This is not the trophy from this World Championship. But I thought that it is fitting to show him with a BIG cup 🙂
Congratulations to Vladimir Kramnik who scored a decisive victory in the last rapid playoff game against Veselin Topalov to win the World Championship and unified the title since Kasparov bailed from FIDE 13 years ago. How fitting that the match ends on Friday the 13th 🙂
I am THANKFUL that I do not have to do BLITZ BLOGGING 🙂 4 games of Rapid Blogging was enough 🙂 I am also thankful that the match ends today as I will be in Philadelphia to promote Chess and Education with the Mayor of Philadelphia as well as do a 100 board simul. It would be hard to blog and do a 100 board simul at the same time 🙂
Thanks everyone for joining me for these incredible 15-16 games. Today, more than 150,000+ unique logins followed this game LIVE on this blog. That is unprecedented!
I hope you will visit this blog again as I will continue to update on a DAILY basis chess news from around the world, offer my commentary, give chess tips and puzzles as well as announce special events. And it is FREE 🙂
Thank you again for joining me in this historic event!
Mexico City will be the next World Championship site. You can check out their website here.
Well deserved! Congrats!
Congratulations !!!!
What if Kramnik now refuses participation in FIDE cycle (I would not be shocked if he does it)? Next split?
Susan, thanks for the coverage and thoughts.. now we look forward to a new era hopefully….
Congrats to Kramnik!!!
A well deserved victory. He went for it in the last rapid game. He played like a champion.
And congratulations, and many thanks, to Susan for running such a wonderful blog for us all.
Paul
Thank goodness!!!!
Congratulations, Kramnik!
Thanks, Susan, for your constant updates and analysis of the tournament.
Wow,
Despite all the schenanigans that turned out to be quite exciting. Contgrats to Kramnik, condolances and better luck next time to Topalov and many thanks to Susan for her wonderful coverage of the match.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! To Kramnik for holding the Classical title – the only meaningful one – and also for taking a stand for fair and honest direction of professional chess.
Anonymous Frank
Since the FIDE site crashed at the end, you were my only source of live coverage. Thanks for being there.
sad day for chess; Kramnik please do
NOT ever complaint about short draws anymore…
Kramnik won in classic chess 6-5, and in rapids 2,5-1,5.
He is undisputed World Champion!
I hope, Bessel and Vlad will manage to build a real WC cycle.
Congrats!
Hurray for the new Champion!!
But congrats for topalov for all his tremendous and fighting games!
Congratulations to Vladimir Kramnik! Good health, and the best is yet to be!
Thank you, Mdm Polgar! You have been a most gracious and entertaining host.
Susan thanks! And congratulations to Vladimir Kramnik! It has been great.
Susan, thanks for the excellent coverage and analysis!
Another note of thanks Susan!
And congrats to Kramnik for a well-deserved victory!
Congratulations to Kramnik for winning this battle against all the unsportsmanlike troubles aside from the chessboard!
And thank you very much Susan, for this great blog and all your hard work and dedication.
Susan,
Thanks for the terrific coverage, non-pareil in chess history. Hopefully, a solid championship cycle and format will now be established for the future. And may I never see another Slav defense again in my life. 🙂
Mike D.
Congratulations to Kramnik!!! A victory well deserved!!
I don’t know about you Susan, but I’m glad it’s over. My fingers are tired 😉
Kevin
susan, thanks so much for your coverage. i’m so happy the valdy won and can’t help thinking that the officials exploited his medical problems.
Grandan dankon, Suzano! Via blogo kaj viaj komentoj estas bonegaj. Vi akiris almenaŭ unu novan admiranton, nome min.
Bertilo Wennergren, http://bertilow.com
Congrats to Kramshit
Now here’s the plan…Fischer plays Karpov $10,000,000/$5,000,000…winner plays Kasparov $10,000,000/$5,000,000…winner plays Kramnik $10,000,000/5,000,000…winner plays the tag-team of Zsuzsa, Judit, and Sofia $100,000,000/50,000,000
Thank you Susan for your excellent reports and commentaries. Keep up the good job, wish to see you on top of the World sometimes soon!
justice is made…i love chess i hate tricky manoevrs… who won? Susan Polgar won and her incredible blog!
So what happens now?
Kramnik takes Topalov’s place in Mexico?
Topalov has to wiat for the next cycle?
Or will they they let Topalov play in Mexico and the winner of that would play Kramnik?
what has been done about getting a chess commisioner?… a max euwe type person (vishy maybe?)
Congratulations, Vlademir Kramnik.
And thank you for the coverage, Susan.
Thank you Susan for your excellent reports and commentaries. Keep up the good job, wish to see you on top of the World sometimes soon!
Susan’s coverage is the best!
I like it.
(hello from Taiwan)
Will Kasparov play Kramnik?
Congratulations to Vladimir Kramnik!
Thank you Susan for the nice live commentary.
Frank
Poor Veselin.
He managed to lose his reputation, his supporters, the slow match, the rapid match, the title…
The only thing he has saved is his brilliant manager. And the trip in the Bulgarian President’s airplane.
Congratulations Kramnik !
Many thanks Susan for your realtime analysis and update information..
Thank you Susan! Excellent coverage!
Many thanks for your hard work, Susan. Congratulations to both players for a great match at times and hail to the new, undisputed champion.
Can I make a plea here, in case it might get back to him, for Mr Kramnik not to refuse to participate in FIDE’s cycle. Let’s not find ourselves split, with two champions, again okay?
Excellent coverage and commentary Susan. Thank you.
Thank you Susan for your excellent reports and commentaries. Keep up the good job, wish to see you on top of the World sometimes soon!
will kramnik withdraw his
legal action against FIDE?
thanks, susan! great job!
Congrats to K, I guess. Even though I personally think he doesn’t fully deserve it…
Thank you Susan for your excellent reports and commentaries. Keep up the good job, wish to see you on top of the World sometimes soon!
Ha ha ha “The only thing he (Veselin] has saved is his brilliant manager.”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
“Vlad Kosulin said…
Poor Veselin.
He managed to lose his reputation, his supporters, the slow match, the rapid match, the title…
The only thing he has saved is his brilliant manager. And the trip in the Bulgarian President’s airplane.”
A Sad, Sad, Sad day for chess.
You will see.
This win is for all those people suffering from incurable auto-immune diseases!
Kramnik, you are a hero! But your biggest battle begins now. Against your disease. It progresses slowly but I’m sure you’ll conquer that too. Keep taking the medicines as prescribed by your rheumatologist (the side-effects of which are pretty bad you must hang on), get your blood tests done at regular intervals, get periodic eye tests done and also keep exercising. You should be fine.
Once again, well done champ!
King’s alive! Long live the King!
Dear Susan,
Thanks for all the great comments, also today, games started at 1300 pm my time, but even in the morning you seem to be very sharp!
This has been a great addition to the way I looked at this WCC.
Best,
Rob.
ChessBase aka Myrddin.
A Great, Great, Great day for chess.
A unified champion at last.
Congratulations to Kramnik! Well done! You prevailed in a hard fought, close match!
Congratulations to Topalov! Well done! Maybe next time!
Congratulations to Susan! Well done!
Congratulations to Ilyumzhinov and FIDE! Well done!
Congratulations to all chess fans everywhere! Let’s play more chess!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Congretulations Kramnik
Nice blog
Congratulations to GM Kramnik for a very convincing win. I really liked Topalov before the match and I STILL do, but VK made fewer mistakes and that is a perfectly good way to be world champion.
And many thanks to YOU, Susan, for your hard work and your example in not getting caught up in the rancor and craziness!
As to what happens next: someone said “I hope Kramnik participates in the FIDE Cycle”. But bear in mind that, as of today, FIDE’s position is that Kramnik’s participation in the “cycle” will be to put down his title at the door of the Mexico City tournament (www.chessmexico.com) and pick it up again on the way out if and only if he wins the tournament. Will he want to do that, after all this talk about match play? And after Hensel’s statement this week which basically said that the Mexico City should be considered as a candidates’ tournament to find the next challenger for Kramnik?
Actually, that wouldn’t be such a bad solution – to have a candidates’ tournament every couple years to select a challenger for the WC title in a match – if FIDE were to agree to it and make it official and predictable. Will they?
Suppose that GM Kramnik doesn’t play in Mexico City, (which would allow GM Topalov to play there after all) … I think that Kramnik’s claim (if he makes it) to still be the “real champion” after Mexico City would be much stronger and more accepted than his claim was after San Luis! Remember how much contempt and disdain there was for “Drawnik” back then? Not any more!! Maybe FIDE should accept the inevitable?
Justice, and the best historical traditions of chess, have both won!
Under these circumstances, Vladimir Kramnik has done more than retain the Match World Chess Champion title. Kramnik has become a hero.
In Mexico 2007, Kramnik in 2007 will face an unprecendented dilemma.
Hopefully before then the chess world will convince Kirsan that these major bi-annual FIDE tournaments should determine the next challenger for the Match WCC title.
FIDE seems so unnecessary, and so replaceable.
Gene Milener
http://CastleLong.com/
Aside from Kramnik, another major winner from this tournament is Susan Polgar and her ground-breaking quality of timely match coverage.
Are you listening CJA?
Gene_M
Susan,
Thanks. You’ve done your chosen field the world of good by reporting the good, the bad and the ugly with equal fairness and honesty.
Hi,
I’m french and I descovered your blog during the WCC and I love it !
Thanks for the commented games and your good spirit. I added a link to your blog on my club’s one : http://www.yerresroi.org
I hope new readers will come with this link !
Bye !
Susan, thanks so much for your coverage. I think you’ll have many new Australian fans of your blog after this match… 🙂
I can’t wait for in depth analysis of the games… though since we did not see any wild complicated positions I doubt it will unearth much.. but then again chess is unfathomable.. what is considered playable today may turn out to be an error tomorrow!!
Susan, thanks for all the commentary over the last three weeks; you did a sterling job.
Dear Chess Fans,
It is now time to forget differences. GM Kramnik is now our unified World Champion.
I hope that people, regardless of whose “side” one took, will accept him and look to the future!:)
The bright side is that all this will, hopefully, stay out of court. Neverthelessk, Kramnik did win more games…even given the forfeit point given to Topalov.
I think the future of chess is bright. I hope we all, as chess fans, congradulate GM Kramnik and move on.
GM Topalov is a great player. Maybe the two will meet again sometime. But, for the sake of chess, for the fans, for history, let us accept GM Kramnik as the current World Champion.
Never forget that he will have to defend his new title of “unified” world champion.
We have so many great super-GM’s. Let history play itself out.
For the Topalov fans, you have a great player! He is, and will most likely remain, amongst the very best in the world!
Now is the time for reconciliation. You might not agree nor like GM Kramnik. However, he has won the title by both FIDE rules and every other rule.
Just accept it and go on. He’ll defend his title soon. I hope that Kasparov will come back.
Susan, I’ve said many times “thank you” for taking the time to keep all of us updated and informed.
We are all lovers of chess. World Champions come and go. Let us now, for the sake of the game and how it is received around the world, accept GM Kramnik as the World Champion.
He gave up a point. He played when former world champs said he shouldn’t…yet, he did. These games are worthy of study for all of us.
I thank GM Topalov and GM Kramnik. We all love our game and let us now look to the future. GM Topalov might become the World Champ again. But, this event is over, it is part of chess history, and we have a new champion.
Like him. Don’t like him. GM Kramnik won. Future matches shall determine the next World champion and GM Topalov might be right there!
Let us never forget that it is chess, our game, our passion, our sport, that must ultimately override emotional outbursts and accept what is a fact.
GM Kramnik is THE WORLD CHESS CHAMPION. New ones will emerge and old ones will become the pages of history.
Like or hate him, GM Kramnik is a super GM. He has not only accepted a forfeit point win by Topalov but also officially defeated him and he is now:
The World Chess Champion.
Congrdulate him. Congradulate GM TopaLOV, too. \
We have a unified world champion. Forget the toilet scandal and just accept it, for those that don’t want to.
If anyone want to feel “bad” about either of them, well, they both made a lot of money and if you feel life is “unfair” just vist Darfur, Sudan sometime.
You’ll see that neither player has any REAL complaints… for they have made a lot of money and
history will not forget them.
Let’s move on folks…look toward the next title match and forget this one’s scandals.
Thank you, GM Polgar, for keeping we fans up to date.
Most Sincerely,
Dr. Timothy M. Harris
Now it’s time to ban Topalov from big tournaments.
Great result for Kramnik, congratulations.
Thanks for the coverage!!
Gordon
My, my! What a way to finish? Susan, your coverage was far and way the best. I tried TWIC, Chess Base, FIDE, etc. You out shined them all. Thank you.
Congratulations to the new Champion! I hope he will participate in the FIDE Championship cycle.
By the way, do you have another Chess cruise scheduled? If so, where and when?
A Sad, Sad, Sad day for chess.
A sad day for Topalov, I’d say. He lost his title, his reputation, lots of money, and he is out of the next championship cycle. But he shouldn’t grieve. He came to Elista to show good entertaining chess, not to win the match at all cost. He’ll get over it.
Chess is dead if with such a style one becomes World Champion.
You could buy Fritznik for $50 from Chessbase.
The only hope was in Kasparov and Topalov. But such guys as Fritznik have a malefic influence on chess, Kasparov lost interest, and I am worried about the future of Topalov. All mediocre GM are behind Fritznik, now he could avoid a real match for 5 years again.
Susan, why are so many chessplayers so stupid? A lot of them are complaining about how such a biased person (like you) can cover a match.
It pains me to see that you actually tried to do this (most impressive but ofcourse impossible!) because it would be much simpler to write whatever you want.
News on Israel is always pro Israel and never pro palestina. News on Iraq or Afghanistan is always pro soldiers and never pro citizens/terrorists. I could go on and on here….
Why don’t you just do the same? Sorry I forgot, 90% of the worlds population is retarded! 🙂 and you cannot risk your Rep… If that’s so have you succumbed to the American ways of hypocrisy?
With lots of Respect,
Davy
Well Topalov managed to do what he “tried” so hard to do from game 1, lose the match by his own blunders.
Your blog commentary was the best part of this match, Susan. By far. 🙂
The rest was just a farce.
“Let us never forget that it is chess, our game, our passion, our sport, that must ultimately override emotional outbursts and accept what is a fact.”
Top post Harris. He’s our champion – us chess fans. And remember like I said before, we’re all custodians of the game.
I see that Toplaov fans are again showing real class.lol
Btw, I’ve added susanpolgar.blogspot.com to my ‘favourites’.
I bet a Kramnik-Kasparov match, with a Unified Champion, would get huge sponsors… not 1million prize fund… but more like $5 million a piece… that would bring Kasparov out of retirement… Kasparov is the best.
Congrats to Kramnik, and thank you, Susan!
Congrats to Kramnik on a very strong performance in the playoff!
I hope a way can be found for Topalov to play in Mexico — as I’ve said all along, the idea to exclude the unsuccessful challenger (in this case former champion) is absurd and there is no reason not to correct it at this point.
The controversy in this match centered around the possible use of technology during games. I think we can do better in providing fair, dignified match conditions that contain better safeguards against interference by modern technology. This would be in the interest of the best players and the game.
Congratulations to the Champion of Less Mistakes.
Sad day, friday 13th.
With mistakes abundant in every single game Topalov still lost by a point.
How pathetic for Krapnik.
Muito obrigado, Susan. It was impossible for me to follow the match at cb or wc2006 sites. Moreover, your commentary is very helpful to me in following the matches, live! Thank you very much, and don’t hesitate to do this again for the next world championship. 🙂
thank for a wonderful blog and great coverage of the WC.
This has become my first stop for chess news
Köszönöm a brilliáns közvetítést! Nagy élmény volt nézni a játszmákat és
az élő kommentárt.
Szép volt, Zsuzsi! 🙂
Susan Polgar thank you SO much for your excellent commentary and analysis! I am now huge Susan Pogar fan!
richard (weak club player!)
>and don’t hesitate to do this >again for the next world >championship. 🙂
Next real championship will be in 2015.
The best player in the world (sans toilet based computers) is Anand. Viva Anand.
Susan, thank you for the competant, exciting and neutral commentary thruoghout the match.
Best wishes and good luck
Veselin Dimitrov
Thank you Susan for providing coverage of the games……… and all for FREE!
Yes, GrandMaster coverage all for free, yet just look at some of the comments on this blog, some people don’t understand the word ‘grateful’.
Nope, I have not always agreed with Susan, but I have always respected her opinion, and yes, I have been grateful to have been allowed to express my views here.
Some people don’t know a good thing when they see it!
Kramnik is a worthy winner!
Chess is dead if with such a style one becomes World Champion.
Chess survived Botvinik, Smyslov and Petrosian. Why should it die from Kramnik?
You may also want to look at some games from Kramnik’s youth. Here’s a game that would make Topalov jealous:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1070865
THANK YOU SUSAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ONE THOUSAND ROSES
AND CONGRATULATIONS MISTER KRAMNIK
Why do some insist that FIDE has any credibility at all ?
Kramnik has defended his title DESPITE FIDE and if FIDE goes by the way of the Soviet Union I, for one, will not be sad for chess.
That’s such GREAT news !!!!!!!
You deserve it, Vladimir!!!! Even with a point stolen from you! You are the hero!!!
Topalov (with his dirty match tactics) lost all my respect, you gained it even more!!!!
At last 1 worldchampion again!!!! 1 world = 1 worldchampion!!!
It’s a great day for Chess!!!
greets,
Theo
great site susan enjoyed it very much so much detail its quite interesting keep up the good work
With the final score 6:6 and 2,5:1,5 in the tie break Vladimir Kramnik defeated Veselin Topalov in a fantastic chess clash in the WCC 2006. Chess lovers enjoyed many interesting battles in and out of the board. Both players fought, but there had to be a champion proclaimed. Vladimir Kramnik takes the crown and will hold it at least until Mexico 2007.
Veselin Topalov deserved all the respect of the chess lovers for bringing the exciting chess onto the board. No matter what the position was, he was fighting for a win. Draw was not an acceptable result for him. Veselin had the initiative most of the times, and always brought some novelty in the game, surprising even the most experienced chess players. Thank you Veselin for the beautiful games at WCC 2006!
Maraming Salamat Sa Iyo, Susan!!!
Mabuhay Ka!!!
Kramnik would make Tal seem ridiculous.
Enjoy chess, if you can.
Hi Susan, here is a link to Fox news with the winning short story. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,220557,00.html
Thanks for hosting this site. I visit several times daily.
Marc
“Chess is dead if with such a style one becomes World Champion.”
Disregard such comments fellow chess lovers. They are from sad, bitter people.
It’s great that chess has players displaying various styles. Great for the sport.
Topalov is a great player no doubt but as they say:
Attack brings in the crowd but defence wins championships!
It seems like this should silence all the claims that Kramnik had to cheat to win.
Even if he did cheat (which I dont’ think there is enough evidence to support) he still won 1 regular timed game where Topalov played so he couldn’t use the bathroom and 2 rapid games where he obviously couldn’t run to the bathroom a bunch.
This is great news for the chess world as a Topalov victory would have been inevitably controversial, but Kramnik now emerges as the clear victor for this match.
Title unified once more!
“Chess is dead if with such a style one becomes World Champion.”
The object of the game is to win, no other comment needed. Well done Kramnik
“All mediocre GM are behind Fritznik, now he could avoid a real match for 5 years again.”
First off, Kramnik participated in a title match less before this one less than 5 years ago.
I see nothing wrong with having a title match every 2 years or so. Having it every year seems kinda silly. You expect the person to get some rest after taking the title and the title loses its power if a new person has it every year.
That said, if Kramnik refuses to participate in the next FIDE tournament (which I doubt he will) he will lose his FIDE title. He wouldnt’ be the first.
Now Topalov fanatics claim that FIDE should change the rules so that he can play at Mexico City. Well, they had to ask for that before the match was over.
I think that he and his manager Danailov should be banned from tournament play for at least a year.
The real World Champion Won!!!! Felicitations to Kramnik! I am so happy and cannot thank Susan Polgar enough for her commentaries on the games. I have learned so much about chess and hope to apply what I learned to my games. The next big news is the Fischer – Karpov match! And last, I want a Susan Polgar House of Staunton Chess Set :o)
>The object of the game is to win, no other comment needed.
Then don’t observe the games. The result is 0,1/2 or 1, that is all you need to know.
wait… fisher-karpov match?
Info?!
>The object of the game is to win, no other comment needed.
“Then don’t observe the games. The result is 0,1/2 or 1, that is all you need to know”
The object of the game “for the opponents” is to win. This is evident. And if you can’t figure out this yourself, you should perhaps consider switching to tic-tac-toe.
>I think that he and his manager >Danailov should be banned from >tournament play for at least a >year.
Yes, let’s excommunicate the highest rated player. Every player who is not visiting the toillet more than 20 times is suspicious.
What a relief!
This is great news for the world of chess, to have an UNDISPUTED WORLD CHAMPION at last again. Let us hope that it will continue this way..
“What a relief!
This is great news for the world of chess, to have an UNDISPUTED WORLD CHAMPION at last again. Let us hope that it will continue this way.. “
It will continue, I can assure you. I hope in a Kramnik-Leko rematch, that would be fun.
Let Topalov stay. Excommunicate Danailov or better still exterminate him!
Should “attacking” or “exciting” players should only be considered champions then expunge the name of Pete Sampras or Germnany and Italy in football from their respective sports.
Morozevich, world champion then.
WC title should have to be defended annually. Ever see a hockey, football, baseball, soccer, etc. title defended once every 3 years?
If chess wants sponsors and to be considered a real sport, it needs to grow up and act like one.
Susan – Thanks for hosting this site, and showcasing chess for the dramatic sport that it is!
“WC title should have to be defended annually. Ever see a hockey, football, baseball, soccer, etc. title defended once every 3 years?”
I assume you must be an American.
Field hockey world cup takes place every 4 years (Germany beat Australia last month in the final). And soccer which outside America is known as football (different from the one played in spacesuits and the most popular sport in the world), the world title for that takes place every four years(Italy beat France in the final this July). And rugby world cup also takes place every 4 years (England beat Australia in ’03 in the final of the last). Cricket – a sport followed by billions in the subcontinent, Australia, UK, South Africa and Caribbean takes place every 4 years (Australia beat India in ’03 to win the title). So what exactly are you on about?
I hope Topalov does go on to Mexico (which becomes a Candidates’ Tournament) and Kramnik doesn’t. Kramnik can then play the winner of Mexico ’07 in a WCh in 2008 or the top two/four players of Mexico can play smaller Candidates’ matches between themselves.
In any case, the World Title should not be won except through match play.
“The problem is that Kasparov and Topalov are less succesfull than Leko in beating Kramnik. To beat Kramnik one needs another Drawnik.”
Bizarre logic and also doesn’t answer my question. Kramnik beat all those three in match play over the board and still not a deserving champion?
“I assume you must be an American.”
Of course! Not everyone can be 😉 Even Susan is.
“Field hockey world cup takes place every 4 years (Germany beat Australia last month in the final). And soccer which outside America is known as football (different from the one played in spacesuits and the most popular sport in the world), the world title for that takes place every four years(Italy beat France in the final this July). And rugby world cup also takes place every 4 years (England beat Australia in ’03 in the final of the last). Cricket – a sport followed by billions in the subcontinent, Australia, UK, South Africa and Caribbean takes place every 4 years (Australia beat India in ’03 to win the title). So what exactly are you on about?”
So in other words with these inferior evasive title holding matches, a team can be the worst team for 3-4 years yet still retain the title by avoiding title matches?
Pathetic!
Who wants a world champ that can be defeated but retains the title simply by avoiding a title match for as long as humanly possible???
Judit plays Essent pretty soon. Hope she got some insight into how to deal with Topalov (and Kramnik).
Anonymous Frank
First of all kudos and thanks to Susan Polgar for her fantastic coverage and dedication. Susan was very accomodating and extremely patient with the vastness that has come to peruse and gain from her blog.
I sincerely appreciate the attempt at educating us on the intricacies of GM championship level play, especially for those clinging to some translations of complex moves.(At the office)
Congrats to Kramnik as well, I would have liked Topalov to win, but Kramnik ground it the hard way. Anyways he holds on to it only for 11 months till the next challenge starts.
Hope he doesnt shy away this time, then what? 🙂
Anonymous said…
WC title should have to be defended annually. Ever see a hockey, football, baseball, soccer, etc. title defended once every 3 years?
Bad argument.
While on the level of individual countries/leagues, titles are defended annually in those sports, NONE of those sports are defended annually on a WORLD SCALE.
Soccer’s world cup comes every 4 years
Baseball’s newely made world championship will happen every 4 years
Basketball’s world championship happens every 4 years
And lastly the Olympics happen every four years.
For some of those there is kind of a defacto 2 year title match (basketball’s olympic match is as important as the world championships and soccer’s euro championship is only a slight notch lower than the world cup) but none of them have a yearly title match.
So in other words with these inferior evasive title holding matches, a team can be the worst team for 3-4 years yet still retain the title by avoiding title matches?
Pathetic!
Who wants a world champ that can be defeated but retains the title simply by avoiding a title match for as long as humanly possible???
A) they aren’t “avoiding title matches,” rather title matches aren’t HELD annually.
B) Your second paragraph is just a slipperly slope fallacy. No one is arguing that someone should be able to take a world title then never defend it. People are just saying that they should only have to defend it every 2-4 years, depending on the sport. 4 years would be too much for chess, but 2 seems fine.
Look, I can slippery slope the other wya if you want: Why do all these cheap chess players have title matches only once a year? So they can stink and suck ass for 11 months and just hold onto the title by default?!
Pathetic!
There should be a title match every month AT THE LEAST, but probalby every 2 weeks.
Anonymous wrote: A sad day for Topalov, I’d say. He lost his title…
Not really.
Kramnik has retained the classical Match World Chess Champion title, the historic title traceable back to Steintiz in 1886. This is the only primary WCC title.
We supporters of the classical Match WCC title do not want Topalov’s “FIDE Tournament Champion” title. Topalov earned that major title in San Luis 2005, and Topalov can keep it.
Any alternative FIDE or Tournament title will never be a competitor to the historic Match WCC title.
“FIDE Tournament Champion” is a major title that credits he who holds it. But it ain’t the WCC title.
G
We’ll be very pleased to welcome you next year in Mexico, Susan. You’ve done a terrific job.
See you next year!
Kaspy, come back. The best player should be WC.
“Of course! Not everyone can be.”
The ignorance about the world outside gave it away.:) Particularly your comment about soccer.
“So in other words with these inferior evasive title holding matches, a team can be the worst team for 3-4 years yet still retain the title by avoiding title matches?
Pathetic!”
Stick to your argument. You wrote:
“Ever see a hockey, football, baseball, soccer, etc. title defended once every 3 years?”
I listed you the number of sports where the world title is defended not once in 3 years but once in 4 icluding soccer – the most popular sport in the world. and field hockey, and rugby, and cricket.
Someone said that those wanting Topalov invited to Mexico had better ask for it before the match ended.
I complained about that system of excluding the match loser (whoever it would be) days ago, right after I got back in touch with the chess world to follow the match and found out about this dumb idea of FIDE.
Regarding the Match World Championship: those who say Kramnik still holds the Match World Championship (in the minds of virtually everyone) are definitely right. We all know that that is the historical format, and perhaps PCA can be resurrected to host this title. It would be nice to revive this tradition while putting deep-sixing the tradition of the champion handpicking challengers. The title should be defended on a schedule, even if no decent sponsor is found. Money can’t be an excuse.
Maybe Kramnik and Shirov should play for it first.
This match just concluded was just for the FIDE title. Although it was a match, the title is to be defended next in a tournament. Or was the “Classical” title, whatever that might mean without a sponsor, formally at stake as well?
Lincoln, Kramnik did win once in a regular game (before today) where he could not take many trips to the unmonitored area. But the reason he could not is that Topalov was playing at blitz speed. Kramnik using 40/2 beat Topalov who constrained himself to, say, 40/1 to keep his opponent at the board.
I don’t know why Kramnik had to spend so much time away from the board. He (as well as his opponent) is a brilliant player for sure without any outside help. It’s just a mystery to me why he created that legitimate controversy by his very unusual actions, but the fact is that he did. The right way to resolve the controversy would have been to stop the alarming actions, even when the opponent didn’t blitz.
I hope for everyone’s sake that lessons are learned here and security is improved for future GM events. I have suggested methods that would preserve players’ dignity while allowing them to have more confidence in the true identity of their opponents.
It’s just a mystery to me why he created that legitimate controversy by his very unusual actions, but the fact is that he did. T
Hold on a second.
Why on earth did KRAMNIK “create” the controversy?
These actions you dub unusual were done in private and away from everyone. Kramnik did not expect FIDE to turn over his private video survelliance to Topalov. He didn’t create a controversy by his hidden actions. Topalov created the controversy by getting a hold of his tapes…
Lincoln, by that standard the arbiters or Appeals Committee (whoever did so) created the controversy by handing over the tapes. Topalov’s side did nothing wrong by asking.
Personally I think something had to be done, and not enough was done because the very frequent visits continued. If the method of getting things done should have been different than handing over the tapes, I invite you to suggest what the authorities should have done to ensure fair match conditions.
Is it OK for one player or team to do such things as Kramnik did just because one thinks they will be covered up? Remember there’s no trial here, nobody is potentially going to jail, so we don’t need the usual rules of evidence to protect anyone.
thank you susan, for the great job you did here.
I have a serious issue with the publicized 2007 World Chess Championship to be held in Mexico (the way it is currently being publicized). Namely, it does not list the real, unified World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik as one of the participating players. FIDE, if they are to renew the respect they once had when Max Euwe graced its presidency, should forthwith change the name and focus of the Mexico tournament to be that of a Challengers tournament only, with the winner earning the right to challenge the unified (and FIDE) World Champion. now GM Vladimir Kramnik.
I accept nothing less as being being the proper thing to do here.
Vladimir Kramnik deserves all the praise given him for winning the Elista match. And with it, the chess world is reunified. The betterment of chess is at hand, now and into the future.
Let us return to the chessplaying formats of yesteryear, where interzonals and candidates matches (at least something rigorous) were present to culminate in a rightful, deserving challenger. A challenger who weathers the gauntlet ought to be the Chosen One to have the attempt at wresting that most hallowed of chess titles, World Champion.
The Mexico website has yet to address this critical issue in world championship chess.
The Mexico sponsors and FIDE need to address this issue as quickly as possible. Reunification, now achieved, hangs but on a precipice.
Very Respectfully,
a loyal chess fan among many
The world number one, or highest-rated player doesn’t have to be the same as the champion at the time. This goes for lots of sports too (eg snooker!).
Hi Susan, you are a star, many thanks for bringing it on home. Yours from Dublin, Ireland.
artichoke said…
Lincoln, by that standard the arbiters or Appeals Committee (whoever did so) created the controversy by handing over the tapes. Topalov’s side did nothing wrong by asking.
I agree with you that the appeals committe is by far the most to blame here, but I disagre that Topalov’s side did nothing wrong by asking.
It was totally wrong. They have no right to see those. Viewing them gives them far too much information about Kramnik’s behavior (was he nervous after X move? Did he seem happy after Y move?)
Even without the bathroom stuff, it basically allows them to cheat to see those videos.
Personally I think something had to be done, and not enough was done because the very frequent visits continued. If the method of getting things done should have been different than handing over the tapes, I invite you to suggest what the authorities should have done to ensure fair match conditions.
You seem to have a leap in time there. Something had to be done about the frequent vistis and that something was handing over the tapes?
That doesn’t quite work because they didn’t know about hte frequent vists UNTIL they saw the tapes.
Is it OK for one player or team to do such things as Kramnik did just because one thinks they will be covered up?
Uh… what did Kramnik do? I’m not sure I get he question.
If yo mean, is it okay to go to the bathroom a lot, which is all we know that he did, then yes. It is completely okay.
If you mean he cheated, well that isn’t okay, but we have no real evidence of that.
The thing for me here is that barring the bathroom visits there is no reason to think he cheated. By which I mean, Kramnik didn’t have some sudden leap in ability, he was playing like he always does. The matches on the board he played were no more impressive than his victories over Kasporav or Leko or anyone else.
In fact, as many Topalov supporters have pointed out in this blog, Kramnik won every match pretty much due to bad blunders by Topalov.
Since there is no actually evidence that he cheated and no reason, from the play, to believe he did, I”m just going to assume he didn’t until there is somet actual reason for me to think differently.
To clarify, Topalov’s side might (I stress might) have been justified in asking a third party to view Kramnik’s rest room tapes and judge if there was supsicious activity IF, and only if, they had reason to believe there was prior.
They had no right to ask for the tapes themselves, as it gives them an unfair advantage to judge his reaction to the match play.
Thank you Susan for all the commentary and analysis on the matches – you are the best and we chess fans really appreciate your hard work.