1. GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan (FIDE World knock-out Champion)
2. GM Michael Adams of England (runner-up of the Tripoli FIDE World knock-out Championship)
3. GM Judit Polgar of Hungary
4. GM Peter Leko of Hungary
5. GM Peter Svidler of Russia
6. GM Vishy Anand of India
7. GM Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria
8. GM Alexander Morozevich of Russia
Questions:
1. Who will be the next FIDE World Champion?
2. Do you consider this to be a legitimate World Championship?
3. Is Kramnik still the legitimate World Champion or have his excuses gotten old and stale?
4. Should the winner of the FIDE World Championship in San Luis, Argentina play Kramnik to unify the title or should he/she be crowned as the outright World Champion and who cares about Kramnik?
5. Do you like the 8 person double round robin format?
1. I think Anand will win.
2. Yes, it is legit.
3. Kramnik is a coward in my eyes and no he’s not a WC.
4. No, FIDE should tell Kramnik to get lost.
5. It’s not the best but better than knockout.
Bobby
Anand! Anand! Anand!
Methinks Judit has a very good chance, if she plays her best.
FIDE, although we might not like it, is still the official chess federation, and the winner should be WC.
A tournament between Kramnik & the winner would be interesting 🙂
The dark horse would be Morozevich. Anand or Leko would be the top choices. Topalov is too wild.
Jan
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1. Peter, (GO JUDIT!!!)
2. NO
3. Yes he is legitimate and yes his exuses are stale
4.Kramnk has to play the winner this winter or abdicate his thrown.
5. I love the format . I think it should be used every year to determine the challenger to the world championship. It should NEVER be used to pick #1.
#1 should always be a long match between TWO players.
Well, there are certainly favorites, but because in truth, any of these players could win on any given day, this will be a very exciting tournament. Let’s hope that FIDE promotes the tournament in this vein.
The issue with Kramnik, one way or another, should be completely resolved BEFORE the tournament. At this point, because he hasn’t shown the chutzpah or results alike Kasparov in the 1990s, I would offer him one last bid to compete in the tournament, ceding him a first round bye, take it or leave it.
This is fair to all parties.
I agree with michael (and others) that the knockout world championship format is too much of a crap-shoot for chess players. It works for professional football, but professional chess endears itself to a format more akin to professional sports like professional basketball, with playoff series between two opponents.
Thus, FIDE should consider arranging a traditional World Title match between the two highest finishers of this tournament to determine world champion, although staging the World Championship tournament every two years under this format yields the result less predictable, and thus better encourages participation.
1. Who will be the next FIDE World Champion?
Judith Polgar
2. Do you consider this to be a legitimate World Championship?
No
3. Is Kramnik still the legitimate World Champion or have his excuses gotten old and stale?
A typical “leading question”, however, if Kramnik was a real man, he joined the competition.
4. Should the winner of the FIDE World Championship in San Luis, Argentina play Kramnik to unify the title or should he/she be crowned as the outright World Champion and who cares about Kramnik?
No
5. Do you like the 8 person double round robin format?
Yes
1. Judit will!
Kramnik still is the world champion, having beaten the undisputed world champion in a long classical match for the title and not beaten by anyone since in such a match.
I think Kramnick was hand select by Kasparov, his best friend and sparring partner. As they say in boxing, he’s a paper champ. He also doesn’t contribute to help put chess on the map. I think Susan Polgar would represent and accomplish more for chess as our champ.
1: being an Indian myself, I would like to think Anand will win. Plus, he does have a very good chance.
2: For me, the winner of this tournament would be the world champion.
3: Kramnik has not been playing his best chess recently and he has lost credibility as the WC.
4: A reunification match would be interesting. I think Kramnik would be steam-rolled if Topa or Anand wins this.
5: I think it is fair format and extremely entertaining. After all, Chess is a sport. Let us not forget that.
My $0.02