2006 Essent Chess Tournament
The 10th annual Essent Chess Tournament will take place from October 20th to October 28th, 2006.
The tournament will include 4 players DRR: World Champion (now former WC) – Veselin Topalov (2813), World Junior Champion – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2728), Top rated female player – Judit Polgar (2710) and top local player – Ivan Sokolov (2670).
Who will win this super tournament? I am definitely not neutral about this one. I know who I am rooting for 🙂
Here is the official website.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Am am a strong Topalov fan from Bulgaria, and there is also another Bulgarian among those 4, but I raise both my hands to vote for Judit.
Go Judit!!!
P.S. and what a lovely picture 😉
“I am definitely not neutral about this one. I know who I am rooting for :)”
Let me guess… Mamadeyarov ?
I did read, somewhere, that some people think you favour Topalov, Susan…
Topalov should be able to win this, but I hope Judit Polgar wins it!
I just love you Susan for calling Topy World Champion
and in my eyes rightly so
I hope !win Judit! I love the games of judit!.My best desire for Judit.
it’s a shame to mention topalov as world champion.
even ex-wch is not correct:
he is ex-champion of FIDE – that’s all.
even in case Kasparov talks about his “biggest mistake”, FIDE has not been able to solve that 1993 related problem but transformed it to a chaos, which would have occured even without the 1993 actions.
Again:
FIDE is – or should I say has been (in case they are tranforming now to a professional chess sponsor) – an organization like one of the boxing organizations – not the whole WORLD.
So please remember e.g. 1886 – Prague, Susan!
Susan,
You could have say “Best chess player” instead of incorrect WC.
Go Judit!
it will be very difficult to win Topalov…
because he has certainly in his mind “secret weapons” in the openings that he don’t use against kramnik
( sicilian ? berlinoise ?etc )
No shame to call the highest rated player of the world the champ…Topalov is a consistant winner
WhenTopalov plays chess the worldstops and watches..
TOPOALOV THE REAL NO 1 SEED OF THE WORLD
WHy is it important who wins? They should have fun there.
Do all of them have separate toilets there? Or there will be another scandal?
Topalov is history. Russians are the best forever.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
“Russians are the best forever.”
Sure. Russians like Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Fischer, Anand, Topalov.
I get your point.
I do not think I would be alone in saying, but even if I am, Judit is not only one hell of a player but she is absolutely beautiful.
Hello All,
I hope GM Judit Polgar wins. Topalove, however, will be a formidable foe to defeat in a match. My guess is:
1st place: Polgar
2nd place: Topalov
or, reversed. They are the best players there. I’m sure that GM Polgar has analyzed Topalov’s games probably moreso than Topalov has analyzed her games. She might have a slight edge due to this.
This is just a guess. GM’s at this level are so far above my level of chess understanding that I cannot say anything for certain.
But, Topalov is prone to blunder moreso than GM Polgar. If he blunders in a game against her, I believe she would capitalize on it and win.
It’ll be fun to keep up with. I really hope that a female will, in the not-so-distant future play and defeat the sitting World Champion.
GM Judit Polgar is capable and has many, many years to achieve this.
I certainly think she could defeat GM Kramnik.
Oh well, hopefully no scandals and all will enjoy the event!
Go Judit, Go!!!!
Cheers!!
Tim Harris
There would be tremendous excitement if Judit were to win. Looking at it objectively, she has been relatively inactive for the last couple of years, and her recent results do not suggest she can handle a player of Topalov’s strength.
Mr. Topanailov (formerly known as FIDE WC GM Topalov) still is in search of his e2 – pawn …
The youngster Mamedyarov will be more interested in autographs from Ms. Judit Polgar and Mr. Topanailov, than in serious chess.
Ms. Judit Polgar will point out the potentially hazardousness of the glass chess pieces sets (by the way, not manufactured by us janitors!)the players are forced to play with in the crown event of Essent; moreover she will point out, under such circumstances, not to be able to smash their opponents – and their pieces, respectively – like she uses to do with more common chessmen, made from wood or plastic (as sets manufactured e.g. by the famous janitor consortium). as a mother of young children she impossibly can take the risk of gettin’ injured, of course!
AND IVAN THE TERRIBLE will outgrow above himself…
:))
Anonymous said…
Do all of them have separate toilets there? Or there will be another scandal?
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 6:41:32 AM
Judit says if they are all forced to share the same toilet there will be another scandal.
Topalpov will win if he consentrates on chess and not his opponents toilet habits.
Re Russians best forever
In the chess ratings only 4 Russians are in the top twenty
Soon by the looks of up comming players there might be less shortly
Topalov and Anand are seeded No1 and No2
And if Grand Slams come in Russia can say goodbye to their to their Manipulated Chess Plateos
Russia still have their Potty Champ but who wants to play chess around toilets
With ICC and computer chess new chess centers like Susans Polgars… DVD’s… teaching..etc.. new strong chess players are going to sprout like mushrooms from all corners of the world
Modern new chess times ahead..the future looks good
The Chess Monopoly is over
@vohaul good list, it shows the russians are definitely losing their grip. I don’t care if someone is born on the moon of uranus.
Ironically with the fall of the USSR and state sponsorship of chess as a political instrument, more and more non russians are making their way to the top.
I do agree with the previous poster that computers are largely responsible for spreading it beyond the control of any gov’t.
ALL RAN AWAY FROM RUSSIA LIKE THE DEVIL WAS CHASING THEM
…IN THE OFFIAL RATTING ONLY 4 RUSSIANS ARE LISTED
Go Judit!! She is my favorite player.
According to the chessbase online database Judit and Topalov have played 12 games against each other in their professional chess careers with Judit winning 4 games, Topalov winning 6 games and three games being drawn. Judit and Mamedyarov have faced each over the board twice with Judit winning both games. Judit has played Sokolov four times in her professional career, having won all four games,so she has good prospects to win the tournament. Topalov may have an incentive to win seeing as he lost the match to Kramnik, however he also has to be tired.
only 6 of the 14 world chess champions so far are born in russia … which dominance?
but a clear “USSR” dominance, isn’t it? even today…
if you eliminate Alekhine and Spassky from the entire list (both decided to live in France and to become french citicens) – the list comes down to only FOUR – no dominance at all … :))
William Steinitz, born in Austria / Bohemia – USA 1886-1894
Emanuel Lasker, Germany 1894-1921
Jose Raul Capablanca, Cuba 1921-1927
Alexander Alekhine, born in Russia – France 1927-1935, 1937-1945
Max Euwe, Netherlands 1935-1937
Mikhail Botvinnik, born in Russia – USSR 1948-1957, 1958-1960, 1961-1963
Vasily Smyslov, born in Russia – USSR 1957-1958
Mikhail Tal, born in Latvia – USSR 1960-1961
Tigran Petrosian, born in Armenia – USSR 1963-1969
Boris Spassky, born in Russia (USSR) – France 1969-1972
Robert Fischer, USA 1972-1975
Anatoly Karpov, born in Russia – USSR 1975-1985
Garry Kasparov, born in Azerbaijan – USSR 1985-2000
Vladimir Kramnik, born in Russia – USSR 2000-
vohaul..ach du lieber gott im himmel Sie sind Deuch hahaha
Topalov and Judit have played 13 games against each other not 12.
@hoddy – frankly spoken, it is not always that funny to be german these days ^^
as i could see in your profile, you are from down under? great country – and pretty hot in it’s outback, isn’t it? 🙂
gottverdammt heiß, würde ich sogar sagen, zu heiß bisweilen, denke ich mir mal … hehe
no hard feelings, your Vohaul
vohaol thanks..very very dry right now we badly need rain,,,the farmers are doing it hard…
Report link off of Chessbase says that Topalov has herpes!
Must have gotten it from the public bathrooms during the WCC!
if you eliminate Alekhine and Spassky from the entire list (both decided to live in France and to become french citicens) – the list comes down to only FOUR – no dominance at all….
Even with your peculiar method of counting, Russia still has produced more world champions than any other country. But I think you need to count again. Spassky was clearly a product of Russian chess; that he later emigrated is irrelevant. (I am less familiar with Alekhine’s biography, but I presume the same is true of him.)
Even champions like Tal and Kasparov surely benefited from the Russian-dominated Soviet Chess Machine, even if they were not Russian themselves.
If that’s not domination, I don’t know what is.
>>
Judit says if they are all forced to share the same toilet there will be another scandal.
>>
Veselin better put the seat down, at least.
@marc shepard – you made exactly MY point – maybe my english is too poor!
even in the nowadays top ranking list there are lot’s of players listed, who benefitted from the USSR chess talent selection method!
sincerly
Well, I’m rooting for Judit. Hopefully they’ll at least give her a separate bathroom. 🙂
I vote for Judit. It’s a chance for her to shine.
Topalov may be depressed now.
1. Topalov 2.Judit 3.Mamedyarov 4.Sokolov. Topalov is for me the no 1 champion with great style. he is not a man without passion on the game.He play like Tal, most important is to enjoy the game and not to win with help from secret service in a toilet.
Not sure who is going to win, but I for one am looking forward to Judit and Topalov facing each other over the board. Should be a spectacular blood bath!
Judit is the crowd favorite, but at the “end of the day
‘ I think Topalov will show his superiority. But best wishes to Judit to “shock the world” and this Mamedyraov fella is consistently improving. Will be exciting.
Tim,
I regularly enjoy your posts and share your admiration for Susan, who is Judit Polgar’s sister. Regarding your comment about Judit: “I certainly think (that) she could defeat Kramnik.” Please go into chessgames.com. Kramnik’s lifetime score against Judit is 20 to 0 with 16 draws. Their ages are very similar, so there can be no questions of an immature youngster playing a mature veteran. Your background with history had carried over to chess history, as evidenced by some of your post. With respect, I think that emotion got in the way of analysis here.
Re:”Russians are the best forever.”
I always laugh when I watch the following movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxeiGipoFSE&mode=related&search=
Enjoy it!
Dear Churchill40,
Thank you for your post. I do appreciate it and must admit that you might be correct. It is noted and, as always, most appreciated to receive constructive criticism. I, like all people, have flaws and do allow my emotions to sometimes “color” my objectivity.
I will work on this flaw.
Again, many thanks.
Respectfully,
Tim Haris
Dear Churchill40,
I also want to add that post such as yours are fine examples of how to tell someone that you might not agree with what they say…yet do so in a civil and quite constructive manner.
When I read a post written such as yours, I pay much more attention to it and it makes me think, on a much deeper level, on the issues that you mentioned.
I might find that I end up agreeing with you or someone else. Thanks for posting this and pointing out not just negative aspects of my other posts but positive ones.
On a personal note, I can say with confidence that students (and, I dare say, many people) will pay much more attention to any type of constructive criticism if there exists within that criticism something positive about that person, also.
So, thanks again…and I applaud your approach to me, though, I’ll need to take time and contemplate it before I decide that I was truly wrong, right, or somewhere in between.
In reality, right…wrong…it is subjective. The majority of these posts are opinion and not based on empirical evidence. Such is the difference between the humanities and the physical sciences. the former is much, much more open to “interpretation,” whereas the latter is driven by certain “laws” of science that is quite difficult to deviate from.
Sometimes an objective “slap” in the face is a good thing.
Cordially,
Tim Harris
I’m sure one our mathematically-inclined friends can explain why there are usually only a few at the top. (Look at boxing, college football, or horse racing as examples.) I’m too tired to put it together. Isn’t there a law of probability here? So close and yet so far. 🙂
One could say that the top 3 or so are just at the end of the bell curve, but I was looking for more.
Susan, following up on the recent topic re: e4 vs d4, I’m curios how many e4 we’ll see in the top 4 tier. I wish you good luck, I’ll put my money on Topalov thought.
Dear Churchill40,
Thanks for your comments. They made me think about what chess will be like in, say 10 years, since computers are now so good that only the best Super-GM’s stand drawing odds against them.
In 5 years, especially 10, I predict that no human will be able to draw the best chess computer at that future date.
However, human GM’s are learning from computers to. They must be learning quite a lot and, as such, also becoming much better themselves. But the pace of improvement is in the computers corner not we humans.
How much, really, can GM’s learn from playing super-strong chess programs and will this, in and of itself, make them even stronger GM’s?
Just wanted to get some opinions.
Many Thanks,
Tim Harris
GOOD LUCK JUDIT!!!!!
Hmmm….I am rooting for Judith too!GOOO!!! JUDITH!!
offcourse, topa’s games will be interesting too. Lets see!
How soon we forget? I am dismayed that anyone agreed to play Topalov, and that one of your sisters is among those participating. The professional chess community should make a statment, by refusing to participate in matches with Topalov, that his conduct at the unification match was unacceptable. In other words, RUN HIM OFF.
After Elista 2006 I will be rooting for anyone playing against TopAILOV-entity. If he learns to behave I may change my view, but until then: go TopAILOV’s opponent Beat the Toiletbrush!
PS. I hope Judit wins the event.
I hope I. van Sokolov wins 🙂
Below is Ivan Cheparinov’s first game at Essent chess 2006.
He scored his first victory in “Essent open” group.
I’m not an expert but I can enjoy such a beauty.
(Note: Ivan Cheparinov (ELO 2632) is Topalov’s second.)
[Event “Essent chess tournament”]
[Date “20.10.2006”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Mamedjarova, Zeinab”]
[Black “Cheparinov, Ivan”]
[Result “0-1”]
[WhiteElo “2318”]
[WhiteCountry “BUL”]
[BlackElo “2632”]
[BlackCountry “AZE”]
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 c5 4. Bg2 cxd4 5. Nxd4 d5 6. O-O e5 7. Nb5 a6 8. N5c3 d4 9. Ne4 Be7 10. e3 O-O 11. exd4 exd4 12. c3 d3 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. Be4 Re8 15. Bxd3 Nc6 16. Re1 Bg4 17. Rxe8+ Qxe8 18. Qxg4 Qe1+ 19. Kg2 Qxc1 20. Qe2 Ne5 21.Be4 Rd8 22. Qc2 Qe1 23. Bxh7+ Kh8 24. Qe4 Qd1 25. Bf5 g6 26. Qf4 gxf5 27. Qh6+ Kg8 28. Qxf6 Qd5+ 29. Kh3 Rd6 30. Qg5+ Rg6 31. Qf4 Ng4 0-1