Aerosvit-2008
Yesterday was a free day in Foros. Some of the players went on an excursion to the Sapun-mountain and Balaklava.
I am working at the tournament as an online commentator as our readers might have noticed. Magnus Carlsen’s lead is absolutely confident – as well as his play, with a single exception, the overoptimistic 14.b4?! against Alekseev in round 6.
So maybe the intrigue is more or less dead. Pity is that FIDE is so slow in counting the tournaments. If Foros could have been rated for next rating list in July, it could have been exciting to see whether Carlsen would have occupied the first or second ranking on the new rating list!
Not all that has been going lately in chess is bad (and the existence of the Ukrainian super tournament only confirms this), but I am afraid that the chess world is still too conservative and, therefore, unable to face the challenges of the Internet era properly.
GM Mikhail Golubev
Chess Today (chesstoday.net)
Every 3 months is recent, it used to be every 6 months.
To be honest, players like Carlsen just have to focus on their play and the rating will catch up. There is no rush. There is far too much obsession on age records- especially with ratings. The truth is the interest should not be Carlsen’s rating so much as his level of play. If he keeps playing as well as in Aerosvit the rating will take care of itself and he will be 2850 within 6 months.
Very good and true comment Anon!