ErictheRed wrote on 05/24/11 at 19:50:47:



I dunno Grischuk might offer you a draw on move 8.

By the way, if the people want decisive games, I volunteer myself for the next Candidate's Cycle.  I can pretty much guarantee that every one of my games will be decisive!

Hi All

Horray the boys finally turned up and yes Grischuk did try to win as white! That's more like it! OK it was a draw but it was a fight at least.

If FIDE want to save money simply run an 8 all play all tournament double header 14 rounds and simply base the 8 players to play in the tournament based on the average rating list following the last World Championship match. The sofia rules should apply and there you have the challenger. Much better than this farce.

Hope there is a result tomorrow. I would have been rooting for Grischuk but sorry I want Gelfand to get it. Anand will of course destroy him if he does not underestimate him. Grischuk if he gets through presumably would want a 6 game match with Anand then head straight into the blitz shoot out and hey presto we could have a World Champion who has never won a classical game of chess on the way to the top of the summit!!

Akita   

Where does Carlsen state that he dislikes matches? What he dislikes is the current WC having a dorkload of advantages.

Aside from the whole short matches thing (why is it a K.O. Tourney in the first place? I don't think there's still the danger of people agreeing to quick draws between each other to save energy for people they dislike), the qualification for the candidates is a joke.
The "runner-up for the last qualifying cycle" gets a spot? The old WC Challenger I can understand decently, but third place shouldn't get anything. Kamksy won the spot for this qualifier in 2007. Gelfand got it 2009. Everyone else also sat in the 2008-2009 boat. Mamedyarov didn't even do anything (What is a wildcard entry doing in a World Championship fight?)

The whole length of the cycle should be greatly compressed. 2010 Tourneys to Qualify for the 2011 Candidates which are less of a joke and the current Champion should have to to play *some* role in them; 2012 the WC.
The Candidates should be made of people that are strong currently, not of people that were strong 4 years ago. Nakamura, Ivanchuk again etc are in great form and not allowed to compete because they weren't as good 3-4 years ago.

Quote:


This is the Candidates for the world title - taking short draws to bank on your skill in speed chess in order to have a shot at the world title is a farce.

He knows what he's doing. Hell, he's right to do it since it's probably the only way he'd ever get to challenge for the title, but it is a mockery.

FIDE screwed up.

Also, his opponents being masters of opening preparation isn't an excuse. Kramnik (who was one of his opponents) has been off form to some degree lately, so not even trying to get him out of preparation is lame. I'm not buying the excuse.

Hi all

I was looking forward to the Candidates matches but Magnus has been proved correct. The tournament is a shambles and a PR disaster for FIDE. As for Grischuk a fantastic player but if this should happen he gets a chance at playing for the World Championship without winning a classical game? What a farce!

I hope one of them wins a game and has the guts to go for it. 

I know it's easy when you sit here pontificating and all of that. I know Gary Kasparov must be fuming at the down grading of the World Championship.

What a pity.

If FIDE wants to improve and save money on such tournaments just hold an 8 player event (14 round) winner to challenge the World Champion. Then the players would have to play for a win or would they? I know Magnus would have the guts to go for it as would Ivanchuk and players of the I am not afraid to lose school of chess should not be invited!

Akita

I also think it's unjust to point at Grischuk as a culprit but I don't think that he got his last two draws from worse positions. The last game was equal at the end. I rather like Black after 18...Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Kh7 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 but it may be matter of taste. 

As for the previous draw I couldn't find sufficient compensation for Gelfand in the end, for instance 14...Nxc5 15.Qc2 Qb6 16.Rab1 Bb7 17.Rfd1 (17.Rfc1) with the idea 18.Ne1 to trade pieces. I don't see any risk for White and he's still a pawn up. 

The matches are indeed a bit short but I'm not sure that longer matches would provide more interesting chess. It depends more on the character of the players. Kramnik always finds a reason to avoid risk and Topalav usually doesn't need a reason to fight.

BPaulsen wrote on 05/24/11 at 01:08:51:


completely agree. But as Grischuk himself said "should I not take advantage of the system placed in front of me?" It means FIDE messed up.

MNb wrote on 05/24/11 at 01:13:18:


Well I meant Rapid only as the only tiebreaker after the classical part. Reverting to blitz makes no sense to me.