Here is your chance to bring up just about any topic you wish if you do not care for the World Championship. Or you can just offer your opinion about this match 🙂
Enjoy! I am now heading to the New York Athletic Club for the Tri-State Scholastic Championship, an event organized by the Susan Polgar Foundation, hosted by the NYAC and supported by NY Governor George Pataki!
NY Governor George Pataki is also the HONORARY CHAIRPERSON of the organizing committee for this event! Thank you Governor for supporting chess and the activities of the Susan Polgar Foundation!
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Topalov’s fast play is preventing Kramnik from using his portable chess board (analog and thus undetectable) in the bathroom. This is why Kramnik has lost two games in a row (one with white!). If this does not confirm the suspicions of him cheating, I do not know what will. We predicted his decline a few days ago (and warned everyone about his use of the pocket chess set). Prediction is the true test of scientific reasoning…
I loved the cherry chess pieces picture better than this one. 🙂
What would you estimate the rating of Paul Morphy or Steinitz to be by today’s standards?
Susan, first thank you for everything you do. second, while I understand the world’s ire at Topalov for the off-board nonsense, I can not wish for Kramnik to win the match. A) Topalov has outplayed Kramnik this match and B) I just think Topalov is a better players champion. He is more active, and more dynamic. I guess if I had my way, I would like to see Kramnik’s team ask that the fifth game be declared a draw and see Topalov’s team accept. Thanks Susan!
ahhh – surprise, surprise – mr. little pocket set is back (probably the same person, who invented the cheater’s plastic pocket billiard set for snooker professionals :)8)o)
My question is as follows:
My whole chess life through i was hammered into, that if my opponent tries to play “blitz” or “rapid” in a standard game, stand up, walk around, think about your next move, keep your time in mind (10 moves about 30 min), return to the board, sit down, make your move, wait your opponent to move – blitz or rapid again? keep walkin around, go smoking a cigarette, eat something, visit the restroom etc., just to put the pressure back on the opponent.
Playing behavior as shown by GM Topalov today should provoke even MORE restroom visits (remember, there is a video transmisson of the position in the rest- and recreation areas) – why got a pro like GM Kramnik cankered by his opponents rapid play? i’m a little at a loss with this behavior of a world class chess player like GM Kramnik – do you, Susan, have any explanation?
sincerly yours, Vohaul
Any chance Sofia will stay here permanently?
@anonym 12:30
historical ELO-ratings for a multitude of chess dinosaur’s (respectful spoken!) can be found here:
http://db.chessmetrics.com
hope it helps to answer your question!
greetings, Vohaul
Thanx Susan for your live commentary with your GM friends commenting also. It was interesting seeing Kasparov and Yasser’s notes on game. I wish they would abolish the forfeit game and play it instead so we can decide this match by over the board play and not shenanigans. I would hate if last three games end up 1 1/2 – 1 1/2 and the forfeit decides match. After these last two games where Kramnik allowed or was it home preparation by Topalov which gave him the positions he got first 2 Knights vs Rook and then 2 Bishops vs 2 Knights, Kramnik’s opening preparation is not doing to well as Topalov’s is. I along with the rest of the chess community await the final games and hope for a winner without any doubts of forfeit win playing a part. Susan, you make me wish I was in NYC.
Anyone care to comment if the increadible speed with which Topalov is playing (and great moves to top it off) has any precedent in the history of world championships. I think Topalov will become the highest rated player of all time! (mark my words!)
I have always argued somewhat superstitiously that talking about undisputed world chess champions, the last of which was Kasparov, a long line of undisputed champions after Fischer will have last names ending with -OV (karpOV, kasparOV, and soon topalOV). Another superstitious friend supports the K thing, that is Karpov, Kasparov, and soon Kramnik. Both ways, we’ll have some symmetry. Also, I see Radjabov as next in line after Topalov to help strengthen the -OV “school of superstition”. My friend puts Karjakin as next in line after Kramnik in the K “theory”.
I have few observations to make….
#1 – There is nothing mentioned in the FIDE regulations handbook on this topic of how to control electronic signals within the play area. So that means, we dont know what measures were taken in this match to prevent electronic transmissions.
#2 – If kramnik did have a medical condition, and had to go to the bathroom 50 times in game 2, then i wonder why he didnt have many toilet breaks today. (I wonder how many he took today).
#3 – Why is everyone accusing Kramnik, when facts are not proven, when its evenly possible that Topalov plays fast and accurate too, which could be construed in a bad way, not positively.
I am just of the opinion that chess needs to go through control regulations for players, just like other sports have started doing.
The greatest defender defended very poorly today. It is incredible what a difference in class is between the two of them now.
Susan, do you know of anyone on the web who enjoys giving free analysis of people’s games? I simply cannot afford many of the rates requested for this kind of service, but I would like to improve. It seems like there must be someone out there who simply enjoys the game and is not after money…
Susan,
What do you think of Spassky’s own statement that he is an “honorable anti-semite”?
Vohaul,
Chessmetrics gives Morphy’s elo relative to others in his day. Estimating his strength in current elo is harder but more interesting.
@anonym 1) chessmetrics gives also historical ELO ratings for actual players – just for comparison purposes!
@anonym 2) i do not emulate world class players – i play active chess for about 35 years – and not to canker with the opponent’s rhythm of play is a truism – i symply wonder, why a world class player like Kramnik could forget about it.
What if your opponent was cheating?
The real black sheep is FIDE
I read many comments who claim that Topalov is bad and he shows his real face.
Don’t you guys think that Topalov knew or at least had some idea about the negative reaction before claiming it? Do you think he was so desperate?
What would you do if you knew or at least had a suspicion that your opponent is cheating? Keep silent? The only fact is that FIDE did not deal with the scandal well.
There is nothing bad in complaining, but there should be procedures that allow both sides to voice their opinion.
Topalov is the black sheep now, but the real black sheep is the poor organization of the tournament and FIDE.
Hi Susan,
Of the 8 games that have been played, Topalov has had 5 white boards and Kramnik 3 white boards. And the score (over the board) is tied. This doesn’t sound like a blowout for Topolov to me. What am I missing?
If the match where played out as it should be (over the board), Kramnik would have 3 white boards coming and Topalov 1 white board. I would bet on Kramnik would those odds. What am I missing?
By the way, I think your commentary is great and Nigel keeps me laughing!
Regards,
Alan
How many other world championships have gone without a single game beginning with 1.e4 (I’m an e4 player, so I’m rather disappointed by the opening choice, but am loving the play).
I count 2 so far: Euwe – Alekhine, 1937 (all games beginning with 1.d4 except for 3 games which Alekhine started with 1.Nf3), and Botvinnik – Petrosion, 1963 (7 games began with 1.c4).
Janowski – Lasker, 1909 was the only world championship match in history (that I’ve seen on Chessbase, anyway) where every game opened with the same move – 1.e4.
Is it likely that the last 3 games will all see 1.d4?
What happened to American chess after Fischer ? There are no genuine American grandmasters. All of them (Kamsky, Kaidanov, Shabalov and you to name a few) are imported. What’s wrong ? Is it cultural, genetical or what ?
George Makropoulos in his weekly column in the Greek newspaper “Eleftherotipia” claims that a Russian sports TV channel reported that Bulgarian technicians spotted a computer cable in Kramnik’s toilet.He then remarks that this report was subsequently supressed, at least for the time being ,in his words.He then goes on to say ,linking this to the computer cable incident,that from that from widespred rumored information that he is aware of,there have been many secret deals connected to the matc in Elista.
To the first person who said kramnik was going to the toilet 50 times per match, why don’t you get your facts straight, or don’t you want to. It has been revealed that that was a lie, it wasn’t anything like that number. And seeing it was a lie, doesn’t it just add to the theory that team topaloo is just trying to upset kramnik with their dirty tricks.
…Bulgarian technicians spotted a computer cable in Kramnik’s toilet…
Spot the most important word there for a one point bonus.
T
Spassky was the elite player in the Soviet Union when I lived there, and it was general knowledge that he was Jewish. So this anti-Semitic issue needs to be checked. You don’t know what he was forced to do, by whom and what he actually did. When Korchnoi was being hunted by the authorities, Spassky refused to sign letters against him. Other stories of his honorable behaviour were circulating at a time. I don’t for a second believe all this nonsense about his anti-Semitism. (I am Jewish, by the way, and all the Jews around liked and respected him.)
“portable chess board” motif –
Won’t you let go of this stupidity? If you saw pictures of resting room, you’d see a beautiful big demo board. They don’t need to smuggle anything, the board is there already. How much more idiotic slander can this story generate?
When Korchnoi was being hunted by the authorities, Spassky refused to sign letters against him. Other stories of his honorable behaviour were circulating at a time.
Bronstein and Botvinnik were also among those who did not sign–all three deserve credit.
However, if Spassky is still espousing anti-Semitic views, I would not give him a free pass, either. (I’ve been an active editor to the Wikipedia article on RJF recently; see my edits there.) There are certainly questions of degree.
Given that S. is recovering from a stroke, now is probably not the best time to press this point.
Is Spassky indeed at least partly of Jewish descent? I’ve always assumed that he was, but have seen contradictory accounts over the years–a family tree would be helpful. (Again cf. RJF.) Also, someone born in “interesting times” circa 1936 may deserve a little slack.
Again, this is a mitigating circumstance IMO and not a blank check for anyone to practice anti-Semitism.
I’m sure that there are more than a few former citizens of the USSR who are over 50 years old reading this blog. It’d be helpfult to write what you know….
Bill Brock
Chicago
Further reading:
Spassky interview in New in Chess 2004/5
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E1DB1231F93BA15750C0A9629C8B63&sec=&pagewanted=all
http://www.google.nl/groups?hl=nl&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=Fzjqa.131149%24qm4.15323331%40amsnews03.chello.com&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dspasski%2Bauthor:peter%2Bauthor:van%2Bauthor:der%2Bauthor:hoog%26hl%3Dnl%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26selm%3DFzjqa.131149%2524qm4.15323331%2540amsnews03.chello.com%26rnum%3D1
Bill Brock
Chicago