Smyslov_Fan wrote on 09/28/07 at 04:16:18:


Well, in this case I find Kramnik's win more impressive: he sacrificed an exchange to get a strong initiative and ended a piece up. Not so bad for a positional player!! Gelfand on his side was helped by Aronian as his piece sacrifice did not prove to be justified but I must acknowledge Gelfand's cool blooded reaction is also a sign of his actual (very) high level.

I don't know which is more impressive, beating Aronian as Black in this tournament or beating Leko at all when Leko's game is back on track.

Wow, it looks like Gelfand really is for real, and Kramnik really is a world champion-calibre player!

I will certainly enjoy perusing the games from this tournament.  I think this ranks as the greatest tournament of the new millenium in terms of the quality of the games and what is at stake.  The games seem to be of a much higher level than even the last WC tournament.  

Any sour grapes I have regarding whether this is an appropriate way to prove the best player in the world is certainly mitigated by the great vintage of games played!

Quote:


I thought, if the current WCh wins, nr.2 would play the match. But I am not sure.
Such a format has another advantage: it is cheaper. Last 20 years or so it has become more and more difficult to raise funds for Candidate Matches. It seems to me that finding sponsors for a tournament and a match every four years will not give much trouble at all.
I am looking forward to Kramnik-Anand, will be exciting without the scandals involved last match.

chk wrote on 09/27/07 at 10:59:23:


Agreed.  Kramnik prepared the Petroff for the tournament and there's no reason to reveal any other secrets at this point, when he's unlikely to win (and frankly doesn't gain a whole lot from doing so).

Barring any spectacular collapse by Anand in these last few games, I am looking forward to an Anand-Kramnik match.

Quote from GM. Marin commenting on Anand-Morozovich:

"An important moment in modern chess history. Anand's most dangerous trailers, Kramnik and Gelfand, had finished their games hours earlier and a draw would have maintained his comfortable lead in the tournament. The ambitious decision to play on will lead to a slightly irrational position, without any safety net for White. Therefore, Anand deserves the highest praise for the way he chose to climb up to the highest peak of the chess pyramide. This is the kind of World Champion the public needs"

Kramniks 13-move draw was not a record in world-champion chess.
I think Kasparov and Kramnik hold the record: 
The 11-move draw with Kasparov as white in the 7th game of Kasparov-Kramnik match 2000.
Also in the same match there was the 14-move draw in the 14th game (Kasparov again behind the white pieces), good for a third place?
These two short draws with white were rather atypical for Kasparovs fighting chess in the decade 1990-2000, indicating that Kasparov was not his usuall self during this match.

On draughts:
I think the way it is (or was organised) is as follows:
A tournament every four years. If the current word champion wins, he retains his title for four years till the next
tournament. If he doesnt win, he has the right on a return-match against the winner after two years. 

]The rational behind this was:
If the WC wins the tournament, there is no "worthy" contender for the title.
If the tournament produces a new champ, 
he has to show he can hold his own against the former world championship in a match.

Quote:


@MNb: Interesting to know that (2+2 years may seem better for chess). But still, if you want to know the ultimate truth on who is better between 2 players, then for me, it is match play. Of course nerves and psychology matter a lot, maybe even more than 'pure' chess skills and artistry, but.. It's like when you were young: I wouldn't think of ELOs or tournament wins; the really important milestones were when I would improve so to beat a strong player (which was out of reach until then ).

Quote:


Yes! What a nice game. I really enjoyed that one (I also like these 2 players a lot). Remember in San Luis: it was Morozevich winning a Caro-Kann brilliancy against Anand!

What's with this dead language fetish at the Pub?