Openings !! 

If I was Topalov I would try and play both 1d4 and 1 e4 . My hunch is that if he goes 1d4 he'll play either 4Nf3 Nimzo or 4g3 Queens Indian assuming Kramnik plays this. I wouldn't be shocked if Kramnik defends with the Semi-Slav !! Kramik to defend with the Marshall (more likely an anti-Marshall) and the Petroff

Kramnik to play 4qc2 Nimzo or 4 e3 Nimzo . Can't see him going 1e4. 
Top to defend with......Nimzo / Manhattan and his a6 slav. If 1e4 definitely a najdorf.

Surprise openings : Scandanavian with Qd6  or the Trompovsky or KID !!

My hope is for an action packed 12 games.

I would venture to predict the Petroff. I don't think we'll see the Berlin. And against d4 I would anticipate plenty of QGD.

It will be interesting to see how it goes when Kramnik is White. In the past he’s been tremendously successful in denying Topalov his sort of play. Whether Topalov will seek dynamic chances as Black and if so how – assuming Kramnik sees sense and bins e4 totally, as I very much hope – against Kramnik’s very solid Nf3/c4 stuff, is the main puzzle I’m looking forward to seeing played out. I’m not even sure what Topalov normally does against that – I’d guess he’d go for some sort of Slav/Semi-Slav. Maybe we’ll see whether Korchnoi’s prediction about the …a6 Slav comes true?! Although Topalov might decide to go for some sort of king’s fianchetto defence, like Shirov did in Caorle, which would certainly be interesting.

I very much fear Topalov is likely to win: obviously I am in no position to judge but my feeling is that Kramnik in some sense understands the game better. I think though that physical condition will be the decisive factor. Which would be a great shame, since Kramnik as far as one can see is a gentleman and a force for good in the game, whereas Topalov’s conduct hasn’t impressed me at all. We don’t need Ilyumzhinov in power and his creature as World Champion.

Funny, I'm about to go to the Isle of Man; two years ago I was playing there when Kramnik-Leko was on. Must be that time of year again.

There's a very famous sequence that occurred in Lugano in the match between Karpov and Korchnoi.  The scene was recreated brilliantly in the movie, Dangerous Moves, which won an Oscar for best foreign film in (?)1985(?).

It looked like some sort of deer that got stuck in the glare of an oncoming semi.  

Maybe that was supposed to represent FIDE?

It was created by the Quote:


Ok, hands up all who have heard of this well-known painter before, and what's his first name?   

(I'm guessing it's a he by his last name.)

Quote:


From the chessbase article...though maybe this doesn't really answer your question.

How did you get those pictures of that mafiosi sit-down, Ostap?

RE: "Again, I appreciate your thoughtful comments and apologize for anything you may have seen as a personal attack on you (singular)."


Absolutely no problems.  As I said, I assume it wasn't mostly towards me and the whole thing is mostly in fun anyway.
Best.

Nietzsche,  (and all)

My apologies for my rant in this thread.  It belonged in the other thread on who the best player is.  I was taking the opportunity to attack another comment about Capablanca when I saw that you mentioned he was your favorite.  The fact that I addressed the comment specifically to you was a mistake, and my apologies for coming off too harshly.  

When you (plural, not Nietzsche alone) read the comments of some other(s) in the other thread, you may perhaps guess dimly why I am against so much metaphor and simile talk about Capa being the best ever.

Again, I appreciate your thoughtful comments and apologize for anything you may have seen as a personal attack on you (singular).