It seems that Topalov has pulled off some surprises in the opening against Kamsky in the first two games. In the first game, Gata was able to neutralize. However, he fell way behind on time in the second game and at the end it became a serious factor.
What does Gata have to do to make a come back and even up this match?
I created the following poll recently:
Who will win the Topalov – Kamsky match?
V. Topalov
G. Kamsky
Click here to vote. Here is the result so far.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Susan, do you still believe rf7 should be annotated with ? after Topalov clearly had rc7 in mind when he played it?
trade souls with Fischer
Although the polls suggest Topalov as the most likely winner, I believe that Gata is a big match player with a proven track record. Of course, you might argue that that was years ago, but if you look at today’s game, time trouble killed it for him and he did not really blunder his way through.
The result was surprising as I expected him to dust off his Ruy Lopez notes from his encounters with Anand.
-MG42
play the king’s gambit and pray that topalov does now the fischer variation of the gambit.
Play faster!!!
I would say when in an unfamiliar line, play sound developmental moves and don’t go into “long think” until at least move 10 or 12. But what do I, time-challenged moron, know?
There is nothing Gata can do. Topalov is just a much higher quality player. Topalov will win thi smatch 4.5-.5
You mean like… WHAT’S GATA GOTTA DO?
:0)
I think Kamsky took too long to move early in the game. By the way it is Berlin Defense. Common, if I know it, he must. So don’t take too long to move in known variation of the opening. I think he should have played scotch opening instead of Ruy Lopez if he had affinity to play e4 first.
It is not that Kamsky does not know the opening, it is he is caught by surprise. He is wondering what has Topalov prepared, so he is trying to decide which lines will side step the prepartions.
Gata has got to steer game into lines where he is prepared so he does not fall too far behind on the clock and can use his chess talent which he was not able to do becasue of extreme time trouble. But against a player like Topalov who not only is a great chess player but is today the best prepared player since Kasparov this is not such an easy task to do. Even Anand would find this difficult to do as he was able to do to Kramnik.
“What must Gata do?”
He must quit chess and get a job as fide web-master. The current one sux big-time, anyway.
The three players I like most are Topa, Gata and Aronian. I very much enjoy this match and hope that Topa wins. Players like Svider, Leko and Kramnik emanate the “dorky” “not-sexy” connotation around chess with their dull games and ridiculous outfits during big tournaments.
“What must Gata do?”
Think and play faster. And win the next two games!
Gata should sit on the floor, assume a fetal postition and hope that Topa doesn’t attack.
It works with bears.
I think Gata is in real trouble. My big worries are that Topalov will play novelties like: 1c4 or 1nF3 with White. If this is the case Gata is doomed. Too bad he learned opening preparation from Kramnik and not Anand.
Gata and Topa. Both are jokes fr non-chess players. They look funny, they talk funny, really stupid-looking guys. Maybe not judge book by cover?
Gata needs to play faster…
Good Question! Gata has play a solid opening and bypass the minefields in the opening to get into a playable middlegame and endgame….in which Gata is best at! His weakness has more often than not been the opening!
I am not enough of a chess player to know what must Gate do. Other pointed out “play faster”. I would like to ask, whether is it even possible to gain sufficient advantage in the opening sequence which justifies the usage of an hour or so of thinking time? Is it theoretically possible, (bar an immediate mate in X or obvious material gain, or something like that)? Just purely for a better position.
Because if that is not possible, than Gata (and other chess players I have seen doing similar) should avoid this obvious trap. I love chess, (I wish I could play better chess), but I follow chess. I have seen this phenomenon many times: great chess player, uses enormous amounts of time at the beginning, seemingly just to obtain some positional advantage. Then it doesn’t work out, the game goes on, remains pretty much even and somewhere between move 30 and 40 the player has only a few minutes left, forces into rushing the moves and ends up blundering and losing the game. And that happens quite often. How come great chess players don’t learn from this?
I really don’t understand.
I did not vote in the poll because I want Gata to win and refuse to vote for Topy. Although it now looks grim for Gata.
Gata needs to let go of his control. He needs to just move along and look for opportunities. I get the feeling that he is lost from the earth and enters into a chess world of his mind. He is probably very happy in his world of his chess mind. Unfortunately he wakes up to the hangover of having lost the game.
I suggest he joins a good 12 step program to help him break out of his mind and simply make a move. He might have problems making decisions. He is definitely trying to control the world too much. He must learn that he has no control over his opponent and can not force a win. He must simply relax and wait for his opportunities.
I watched the game from the beginning and what he did to the clock was ridiculous.
Sometimes I think these clock problems come from low confidence. Gata thinks he is not as good a player and is not willing to battle it out on equal terms and purposely loses on the clock so people will not say he is not a good chess player. Everyone will blame the clock. Gata problem is psychological. He needs a lot of psychological coaching.
Of coure it also takes money to have good seconds and great preparation. Obviously Topy is much better financially supported then Gata. The USCF did pretty much nothing to help him out. So what else can be expected. Gata probably has had all his games on ICC copied and analyzed by Topy for the past 18 months.
I have watch both games from the beginning so far.
Gata plays very well at fast chess on ICC. So he can do it.
LOL.
Are you actually comparing ICC games with this match???
LOL
Gata is doomed now, because Topalov doesn’t need to risk anything from now on…only if Topalov gets stupid and tries to push too hard Gata may get lucky, otherwise….
While after the first game the general opinion was “Nice job, Gata” it is now clear that going into the main-line openings (Gruenfeld / Ruy Lopez) aws a horrible (and foreseeable) mistake by Gata.
Topalov became the No.1 in the world only because of his famous opening novelties; without these novelties he’s just an ‘average’ Super-GM.
An obvious strategy against Topalov would have been to drag the game into unexpected territory as soon as possible;
When Carlsen sprung the Alekhine-Defense against Topalov last year Topalov couldn’t cope with that and was a pawn down alraedy in the opening; aznother famous opening-wizard, Garry Kasparov was also surprised by Anands Scandinavian in their match in 1995. Anand was then alraedy better after the opening (Garry finally won nicely in the middle-game though…)
This shows clearlythat using ‘Second-rate-Openings’ is a winning-strategy against these opening-wizards that obviously spend theirt main effort in finding surprise-moves and holes in the Super-GM opening lines. Topalov for sure has several computers running at home to analyze these opening lines….
Why was Gata so stupid not to take that into account…
What the hell is an average super-GM supposed to be???
Gata needs to play solid simple chess, hope his opponent is over confident, and win some games in a counter attack. He should play 1.d4 from now on, and play faster, stay even on time. Taking a long time shows you are not sure, it only gives your opponent confidence.
Erik
run home to MAMA!!!
I saw that everybody here knows how must play vs Topalov and how to beat him. LOL!
“just an ‘average’ Super-GM” – this is cherry of cake!:)))