Classy Gelfand refused to make inferences about curtain call
Susan Ninan, TNN | Nov 22, 2013, 02.15 AM IST
It was more a case of nerves getting the better of the defending champion, feels world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana. He, however, thinks it is only a natural progression of the old order to give way to the new.
“Anand came to the game prepared for a fight and obtained a position with possibilities to win, but at the critical moment he wasn’t able to calculate properly. Nerves and tiredness probably got the better of him. Carlsen defended a dangerous position accurately. The match is more or less over, and I expect a draw in the next game will officially crown Carlsen as world champion.
“I think slowly we will see the previous generation of top players become replaced by young talents, which is not unprecedented. This has happened many times before,” he said.
Anand’s last year’s opponent Boris Gelfand, though, refused to make inferences about a defeat in the Championship being a curtain call for the Indian.
“I cannot guess whether an era starts or ends. We will have to allow Anand to decide his own future. Anand attacked well, but in crucial moments he just could not keep up the tension.”
Terming it an ‘incredible blunder’ by Anand, the Norwegian’s former coach Simen Agdestein did not attempt to veil his apprehensions over the Indian’s playing career hereafter.
“I think Anand is not ambitious to come back after this Championship and go through the grind all over again. But then, who knows…”
Choosing to differ, GM Susan Polgar said Anand has the wherewithal to start anew, and the motivation to find his feet even after a defeat in this match.
The loser of this Championship will play the Candidates tournament in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia, in March next year. The winner of the eight-player double round-robin meet will challenge the new champion in November next year. The other seven players for the Candidates meet are: Kramnik, Andreikin, Topalov, Mamedyarov, Aronian, Krajakin and Svidler.
“It’s sad but it happens this way. It’s a pity. The level of Game 9 was okay. It’s a question of age and having the reserves to last long. Playing in front of his home crowd, I guess there was a lot of pressure on Anand,” was how Anand’s former second Elizbar Ubilava chose to put it.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
What caught my attention after game 5 (first win from Magnus)is that all articles and all comments where like: Anand made a mistake there and here, a blunder, there’s pressure, bla bla bla. Even in this article, this goes on. A match where Carlsen has won 3 games of 9 against a world class player, still the only protagonist seems to be Anand!? Again: blundering, inaccurate calculation and even at the end of this article it says that playing home is a huge pressure? What? Since when is that a fact? It’s all about how you highlight it and what the score is.
Before this match there was a lot of fuzz about why not Paris, that Anand had “the home advantage”…! Now, always talking in easy and coweredly retrospective cause nobody dares to predict, most of them are looking for aspects and details why Anand is losing here. Now suddenly it is the “home pressure”?!
Everything is considered in ego of Anand. Anand this, Anand that.
Everybody seems to forget about what Carlsen achieves, his qualities, his accuracy, his ability for very accurate deep analyses, his coolness, the way he approaches this match…the whole package! It’s Carlsen who is defeating Anand! Because as a whole chess player, he’s (even on this level) the far better player.
His ELO is a theoretical confirmation of his strenght. To me it’s logical that an ELO of 2870 will win over a ELO 2785. Especially when it’s accumulated over 12 games, with months of preparation. Yes Anand can defeat Carlsen, but statistically Carlsen will win more. And that’s what’s happening. The better player is winning. It is pure logic. I’ve been saying this way BEFORE the match started: Carlsen will crush Anand. And to me 6-3 is a crushing score (regardless all game facts).
Personally i wouldn’t mind the comments on Anands play in this WC match. But when all you here and read are the ‘excuses’ why Anand is losing, the lack of credit for Carlsen is too much. And i find that not right at all.
Carlsen is a player who is hard to defeat. By anyone. Occasionally it happens. But he wins most of the time. Lots of people do not realise what it takes to get to an ELO 2870. A gap with all other players, that is so big, that every draw loses ELO points! Still he manages to climbe. Imagine a draw against Fab Fab, Great Kram or Lethal Levon…and losing points. What??!
No, today i want to highlight Magnificent Magnus, for once this match, for his beautiful performance, for his achievement, for playing like he plays, for being who he is! And Magnus: congratulations! Just a half point and you’re there. Cheers mate. Check mate!
Gelfand is a classy guy.
congratulation CARLSEN. HE deserved it thoroughly.he played immaculate moves through out. i expect
a graceful concession speech from
my country man ANAND.