It is about a week before the big showdown. According to FIDE, the Opening Ceremony will take place in Elista, Russia on September 21 with the match scheduled until October 15, 2006. Both delegations will come to Elista on September 16 by charter flight from Moscow to have one week of acclimatization and get acquainted with the conditions of the match.
Kramnik has played much better starting at the 2006 Olympiad. Topalov continues to dominate the rating chart. This should make an incredibly good match especially since they both seem to be in good form.
Will it be Topalov? Will it be Kramnik? What will be the final score?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
I am really excited about this match.
I think the shorter 12 games will mean that each game will hard fought.
Add that to Topalov’s enterprising style, Kramnik’s match preparation and determination and you have got one hell of a match.
I am really cheering for Topalov but I can accept a Kramnik victory if he plays like the 13th and 14th games of 2004.
If the Berlin Kramnik turns up it will be a huge disappointment for everyone.
I give Topalov the edge for the following reasons:
– He is self made chess champion. He never needed the services of Botvinnik or Kasparov or a chess culture to be a champion. Self reliant people have an edge.
– His style is very enterprising. He knows how to play for a win from any position. The short games makes this style very effective. Kramnik on the other hand may be forced to play for a win he doesn’t want to (Game 13 & 14, 2004).
– I think Topalov is very good at preparation and he will be ready with opening innovations.
– People say Kramnik has an edge due to match experience but in fact this might go against him. Topalov knows what to expect from Kramnik in a match, Kramnik does not know what to expect from Topalov.
The above is just my opinion.
An unknown factor:
– Topalov seems to be the master of dynamic positions and Kramnik that of classical positions. Their individual successes could depend on which way they can take each games. thoughts?
I have no clue what the match score would be.
BTW: Does anyone know how someone can watch the match for free if they don’t have ICC. Will it be live on FICS? Many of my friends have asked me about it.
Regards.
The short number of games will make the first win very important. Unlike the old matches of 24 games, there is little time to come back.
I say 6-6 tie and somehow Kramnik prevails in overtime.
I think that matches between players with different styles are very interesting to follow, and these two players seem to me to be of diverse approaches to chess. My “prediction” is Topalov 6.5 – Kramnik 5.5, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Kramnik wins by the same score ir it ends up as a 6-6 draw.
I really hope Topalov is going to win. I like his style. He’s always looking for initiative, and it doesn’t matter if it takes a pawn, an exchange or even more. However, I’m afraid that Topalov is going to lose against himself, if you know what I mean. In other words Kramnik wins but not really. Well, you get the picture.
I think it’s really debatable whether the 12-game format leads to more fighting chess, or to more cautious chess.
i’m afraid Topalov is over- and Kramnik is underrated – these days. Kramnik will make it – his chess is complete – and free of “experimental emotion” – he will be a worthy chess champion.
by the way: choosing “Berlin” in a Ruy Lopez is a TRUE attempt to WIN – not to play for a borish draw (like “Archangelsk” or “Steinitz” or even more worse “Tschigorin” …)
sincerly, Vohaul
I think that the first game will be a draw or a Topa loss (even though I hope Topa wins the match). I say this because, judging from Mtel and other tournaments, Topa often gets a bad start… Therefore the 12-games format might be favorable for Kramnik, since Topa wouldnt find time for a comeback against a player of Kramnik’s caliber.
If this scenario becomes reality Kramnik will then play for a draw for the rest of the match and clinch the victory.
Interesting.
Everyone seems to think that Kramnik is going to win.
This is typical. People always root for the status quo. I remember watching the world cup and how everyone was sure that France would win? Why? Because they did it before.We all know the results.
To me, this match has many things similar to Fischer-Spassky 1972.
– Fischer had never won against Spassky before
– Fischer had no match experience
– Fischer was a self made chess player and so on.
But the one thing in Fischer’s favor was this. He was beating the world’s best players with huge margins . Sure Fischer never won against Spassky before, but he learned from those lessons. He got better.
That’s why I think Topalov will be victorious. His performance at San Luis was 2900+ against the best.
Kramnik may be back in form but I doubt if he can perform at that level.
In my opinion, Kramnik is highly overrated. He lost to Shirov and he barely won against Leko.
This is great for chess. I feel Kramnik will win simply because at the moment, he is the better player, simple as that. Just take a look: in last 6 games when Topalov was destroying everybody else, against a weak ill Kramnik he only scored +2 -2 =2. And you do not want to see the Kramnik vs Topalov score prior to this, Kramnik has a HUGE lead. Just check this out in their previous games. Kramnik +19 -9 =34 against Topalov. People seem to forget this is the only chessplayer (human) who defeated Kasparov in a match!
In 1974, Fischer wrote to Larry Evans about not counting draws in a match.
Larry Evans wrote: “The whole idea of not counting draws is to eliminate a draw match.”
Fischer responded: “Nonsense! The whole idea is to make sure the players draw blood by winning games, and the spectators get their money’s worth. And most importantly as an accurate test of who is the world’s best player.”
Its sad that players such as Kramnik don’t feel this way.
“I want back what Bobby Fischer took with him when he left” has never been more true.
Kramnick 7-5, though I am rooting for Top
If Kramnik achieves the first win of the match, Kramnik will probably win the whole match, because it is so short.
Topalov knows this, so Topalov will play with uncharacteristic caution.
The very short 12 game format will lead to 9-11 draws.
Topalov is an exciting player. I disagree with the earlier poster who said Topalov is over-rated. Topalov would be a worthy World Chess Champion, if he can take away Kramnik’s title in the match.
I will be cheering for Vladimir Kramnik to win.
Gene Milener
http://CastleLong.com/
you’d think the loser’s style (here: Peter Leko)rubbed off on the winner (here: Vladimir Kramnik)…?????
i’m really confused. as long as i remember, Kramnik never was the “drawish” one (i admit, his results – and excuses – after Brissago – reminded me to Amos Burn’s famous caption, that he could never ever win a chess game aginst a healthy player … but i have been disabused: Kramnik was really ill!).
Vladimir recovered! at the olympiad (Turino) he revealed an incredible performance, and this, obviously handicapped by the fact, not to unveil his opening preparations for the pending match against world’s nr. one…
Vladimir Kramnik does not play boring, uninspired, computerized chess; his style is complete in my eyes – and this – maybe only this – makes him my favorite!
sincerly, Vohaul
PS: by the way it’s a long lasting myth, that bobby fischer’s chess success was selfmade…
Kramnik has depth and understanding of the game..its stupid to write off a person like him
Go Kramnik !!!!!