Some of you rooted for Kramnik. Some of you rooted for Topalov. But in spite of all the ugliness off the chess board, we have witnessed a very exciting chess match between 2 very different champions. Their vastly contrasting styles and their willingness to battle in every game gave us fans big thrills.
Let’s celebrate a unified champion for the first time in 13 years. The new unified World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and the former FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov deserve our appreciation for putting on quite a show. Please give both of them the proper respect. Let’s unite for the sake of chess no matter who you rooted for.
Congratulations to Vladimir Kramnik and thank you Veselin Topalov for an incredible fighting spirit.
I am looking forward to Mexico City in 2007 and more exciting chess!
No thx to Topalov!!
It’s curious that nobody remember now the match Shirov-Kramnik. Shirov won Kramnik clearly but couldn’t play against Kasparov. A big robbery, surely one of the biggest I’ve ever seen in chess.
I’ll never recognize Kramnik as the world champion. He is a very good player, one of the best, that’s doubtless, but was Shirov who should have played against Kasparov and not Kramnik.
I think this should have to be said and remembered.
Well, if Shirov is that good, then perhaps they will play again in the future.
“Life goes on, I am 31, and I still have a chance to fight for the champion’s title,” Topalov said.
Well, if Topalov is accepting that we have now one (=unified) World Champion nobody else really shouldn’t deny that anymore. Future seems much lighter this way.
What comes to respecting Topalov, …, eh, …
Topalov could continue to win tournaments, and improve his rating… as long as he continues to be the highest rated player, people will consider him to be the best player in the world…
Chess needs to become more fluid and active, and not have these drawn out matches that take place once every 2-3 years… that’s ridiculous… there should be a tournament with the top players, lets say in the summer, every year, winner plays champion of the previous year in a match in the winter… and winner is champion for that year…. This should happen every year, not once every 3-4 years, and champion, like Kramnik that is inactive, just claims to be champion for years.
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I’ll never recognize Kramnik as the world champion. He is a very good player, one of the best, that’s doubtless, but was Shirov who should have played against Kasparov and not Kramnik.
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In that case, you can’t ever recognize Alekhine either. Because Nimzovich had priority in challenging Capablanca for the title. But his rights expired, just like Shirov’s did, and for the same reason: because he couldn’t get the money up. The right to challenge passed on to someone who could.
You know what they say. You snooze, you lose.
Chessblog,
“Alexei Shirov and Vladimir Kramnik played a candidates match to decide the challenger, which Shirov won in a surprising upset. The WCA collapsed, however, when Rentero admitted that the funds required and promised had never materialised.
This left Kasparov stranded, and yet another organisation stepped in — BrainGames.com, headed by Raymond Keene (who was also involved in bringing Kasparov to London for his replayed Candidates match against Korchnoi, half of the first Kasparov-Karpov match, and the Kasparov-Short PCA match). No match against Shirov was arranged, and talks with Anand collapsed, so a match was instead arranged against Kramnik.
You should get your facts straight. It seems you hold Kramnik responsible for the fact that Shirov and Kasparov did not play.
Kramnik defeated Kasparov and deserved to be crowned Classical World Chess Champion. Matter of fact, Kasparov became the first player to lose a world championship match without winning a game since Lasker lost to Capablanca in 1921.
That is a feat to accomplish against the highest rated player in history.
I am now convinced that Kramnik is, and should, be considered the strongest player in history, rating points or not.
Will Kramnik (or Topalov for that matter) be playing in Mexico City? Kramnick is not even listed as one of the possible candidates on the offical site. Topalov is because he was the “world champion.”
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there should be a tournament with the top players, lets say in the summer, every year,
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Hardly anyone who knows anything about chess history likes the idea. Supertournaments are a dime a dozen. What sense is there in saying that this one of them is for the title, and all the others aren’t?
Being the champion means being the best. If you lose events similar to the ones where you won your title constantly, what good is the title?
Like, say you play in 5 supertournaments in one year, and finish first in only one of them. Why should you be the champion instead of, say, the guy who won 2 of the other 4 tournaments?
Match champions are different. You win it in a match, and next time you lose a match (with very few exceptions, such as Kasparov-Deep Blue), you’re out. You’re not the champ any more the next time you fail at the same kind of event where you won the title.
Kramnik will take Toplaov’s place in Mexico City in 2007.
http://chess-training.blogspot.com/
Thanks Susan for the great blog and comments. I rooted for Toppy, but Kramnik is a truly great player. I think he should get the respect he deserves now.
Can anyone tell what will happen in Mexico. Is this a round robin for the title or something like a candidate tournament?
Will there never be match games anymore? This would be a pity, since I never accepted Kalifman or Kasim as true champions, they got the title like a virgin a child.
Rightly said Susan, both of them earn our respect for the on-board action. Before the tie-breaks, I did not know exactly what to predict, as I pointed out in my Blog.
As I followed all games of the match I found out that many people do not seem to like Kramniks style. However, despite his two wins and his game#2 action, Topalov did not play very much different from how Kramnik did, in my opinion. Isn’t chess all about what your opponent allows you to play? If your opponent doesn’t give you a chance to play brilliant attacks then noone can be blamed.
This match was indeed thrilling because of the fighting spirit which was displayed in every single game. Kramnik pushed his way, Topalov pushed his way. But both pushed. And that made it so interesting.
Personally I have to say that I am glad Kramnik made it. First, because of the mess that he suffered from, and also because of the mess that we now do not have to suffer. (no court case, no controversy, etc.)
I might not like Topalovs conduct, but I certainly like his way to play. I might not like Kramniks way to play, but I certainly liked that he did not leave the match.
Great match and an undisputed winner!
Topalov is not getting any respect from me. I understand as a professional chess player, you have to be diplomatic and all that… but as a chess fan and a lover of the game, I must say Topalov has been nothing short of a disgrace. he does not deserve to be called a champion.
I am not a huge fan of Kramnik but he deserved it all the way. he could have walked out but put the interest of the game and the fans ahead of that and was duly awarded.
All Topalov did was dig an even deeper hole for the game… I am glad he ended up in it.
Hope that the Mexico tournament will be called: qualification tournament , and that the winner will contest kramnik ‘s crown in a match after that!
A tournament is the worst formula ever seen to design a champion…when the current champion is still alive!
Hope that the Mexico tournament will be called: qualification tournament , and that the winner will contest kramnik ‘s crown in a match after that!
A tournament is the worst formula ever seen to design a champion…when the current champion is still alive!
I welcome the new unified champion. I was definitely NOT a Kramnik supporter before due to the ugliness that was the braingames championship, but Kramnik won this one fairly and now I will call him the world champion.
I’m also looking forward to seeing everybody at the mexico city championship. Got any more info on it?
Thanks
I would also like to have $500,000 in my pocket and I wouldn’t care if someone called me “hero” or a “disgrace”.
I actually had my eye on Kramnik since well before he beat kasparov in 2000. In an earlier USCF magazine they mentioned some of his earlier results vs kasparov and lets face it, best player or not age takes its toll look at poor Lasker.
Anyway a few days before the match I switched to rooting for Topalov because of his style of play takes b@lls and heart, kramniks don’t.
To sac your queen and rook (already behind a game) takes heart, courage, b@lls etc. This is something Kramnik will never have.
Alas, Topalov has random blunders of the worst magnitude (e.g. missing a forced mate) which cost him the title. No one can deny he was in control of the match, yet bumbled won and drawn positions.
* Respect to Kramnik for winning the match against such a great enemy.
“Perhaps” he was sometimes very lucky (especially game 2…) but he deserves being champion now! (1)
* Big respect to Topalow for his will to win and big thanks to him for making this tournament that exciting it was.
No compromisses – better lose a game in the end, than not have tried to win it!
THANK YOU!
Topalow for WC 2007 (if he gets in the 8 to fight in Mexico – there are 4 places left, I think – and who can stop him?).
* NO respect to all these moaners who still have nothing else to do than to argue about Topalow.
Go home, kids – in this nice blog it’s unwanted.
*Thanks for the blog and the comments of course to Susan Polgar!
Jochen, who liked the match
(1) But he has to do one last thing to convince me: he has to bring FIDE to court, not trying to get money, but for the right (or the things that seem to be right in his eyes, who cares).
He has to show, that all his talking about going to court was not just because of the match and the title, but because of him thinking he was personally right.
NO respect to all these moaners who still have nothing else to do than to argue about Topalow.
Go home, kids – in this nice blog it’s unwanted.
Who the hell are you to decide what is wanted and what is not wanted. It is not your blog. Only Susan has the right to dictate the tone here.
Everyone has the right to an opinion and to express it. Don’t like it, tough luck!
@Xargon:
“Go home, kids – in this nice blog it’s unwanted.”
“Who the hell are you to decide what is wanted and what is not wanted. It is not your blog. Only Susan has the right to dictate the tone here.”
Sounds like you need to take your own advice eh?
i’m not quite sure whether it matters or not, whether he reads it or not, whether he remembers or not – but i’m with Vladimir today in my thoughts, in my heart and in my joy. he is, what he was – the one and only true world chess champion!
Some photos of the final day from chessbase.
I’m disappointed that it’s over.
http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3424
seems a little odd that Topalov is not even in the Mexico City event after winning the last one in San Luis
I’d love to hear what Bobby Fisher thinks about this match.
>>I’d love to hear what Bobby Fisher thinks about this match.
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Whatever for? If you want to hear someone blame the Jews for the whole Toiletgate scandal, we can ask Mel Gibson.
Netometer! Bobby Fisher thinks that this WCC match was great fun, and he thinks that the best man won! On the other hand, he thinks that he could have played much better than both Kram & Top! Much better 😉
Hi Susan and all others,
although I have respect for a general wish to unite under the motto of chess, I still want to make the argument that chess is not just the moves on a board. Chess is also always a game between individual persons. If in a match one side (like here with mainly the acting manager of Topalov, but who acted with full agreement by the player himself) uses so-called dirty tricks, I would even call it unethical misbehavior, then it is no longer possible to respect the otherwise bright moves on the board. By that Topalov permanently lost his ‘face’, his whole reputation, as a decent chessplayer.
If someone is trying to ignore this ethical aspect then by force he or she is hurting his own reputation.
How tru anonymous! Chess is a sport for gentlemen and “gentlewomen”. Not a sport for albanian mobf-cks!!! Could not agree more!!!!!
What does this mean for Topalov in the Mexico City tournament? Is he out of it completely? It seems a little silly to have a championship cycle that excludes the #1 rated player. The top 4 from San Luis are supposed to be seeded into the tournament, and Topalov is still a top 4 finisher from San Luis. Can they make it a 9 person tournament?
Yes anonymous! When FIDE is in charge they can make it anything! They can even declare that Zurab Azmailparashvili is the is the world-Champion ! Cheers!
Susan is a big winner from this World Championship event. She exuded class, dignity and above all else, fair-handedness, amidst the dirt that was thrown by all sides.
Congratulations, Susan.
I have myself immensely enjoyed the event and the banter although Topalov, who I rooted for, did not win.
We have a clear winner. Congratulations, Vladimir.
Let us all lovers of chess now move on to the next great chess event, whichever it may be, that will grip the world like this one has.
So I offer congratulations to all that have contributed to the banter that in no small measure has been part of a memorable experience.
What a match…what a show…what a finish!
Congratulations to Kramnik, team-Kramnik, Topalov, Ilyumzhinov, FIDE, and chess fans everywhere!
Hmmm…now if we could just find the seed money for a match between Kramnik and Fischer…with the winner to play Susan!
Thanks swedeking,
perhaps we should notice that the World Champion Kramnik never humiliated nor even criticised his opponent, but he well argued with the organizers. Here he behaves similar to Bobby Fischer. And there is another important aspect in Kramnik’s chess, where he is different to Fischer and Kasparov. Kramnik is trying to win if possible with the smallest advantage of points. It seems as if he never wants to “crash” his opponents or their “ego”. Perhaps this is it what makes people believe that Kramnik wasn’t superior or even better. To me he was absolutely superior to Topalov.
In all his comments on playchess.com Yasser Seirawan did not make valid analyses on the psychology of the games. Errors or blunders were all the same to him of both players. Therefore he like so many observers missed the absolute dominance of Kramnik’s chess. Topalov was challenged in three moves before a decisive mate, with material advantages, in active and passive positions, and as we could see, he couldn’t play as strong as Kramnik. Since Susan liked so much Yasser’s comments, I didn’t want to leave out that point for possibly a nice debate in future.
I think that we need a completly new world chess organization! With people like Jan Timman and Ulf Andersson in charge! It is time to get rid of mobf-cks like Iljumzinof and Parashvili or what the h-ll they call themsefs! Fide is sh-thole!
VERY WELL PLAYED V KRAMNIK
CONRATULATIONS
AS FOR THE TOURNAMENT IT
COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT BETTER
TOPALOV PLAYED WITH A LOT OF
RISKS AND PAYED THE PENALTY
HE TRIED HARD BUT FAILED
HE FIDE NEEDS TO BE UNDER
NEW MANAGEMENT THEY SET THE MANAGEMENT OF CHESS TO AN
ALL TIME LOW
MYSELF I LOOK FORWARD TO A BETTER CHESS FUTURE
THANK YOU GM SUSAN POLGAR
FOR PUTTING THE MATCH RIGHT
INTO MY HOUSE HERE IN HERVEY
BAY AUSTRALIA I ENJOYED IT
VERY MUCH..WELL DONE
As it stands now, Topalov is OUT of the next cycle, barring any FIDE antics. Kramnik REPLACES Topalov in Mexico as opne of the 4 seeds for the 2007 World Chess Championship TOURNAMENT.
There are 4 spots left to fill: this via the 2 rounds of candidates matches between the 16 players listed at http://www.chessmexico.com. Wherever you see Topalov mentioned as playing, replace with Kramnik for clarity.
That is how it is right now.
It’s really that simple.
4 in. 4 more to qualify. Then play.
2007 Mexico Tournament explanation:
http://chess-training.blogspot.com
Topalov deserves respect because if it were not for his style this match would have been extremely boring: he’s currently the strongest attacking player on the planet and until the spectacle of chess is based on attack it is better to see him playing.
It is over and now we have a unified chess world champion. Yet, I don’t quite understand how this works.For example, in soccer (football) all participants, literally on the entire planet, have a chance to participate in some local (for them) selection/elimination tournament, from which the winners advance to play the winners of other regions, finally the best 32 ends up playing a tournament every four 4 years. There the world champion is literally the champion of the world.
Opposed to that we have the american football, where every year it is proudly announced that the winner is the “world champion”, while never challeged even by one team outside of USA. Sure, they assume since very few other place even plays that game, if they would do play, they (americans) would likely to win, but it never happens in reality, thus they are really no world champions.
Chess seems to be kind of in between, since people do and can participate from all over the world, but what mechanism exists (or does it exist currently?) which would assure a soccer (football) style beginning to end open possibility of the world champion being truly the current best in the world?
Did it ever exist?
Should it exist?
Gabor
>Swedeking said…
I think that we need a completly new world chess organization! With people like Jan Timman and Ulf Andersson in charge! It is time to get rid of mobf-cks like Iljumzinof and Parashvili or what the h-ll they call themsefs! Fide is sh-thole!
That is because Jan and Ulf sound more arian? What the hell are these Jurgens call themselves?
Susan,
Thank you for the great blog and impartial comments. I found this blog the only source where I could hear both sides’ opinions. I think I will continue to check it about chess news from now on.
Regarding Kramnik and Topalov, I also think it was a great game because of the fighting spirit, and they both deserved to win.
First, congratulations to Kramnik, he won a very difficult game, and I hope that he will contribute to the popularity of chess like a World Champion.
Second, I am a Topalov fan because I am from Bulgaria, and I hope that the setback will help him to learn and come back soon… As buddhists say “Life is a journey, not a destination”. I hope that this loss will help him to keep up the good work and bring more delight to chess fans.
About “No thx to Topalov!!”…
seems like you knew what exactly was going on in Kalmikya and you knew Topalov to say that… although I seriously doubt 🙂
Yes congratulations to both super players for the most exciting match since Kasparov-Karpov!
This talk about Topalov’s style amuses me. If a player makes gross blunders, we consider him weak. If he makes spectacular moves, we consider him strong. What of a player who does both, such as Topalov (and Ivanchuk before him, who Kasparov once called the man with the deepest understanding of chess)?
I confess to having won many games against weaker players because they, in equal or even winning positions, did not find the moves to close the deal. I have also lost to stronger players after having winning positions because I likewise failed to find the hammerblow. As someone said about Korchnoi in his 1978 match with Karpov, he played the best chess and deserved to win… but he also played the worst chess and therefore lost.
Finally, there have been comparisons of Topalov with Fischer for his fighting spirit. I should point out, having spent far too much time with Fischer’s games, that he won far more often in the style that Kramnik used, namely by gaining a small and steady advantage before using technique to bring home the victory. Fischer did not care for Topalov’s brand of speculative chess and therefore did not regularly commit the gross blunders that Topalov is becoming known for.
“thank you Veselin for your fighting spirit” ???! Did I read well?? Do you think accusing his opponent of cheating is a fighting spirit??
Please, answer my question Susan!