com) January 17, 2022
The Tata Steel Chess event is being performed in Wijk Aan Zee, the Netherlands from January 14 to 30 the place prime gamers together with Norwegian world no 1 Magnus Carlsen shall be vying for prime honours.
Norwegian TV has a practice of inviting celebrities as company throughout chess broadcasts, however Toska’s selection turned out to be probably the most controversial to this point, the web site mentioned.
Toska was touted to be “the mastermind” behind the Nokas financial institution theft in Stavanger in 2004, the largest in Norway’s historical past, the place a policeman was killed. He was arrested in Spain a 12 months later after being on the run, the web site mentioned.
Toska, who served 13 years of a 20-year sentence, was absolutely launched in 2018, and now has a daughter and a full-time job as a programmer.

According to the web site, he’s a giant chess fan and was recognized to be a proficient participant in his teenage. He had completed fourth within the Norwegian Under-14 championship, earlier than taking to crime.
He obtained again into chess by following Carlsen’s success whereas in jail, and shortly after his launch he was seen on the venue of the 2019 Fischer Random World Championship in Hovik exterior Oslo. He has a web-based score of round 2000 now, the web site mentioned.
Toska is slated to look in TV 2’s studio for his or her Tata Steel Chess broadcast, alongside host Fin Gnatt and commentators Heidi R�neid and GM Jon Ludvig Hammer, on Monday and Tuesday.
While the industrial broadcaster quoted the Chief Sports Editor Vegar Jansen Hagen as saying that the choice to enroll the infamous robber for the present was taken after acquiring suggestions from a number of folks, one of many policemen who was current on the scene of the heist and was shot at, wasn’t so happy.

Erik Haland, the policeman, was not amused and was quoted as saying, “I never stop being surprised at the media bending over for known criminals. Another reason not to watch chess. The fact that his celebrity has come due to serious crimes is in my opinion senseless glorification.”
A sports activities commentator questioned whether or not Toska would have appeared as a chess skilled if it had not been for his movie star standing.
However, Toska was quoted as saying that he was ready for the detrimental reactions and hoped the main target could be on the sport and that his story wouldn’t disturb it.