Smyslov_Fan wrote on 09/21/07 at 05:56:30:


Isn't it the plan for the winner here to play Kramnik in a match?   And if Kramnik wins here, he plays Topalov in a match.   So I don't think your dreams are that old yet.  

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 09/21/07 at 05:56:30:


Of course Svidler wasn't playing for a draw. RLE is a drawish opening but white can often get a great ending. I thought white wasn't that far off yesterday. Don't listen so much to Fedorowicz's comments. He's by far the laziest expert on ICC live shows. Best is Larry Christiansen and Jon Speelman.

I misstated the actual scores.  I don't think I misstated how the tournament feels though.  For the record, Anand has 5, Gelfand 4.5, Kramnik 4, Grischuk 3.5, Leko and Aronian 3, and Svidler and Morozevich 2.5.

Aronian has a good excuse for not playing up to expectations.  ChessBase is reporting that he is taking antibiotics for a severe infection.  The fact that he has 3 points while being on antibiotics makes those three points special.  Perhaps I was a bit hard on his taking an easy draw as Black against Svidler.  (Unfortunately, that doesn't excuse Svidler.)

Today's round saw some excellent chess!

Kramnik played extremely deep, dangerous chess but was only rewarded with half a point again.  Kramnik has certainly been more impressive than Gelfand in getting to the same scoreline halfway through the tournament.

That scoreline is now one full point behind Vishy Anand who won another brilliancy, this time against Grischuk.  Anand is really staking a claim to Kramnik's title.  I still want to see the winner of the world title have to defeat Kramnik in a match, but I dream old dreams.

Svidler and Aronian showed no ambition at all, this time in an Exchange Ruy Lopez and drew very quickly.  Svidler shouldn't complain too loudly about the Petroff if he's playing for draws as White anyway.  

The last game to finish was too complicated for me to understand most of the way.  Moro gave Leko a small advantage in a Moro-type of position.  The game transformed into a Q+B+N vs Q+2N endgame/middlegame in which Leko seemed to have all the chances.  Leko sacked a pawn in return for an attack that ended in a draw.  

Leko gets blamed for all the draws he makes, but so many of them are really beautiful games.  The joke about a Leko book called My Sixty Memorable Draws is only possible because he has played so many important draws.  

At the halfway mark, we've seen that Anand is the class of the group with Kramnik and Gelfand vying working hard to keep pace.  Grischuk has played some interesting chess and Leko may finally be warming up to the Mexico City level of competition.

Aronian has been a major disappointment to his fans, and this latest draw against the expected cellar dwelling Svidler has shown that he isn't ready yet to compete for the title.  Morozevich is the other major disappointment.  I thought he might have matured enough to compete but instead has been bleeding points against the top players.

The tournament is only half over, but we can see what it will take to win.  +5 will almost certainly be enough to win the tournament and Anand is on pace for +6.  The points are coming from three players in particular, Aronian, Svidler and Morozevich.  If any of the top three players beat each other, it could swing the entire event in that person's favor.  The obvious game to watch will be Kramnik-Anand.  If Anand simply avoids losing to Kramnik and Gelfand, I predict he'll become the champion.  If he slips even once, the other two will be on him like dogs on a fox.

It will still be a lot of fun to watch!

Yep... five moves later we see Gelfand has nothing. White's king is perfectly safe and Kramnik has the better game.

Antillian wrote on 09/20/07 at 21:30:19:

I wouldnt be in Kramnik's shoes today...
(19..c5)

These are early days yet. I am still favouring Kramnik to bring home the bacon. I think he has been playing quite well and is the only player who has not not once looked shaky.