I am glad to see this scene. I hope that we will finally have good chess and less nonsense. I would like to praise Kramnik for playing. I know he does not accept the 3-2 score but by showing up and play, he shows the world a championship move.
I am also glad that Topalov shook hands with Kramnik in spite of Danailov’s absurd comment.
Thank you Veselin and Vladimir for continuing with this match. May the best player win!
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Hi Susan, glad like many that the match continues. Interesting observation:
1. The Topalov camp seems to feel that FIDE is biased for Kramnik.
2. The Kramnik camp seems to feel that they were wrongly treated by FIDE
So, I guess that both sides do agree on one point: FIDE has a lot of problems. An observation which many people in chess have known for decades!
I feel the same way.
“May the best player win”
This was the biggest step.
Now I am sure everyone can find a compromise that will help to continue the match.
“Thank you Veselin and Vladimir for continuing with this match. May the best player win!”
Thank to Topalov 1st, after that only to Kramnik. Does he deserved to be thank at all?
You always put Topalovs name 1st before Kramnik for a thing that is good in your opinion, but put Kramniks name 1st when you talk about a bad or unsporting things.
I used to loved Topalov fighting spirit. But now no more.
I agree Susan
Congrats to Kramnik for continuing. It should be a big boost to his career off the board in the long term with all the good will being generated towards him. If he manages to win this , his career on the board will be cemented in history.
The handshake was good to see.
I have to say that Kramnik’s manager maybe gets the most credit for today’s game. If he hadn’t blundered and not filed a protest in time, maybe Kramnik might not have continued. Neither manager has distinguished himself. Least distinguished obviously being Danilov.
Thanks Susan for all the time you putting into this. It has been great to get the opinions of all the other GM’s in addition to yours.
It’s amazing that some people will come to your blog and critricize you for daring to give your opinion. You certainly have as much knowledge FIDE controversies as anyone else. Not to mention Chess Championship pressure
BRAVO!
… and good for the kids – young chess players throughout the world who look up to these two as role models for chess. By moving forward like this, they set the example that we as teachers also try to instill in them as they learn to love this special game!
Dr. O
Hey abangkl!, Susan put Kramnik first and praised him the most.
“I am glad to see this scene. I hope that we will finally have good chess and less nonsense. I would like to praise Kramnik for playing. I know he does not accept the 3-2 score but by showing up and play, he shows the world a championship move.”
… and good for the kids – young chess players throughout the world who look up to these two as role models for chess. By moving forward like this, they set the example that we as teachers also try to instill in them as they learn to love this special game!
I’m afraid that there’s no way I could hold up Topalov as a role model now — and I say that having come into the match a Topalov fan.
Kramnik’s position is more worthy, but the fact is that he took a forfeit instead of accepting the officials’ decision — likewise, not a strategy I’d advise young people to emulate.
Well, i’ve been following the discussion here and also on FICS during all these days.
I wish to thank Susan Polgar for providing information and commentary on such a difficult moment for all chess fans
My opinion on the whole thing is fairly simple.. i think that ALL sides (Kramnik, Topalov, FIDE) are to blame for this mess equally
I have to admit that i’m impressed that such a vast majority of people out there would like to see Topalov buried! It seems that the likes of mr.Nunn has succeeded in establishing a FOX news-like propaganda about morality and the powers of evil etc. etc. Only thing that’s left to read is that mr. topalov has weapons of mass destruction somewhere in his room and should be bombed or something
It seems that it is moral to accuse mr topalov of cheating numerous times, e.g the chip-in-the-brain , san luis etc.etc. but doing the same to mr.kramnik seems so insulting, unprofessional and not moral, even if the latter accusations came AFTER the aforementioned ones against mr.topalov
I also find extremely weird that during all this “morality” theories and essays on “being professional” etc.etc. noone dared to mention kramnik’s mistake of not coming to play game 5.. Everybody says that he was right to do so because a small part of the contact was broken since he wasn’t allowed to use a private bathroom!
And I say hold on there fellas for a minute or two! Since when morality in life has anything to do with contracts??
To me, for once more, we saw how the mass media can mislead the vast majority of people and manipulate them towards a certain opinion in the middle of a conflict
trandism, you obviously have NOT been following the discussion at all
If you had you would know that the overwhelming majority of letters written to the site where Mr.Nunn’s letter was actually first published were against Topolov’s teams actions BEFORE they published it. Only the last few letters there mention his letter. His is only one of many.
Your support of the invasion of Kramnik’s privacy is astounding.
The main blame falls on Kirsan since any decision made by the appeals committe went through him first
Let us not forget the note from our glorious FIDE president (including translation):
Elista, October, 2nd 2006
To the Participants of the
World Chess Championship Match
GM Veselin Topalov
GM Vladimir Kramnik
Dear Veselin, Dear Vladimir,
On behalf of the millions of admirers of your chess talent and the citizens of the Republic of Kalmykia, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and thankfulness for your wisdom, flexibility and understanding of the current situation which were shown in your decision to continue the Match.
I am sure that this step would promote the further Unification of the Chess World and attraction of the new amateurs and fans all over the World.
I would like to wish you success and all the best!
Gens Una Sumus!
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
FIDE President
[phew! the suckers finally bought it! Ha ha ha ha this just proves that I, Kirsan the magnificent can do anything I want, casting these puny chess buffoons aside like the mere pawns in life that they truly are! ha ha ha ha The world may see great chess players from time to time, but they only see great manipulators like Stalin, Hitler, Gobbels, Amin, and of course myself Kirsan the Great only upon rare occasion! Muhaaa! Muhaaa!
This is my world and you pions are merely living in it! Bow down! Boe down!
Muuu haaaa! Muuu haaa!]
thx Topalov for not accepting victor in game 5…right?!
to michael c.m…
I said the “likes of mr.nunn” which includes mr.nunn of course but not only him.. it also includes numerous other commentators known or unknown
The “privacy of mr kramnik” ehhh?
Oh that sensitivity about people’s privacy suddenly.. In a world that we will be, sooner or later, be forced to give dna in order to travel abroad and big brother is watching us all the way..
And what about the next WC? when nanotechnology will have advanced so far?
Oh I’m so sure that if a certain mr.Unknown comes from some unexpected african country and goes 2850 and goes to play for the WC, you all people won’t be so sensitive about THAT guy’s privacy.. But of course that is something that cannot be proven until it actually happens
But you still haven’t answered the main question? Why accusing mr kramnik of cheating is NOT moral, and accusing mr topalov is??
As for the FIDE president, he reminds me a certain category of politicians which make me sick
P.S: I didn’t say I support Topalov’s side on this.. I said the blame should be equally divided between mr kramnik, mr topalov and FIDE
Trandism, I agree completely. Kramnik sure won the public sympathy. I think he behaved like an arrogant primadonna past days, but was a man today.
IMO, after reading documents on this page, the decision to use shared bathrooms was legal and ok. It was a big mistake by Team Kramnik to not show up for game 5, and he must pay. You cannot expect Topalov to let Kramnik behave like a crybaby, and then give him back a point. In a short match like this you exploit your opponents mistakes to the maximum.
What arrangements are in place now to ensure that neither player is cheating while in the bathroom?
This is surely an ugly question but it’s the most important one. Let’s not start with the platitudes until we get the important technical aspects right, to ensure that we have a fair match at least going forward.
Pulling a stunt like this is undeniable proof that Topalov COMPUTER CHEATED at San Luis, M-Tel and Linares. If he can pull this trick, then computer cheating definitely isn’t beyond his morality. Now all the chess world must recognize the deceitful nature of Veselin Topalov. Everyone must say he is the computer cheater.
Here in Kalmykia cheating is banned and like Dolmatov and others predicted we will see the result in Topalov’s play…
IRREFUTABLE PROOF.
If you ever wondered how Topalov around the age of 30 could suddenly go from 2690 to 2810 in just (C)ouple of years, you now have your answer.
at kaheer
Although what you posted can only be described as trolling, you actually say that just because someone accused someone of cheating, that means he’s cheating himself!!!
Nice logic!!
So nice that if you apply it to the war on terror, you almost reach the truth 😉
On a more serious tone, you act just as those people who watch football on TV and fail to be objective.. Because being objective suddenly feels kind of boring.. So everybody picks a side and demands blood while it’s obvious that in most cases the real truth lies somewhere in between the two extremes..
Kaheer, where is your irrefutable proof? I hope it’s not just that Topalov improved as a player. And the screen was put in place to assuage Kramnik’s concerns about this, beyond the contractual provisions. It seems to me that there’s more reason at this point to suspect Kramnik than Topalov. Please show me I’m wrong.
Every top player has some need to prove he is playing without outside assistance and conditions should be designed to allow them to prove it. To prove that their brilliant moves are really theirs. It’s sad that we have to talk this way — but we do, to avoid a brilliant player being beaten by electronics or by a computer.
“Gents” una sumus …
sincerly, Vohaul (a german cynic)
I have to agree with both trandism and Akselborg.
None of this would have happened if Kramnik went to the restroom 50 times and also avoided game 5.
Yes it was a contractual issue.
I think Kramnik did the right thing in the end but I do not agree that Topalov is the only one to be blamed.
regards
to michael c.m:
a bunch of simple questions left unanswered:
1. “Why accusing mr.topalov of cheating is moral while accusing mr.kramnik of cheating isn’t?”
2. “Why placing that screen after mr kramnik’s team recommendation, thus changing the contract, is acceptable while forcing both players to use a common bathroom, changing the contract, is unnacceptable?”
3. “Why mr kramnik’s refusal to play game 5 because of the aforementioned change of contractual rules is regarded as a professional move while mr topalov’s acceptance to play regardless of the aforementioned change in the contractual rules is left uncommented?”
4. (and the most important in my opinion) Can you see the difference between 1. mr. korchnoi’s reaction in Baguio in 1978 when he was playing against half of the world, but continued to fight, 2. mr bondarevsky’s reaction in his match against bothvinik when his father was threatened to be sent to syberia and continued to fight, 3. mr kasparov’s reaction during the match with deep blue when the machine crashed and rebooted just before making n extra-ordinary non-computer-like move in game 2 and finally 4. today’s challengers that fight over a toilet???
you’re right ,Karpov is wrong
Topolov deserved to get the forfeited win