Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

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  • Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

    Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

    September 13, 2017

    From the agon website:

    September 11, 2017 — World Chess Candidates, a dramatic tournament that determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship Match, will take place in Berlin, Germany on March 10—28, 2018. Despite Berlin’s chess history and passion for the sport, it is the very first time that the Candidates Tournament takes place in the German capital.

    Eight of the world's top grandmasters will come to Berlin to play in the tournament that will be held as a double round-robin over 14 games. The winner will contest the title currently held by Magnus Carlsen, the reigning World Champion, in November 2018.

    The eight Candidates Tournament participants include Sergey Karjakin of Russia, who automatically qualified for the Candidates Tournament by playing in the 2016 World Chess Championship Match. He will be joined by the top two finishers in the World Chess Grand Prix Series; the winner and runner-up of the 2017 World Cup taking place in Tbilisi; two more players who qualify by rating; and a wild card choice.

    The prize fund will total €420,000, or an estimated $460,000 at the current exchange rate. In addition to €420,000, the prize will also include 10% of the pay-per-view revenues from the event.

    The Tournament will take place in Central Berlin, with tickets and digital subscriptions starting to sell on October 4, 2017. Pay-per-view tickets will include German and English commentary, advanced analytics, behind-the-scenes footage, options to choose camera angles, and more, costing $15 altogether.

    “Over 23% of Germans play chess regularly; the sport is immensely popular in this country, and we are very pleased to hold the Tournament in Berlin and offer German fans a chance to witness this Tournament live for the first time! We are also developing custom commentary and experiences in German for local audience,” says Ilya Merenzon, CEO of World Chess, the organizer of the Championship cycle events and FIDE’s commercial partner.

    “We are looking forward to the event of the year in Berlin!” adds Merenzon.

    “We are pleased to continue staging spectacular chess events in the world’s capitals. German chess federation is one of the largest in the world, and we are happy to support it by holding this exciting event in Germany,” says Georgios Makropoulos, FIDE Deputy President.

    “We are happy to host the Candidates Tournament in Germany and will work with FIDE and World Chess to offer special experience to our members and to all chess fans in our country!” says Ullrich Krause, President of the German Chess Federation.

    Leading brands continue to support the Championship cycle and will be represented in the Candidates Tournament: EG Capital Advisors, an international asset management company, as Official Partner; Kaspersky Lab as World Chess and FIDE Official Cybersecurity Partner; S.T. Dupont as Official Writing Instrument; and Isklar as Official Water.

    Eugene Kaspersky, Chairman and CEO of Kaspersky Lab, says, “I am really looking forward to the Candidates Tournament in Berlin. The culmination of the cycle is getting closer, and I’m sure it'll be a very exciting competition of top-rank chess minds. Good luck to both the grandmasters and chess fans!”

    The Tournament will be broadcasted exclusively on worldchess.com and on media partners’ sites.

    Official hashtags of the Tournament are #candidates2018 and #berlinplayschess

    Schedule of the Candidates Tournament:

    March 9 Friday – Opening Ceremony
    March 10 Saturday – Round 1
    March 11 Sunday – Round 2
    March 12 Monday – Round 3
    March 13 Tuesday – Rest Day
    March 14 Wednesday – Round 4
    March 15 Thursday – Round 5
    March 16 Friday – Round 6
    March 17 Saturday – Rest Day
    March 18 Sunday – Round 7
    March 19 Monday – Round 8
    March 20 Tuesday – Round 9
    March 21 Wednesday – Rest Day
    March 22 Thursday – Round 10
    March 23 Friday – Round 11
    March 24 Saturday – Round 12
    March 25 Sunday – Rest Day
    March 26 Monday – Round 13
    March 27 Tuesday – Round 14/Closing Ceremony
    March 28 Wednesday – Tie Breaks/Closing Ceremony

    About FIDE:

    The World Chess Federation or Fédération Internationale des Echecs, (FIDE), is recognized by its members and the International Olympic Committee as the international federation in the domain of chess, the supreme body responsible for the sport of chess and its Championships. FIDE has the sole rights to organize the World Chess Championships and the Chess Olympiads.

    About World Chess:

    World Chess is owned by Agon Limited, the official partner of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and commercial rights holder to the World Chess Championship cycle. World Chess aims to develop and commercialize chess, create favorable environment for partners, players, and brands, and to significantly expand the broadcast coverage of the sport.

    World Chess became the owner of the commercial rights in 2012. The company successfully managed the 2012-2013 Grand Prix cycle, the 2014 World Championship Match, and the 2015 Rapid and Blitz World Championships. The company operates the worldchess.com website, the official broadcasting platform of the Championship cycle.

    http://www.agonlimited.com/news/2017...rch-10-28-2018

  • #2
    Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

    Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

    September 13, 2017

    In “The road to the Candidates 2018”, Macauley Peterson speculates on who is in, who’s likely and who’ll be missing out:

    https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-ro...andidates-2018

    1. From the World Cup - At this moment (Round 4) the possibles are

    Bu Xiangzhi
    Peter Svidler
    MVL
    Alexander Grischuk
    Vassily Ivanchuk
    Levon Aronian
    Wesley So
    Baadur Jobava
    Vladimir Fedoseev
    Maxim Rodshtein
    Evgeniy Najer
    Richard Rapport
    Ding Liren

    2. From the Grand Prix - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is probable with Grischuk, Radjabov and Ding Liren with medium chances

    3. Rating – only two of Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and Vladimir Kramnik are likely to qualify

    4. Wild card – one of 33 or so players. Who knows?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

      Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

      October 8, 2017

      VENUE FOR THE WORLD CHESS CANDIDATES TOURNAMENT ANNOUNCED: KÜHLHAUS BERLIN; TICKETS NOW ON SALE

      October 5, 2017 — World Chess Candidates, a dramatic tournament that determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship Match, will take place at Kühlhaus Berlin (Luckenwalder Str. 3, Berlin, Germany) on March 10—28, 2018.

      The venue is a historic building located in Central Berlin at the meeting point of the most vibrant districts. The simple, yet modern cubic architecture of Kühlhaus will provide guests with the space of five floors to enjoy the dramatic chess competition.

      Tickets are available at Ticketmaster starting today (http://www.ticketmaster.de/artist/fi...tickets/989876). General tickets cost from €20 to €40 a day, Tournament passes go for €170.

      There will be two types of VIP access: Silver and Gold. Silver passes, which include access to Game and Silver lounge zones, cost €425 (€50 to €150 a day). For the overall price of €1275 (€150 to €300 a day) Gold passes provide private access to the venue, access to Game and Gold lounge zones, opportunity to take part in blitz tournaments, one-on-one commentary from the world’s top Grandmasters, as well as private autograph sessions with chess stars. Entertainment zone with cafeteria and souvenir shops will be open for all guests. Kids under 7 years old will be admitted free of charge if accompanied.

      Early Bird tickets (purchased until November 20, 2017) will go with a 30% discount.

      The eight Candidates Tournament participants include Sergey Karjakin of Russia, who automatically qualified for the Candidates Tournament by playing in the 2016 FIDE World Chess Championship Match, Levon Aronian of Armenia and Ding Liren of China, the winner and runner-up of the 2017 FIDE World Cup, the top two finishers in the FIDE World Chess Grand Prix Series; two more players who qualify by rating; and a wild card choice.

      Ilya Merenzon, World Chess CEO, says: “Kühlhaus Berlin is an amazing place for chess. A multi-floor venue, it gives us an opportunity to watch and broadcast games from both ground-level and upper-level cameras. From cinematography point of view, the broadcasting will be phenomenal!”.

      The prize fund will total €420,000, or an estimated $490,000 at the current exchange rate. In addition to €420,000, the prize will also include 10% of the pay-per-view revenues from the event.

      Those who are unable to visit the Tournament in person, will be able to follow it for free on worldchess.com or on partner site. Premium online tickets, which include video, multi-language commentary and other perks, are available at $15. Sign up at https://worldchess.com/berlin/

      Leading brands continue to support the Championship cycle and will be represented in the Candidates Tournament: EG Capital Advisors, an international asset management company, the Official Partner; Kaspersky Lab as World Chess and FIDE Official Cybersecurity Partner; S.T. Dupont as Official Writing Instrument; and Isklar as Official Water.

      Official hashtags of the Tournament are #candidates2018 and #berlinplayschess

      http://www.agonlimited.com/news/2017...ts-now-on-sale

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

        Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

        January 15, 2018

        FIDE announces that the deadline for player's participation in the Candidates Tournament is 26 January 2018. The event will be held in Berlin, Germany from 8 March (arrivals/opening ceremony) to 29 March 2018 (departures) and the qualifiers are:

        1. Sergey Karjakin (RUS, world championship 2016 finalist)
        2. Levon Aronian (ARM, world cup 2017 winner)
        3. Ding Liren (CHN, world cup 2017 finalist)
        4. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE, grand-prix 2017 winner)
        5. Alexander Grischuk (RUS, grand-prix 2017 runner-up)
        6. Fabiano Caruana (USA, rating lists 2017)
        7. Wesley So (USA, rating lists 2017)
        8. Vladimir Kramnik (RUS, organiser's nominee)

        First reserve from the FIDE Grand-Prix standings is Teimour Radjabov (AZE).

        The winner of the Candidates Tournament will challenge Magnus Carlsen for the FIDE World Championship title in the last quarter of 2018.

        Candidates Player Contract

        From:

        http://www.fide.com/images/stories/N...s_contract.pdf

        FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES ECHECS

        Recognized by the International Olympic Committee 1 Avenue de la Gare - 1002 Lausanne, Switzerland
        Athens office: 9 Syggrou Ave., 11743 Athens, Greece
        Tel.: (+30) 2109212047, Fax: (+30) 2109212859, Email: office@fide.com
        www.fide.com

        Player's Contract for Participation in the Candidates Tournament Berlin, 8 - 29 March 2018

        The World Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the World Chess Championship cycle 2016-2018 and the Candidates Tournament 2018 is an integral part of it (hereinafter referred to as the Candidates Tournament).

        The Administrator of the 2018 Candidates Tournament is FIDE, in collaboration with the orgniser World Chess Events Limited. In order to ensure that the Candidates Tournament is played in accordance with the approved regulations and the statutes of FIDE, the following provisions shall apply

        1. Dates and Venue
        1.1 The Candidates Tournament will be held from 8 March (arrivals on 8 March and opening ceremony on 9 March) to 29 March 2018 (departures) in Berlin, Germany.
        1.2 All the participants in the Candidates Tournament, and their delegation, must use the official hotel(s) of the event suggested by the organisers.

        2. Right of Participation
        2.1 A list of qualified players and reserves, approved so far by FIDE, is published online on the FIDE website as well as the publication of any other important information regarding the event. The present contract shall be sent signed by the players to the FIDE Secretariat within the deadline specified below.
        2.2 Qualified participants are entitled to play in the Candidates Tournament. This right may only be set aside if the player does not meet the deadlines specified in the approved regulations or otherwise behaves in a way and manner that is in violation of the provisions of this contract, when a reserve may replace him.

        3. Confirmation deadlines
        3.1 Qualified players and reserves are expected to fax a copy of the original document of their signed contract, reaching the FIDE Secretariat no later than 26 January 2018, GMT 13:00.
        3.2 The player must inform the FIDE office in written form, together with the signed contract, of his bank account details, ie: Bank, SWIFT code, IBAN, account holder name and registered address.
        3.3 Qualified players shall register at the Candidates Tournament secretariat in Berlin, in person no later than the time set for the opening ceremony, failing which their right of participation may be forfeited. The FIDE President has the right to allow participation in exceptional circumstances.

        4. The Player's Obligations
        4.1 On signing this contract, the player commits himself to completing the various stages of the Championship in accordance with the regulations of the Candidates Tournament, World Championship Match, FIDE Code of Ethics, FIDE Anti-Doping Disciplinary Rules, FIDE Statutes and FIDE Laws of Chess which form an integral part of this contract, except in the case of illness evidenced by a medical certificate.
        4.2 By signing this contract, the player also confirms that for a period of 4 years after the end of the Candidates Tournament, he will not participate in any other event called as a "World Championship" event which is not recognized by FIDE.
        4.3 Players will have to give interviews and make appearances as described in article 3.12.2 of the Candidates Tournament Regulations.
        4.4 Players may be required to wear clothes or apparel with special branding from sponsors in accordance with article 4.7.1.2 of the Candidates Tournament Regulations.
        4.5 Participants shall be required to appear punctually for the commencement of play in each game of every round. Any player who arrives at the chessboard after the start of the session shall lose the game. Thus the default time is zero (0) minutes.
        4.6 Participants in the Candidates Tournament shall be required to attend the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony or any official reception specifically approved by the FIDE President, failing which a fine as detailed in the regulations, may be imposed and deducted from the prize money for each violation.
        4.7 The Administrator shall be permitted to use the picture, likeness, image, name and biographical details of the Participants in connection with the advertisement, publicity, exhibition and commercial exploitation of the FIDE World Chess Championship events, provided that Administrator does not portray the players in an unfavorable manner.

        5. Financial conditions
        5.1 The Candidates Tournament 2018 will have a total prize fund of 420,000 euros (four hundred twenty thousand euros) as per FIDE regulations. The amount of 420,000 euros will be distributed as follows: 1st place 95,000 euros; 2nd place 88,000 euros; 3rd place 75,000 euros; 4th place 55,000 euros; 5th place 40,000 euros; 6th place 28,000 euros; 7th place 22,000 euros; 8th place 17,000 euros. The winner of the Candidates Tournament also qualifies for the World Championship Match 2018.
        5.2 Subject to the provisions of this contract, the amount to which each player is entitled, will be paid by direct bank transfer in euros on UBS Lausanne, no later than two weeks after the event is completed.
        5.3 Although FIDE has an agreement with the organiser that the prize fund is net and free of all local tax, FIDE will not be responsible for any national or local tax deducted from the prize money. FIDE will give all necessary assistance to the players if the organiser acts to the contrary.
        5.4 FIDE or the Organising Committee will not be responsible for any application of political or
        financial sanctions from the organising country against the players of the tournament. At the same time, FIDE has no prior knowledge of such sanctions.
        5.5 Without prejudice to the provisions of this contract, the game scores and scoresheets are the property of FIDE.
        5.6 Each player will receive two (2) free single rooms in the official hotel for their accommodation, including full board, for the whole duration of the event.

        6. Arbitration
        6.1 Any dispute arising from or related to the present contract will be submitted exclusively to the Courts of Vaud, Switzerland. The court proceedings shall take place in English.
        ___________________________________

        By signing this contract, I hereby confirm that I will participate in the Candidates Tournament of the 2016- 2018 World Chess Championship cycle and have in consultation with my national federation acquainted myself with the applicable FIDE Statutes, FIDE Code of Ethics, FIDE Anti -Doping Disciplinary Regulations, FIDE Laws of Chess and FIDE Candidates Tournament regulations and I accept the conditions relating to my participation.

        Place and date: ....................................................
        Signature of the Player: .......................................... Full Name: ............................................

        Signature of FIDE Deputy President Georgios Makropoulos: ........................................................

        See also:

        http://forum.chesstalk.com/showthrea...lin#post119071

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

          Candidates Tournament Berlin 2018

          February 3, 2018

          Who wins the Candidates Tournament?

          Posted odds:

          Levon Aronian 13/4

          Vladimir Kramnik 4/1

          Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 9/2

          Sergey Karjakin 11/2

          Fabiano Caruana 13/2

          Wesley So 13/2

          Alexander Grischuk 23/2

          Ding Liren 14/1

          http://www.nicerodds.co.uk/chess

          Here's a chance for all you Ding Liren fans to make a killing!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

            Candidates Tournament Berlin 2018

            February 10, 2018

            From:

            http://fide.com/component/content/ar...-pairings.html

            2018 Candidates' Tournament Pairings

            Round 1 on 10.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            1 Kramnik Vladimir 2800 - Grischuk Alexander 2767 8
            2 Karjakin Sergey 2763 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 7
            3 Aronian Levon 2797 - Ding Liren 2769 6
            4 Caruana Fabiano 2784 - So Wesley 2799 5

            Round 2 on 11.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            8 Grischuk Alexander 2767 - So Wesley 2799 5
            6 Ding Liren 2769 - Caruana Fabiano 2784 4
            7 Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 - Aronian Levon 2797 3
            1 Kramnik Vladimir 2800 - Karjakin Sergey 2763 2

            Round 3 on 12.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            2 Karjakin Sergey 2763 - Grischuk Alexander 2767 8
            3 Aronian Levon 2797 - Kramnik Vladimir 2800 1
            4 Caruana Fabiano 2784 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 7
            5 So Wesley 2799 - Ding Liren 2769 6

            Round 4 on 14.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            8 Grischuk Alexander 2767 - Ding Liren 2769 6
            7 Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 - So Wesley 2799 5
            1 Kramnik Vladimir 2800 - Caruana Fabiano 2784 4
            2 Karjakin Sergey 2763 - Aronian Levon 2797 3

            Round 5 on 15.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            3 Aronian Levon 2797 - Grischuk Alexander 2767 8
            4 Caruana Fabiano 2784 - Karjakin Sergey 2763 2
            5 So Wesley 2799 - Kramnik Vladimir 2800 1
            6 Ding Liren 2769 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 7

            Round 6 on 16.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            4 Caruana Fabiano 2784 - Grischuk Alexander 2767 8
            5 So Wesley 2799 - Aronian Levon 2797 3
            6 Ding Liren 2769 - Karjakin Sergey 2763 2
            7 Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 - Kramnik Vladimir 2800 1

            Round 7 on 18.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            8 Grischuk Alexander 2767 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 7
            1 Kramnik Vladimir 2800 - Ding Liren 2769 6
            2 Karjakin Sergey 2763 - So Wesley 2799 5
            3 Aronian Levon 2797 - Caruana Fabiano 2784 4

            Round 8 on 19.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            8 Grischuk Alexander 2767 - Kramnik Vladimir 2800 1
            7 Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 - Karjakin Sergey 2763 2
            6 Ding Liren 2769 - Aronian Levon 2797 3
            5 So Wesley 2799 - Caruana Fabiano 2784 4

            Round 9 on 20.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            5 So Wesley 2799 - Grischuk Alexander 2767 8
            4 Caruana Fabiano 2784 - Ding Liren 2769 6
            3 Aronian Levon 2797 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 7
            2 Karjakin Sergey 2763 - Kramnik Vladimir 2800 1

            Round 10 on 22.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            8 Grischuk Alexander 2767 - Karjakin Sergey 2763 2
            1 Kramnik Vladimir 2800 - Aronian Levon 2797 3
            7 Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 - Caruana Fabiano 2784 4
            6 Ding Liren 2769 - So Wesley 2799 5

            Round 11 on 23.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            6 Ding Liren 2769 - Grischuk Alexander 2767 8
            5 So Wesley 2799 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 7
            4 Caruana Fabiano 2784 - Kramnik Vladimir 2800 1
            3 Aronian Levon 2797 - Karjakin Sergey 2763 2

            Round 12 on 24.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            8 Grischuk Alexander 2767 - Aronian Levon 2797 3
            2 Karjakin Sergey 2763 - Caruana Fabiano 2784 4
            1 Kramnik Vladimir 2800 - So Wesley 2799 5
            7 Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 - Ding Liren 2769 6

            Round 13 on 26.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            7 Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 - Grischuk Alexander 2767 8
            6 Ding Liren 2769 - Kramnik Vladimir 2800 1
            5 So Wesley 2799 - Karjakin Sergey 2763 2
            4 Caruana Fabiano 2784 - Aronian Levon 2797 3

            Round 14 on 27.03.2018 at 15.00

            SNr Name Elo Erg. Name Elo SNr
            8 Grischuk Alexander 2767 - Caruana Fabiano 2784 4
            3 Aronian Levon 2797 - So Wesley 2799 5
            2 Karjakin Sergey 2763 - Ding Liren 2769 6
            1 Kramnik Vladimir 2800 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2814 7

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

              Candidates Tournament Berlin 2018

              March 8, 2018

              There is a great deal of anticipation of the Candidates that starts on Saturday in Berlin.

              You'll perhaps recall that for the 2016 World's Championship that Ian Rogers produced a Couch Potato's Guide.

              https://new.uschess.org/news/the-cou...-championship/

              that recommended making a New York baked cheesecake to eat as a snack during the games.

              Well, he is back with his food recommendation for the Candidates:

              "Games begin at 9am East Coast time, so a healthy German breakfast is in order. The staple food to be consumed after an early morning arrival at a German railway station is potato pancakes with apple sauce, and luckily they are easy to whip up before the games begin.

              To make Kartoffelpfannkuchen mit Apfelmus you will need potatoes, apples and not much else (an egg, milk, salt and oil)."

              And the recipe is given.

              https://new.uschess.org/super-grandm...18-candidates/

              He says that there will be daily commentary by the Chessbrahs - Seirawan, Hansen and Hambleton on chess.com/TV
              ___________

              Chess24.com had this announcement:

              This is it: the long-awaited Candidates Tournament starts this Saturday in Berlin, with eight of the world's top players fighting for a chance to play a World Championship match against Magnus Carlsen.

              Svidler & Gustafsson to commentate

              Here at chess24 we're reuniting the dream team of GM Jan Gustafsson and 8-time Russian Champion GM Peter Svidler, who will commentate live on 12 of the 14 rounds. Guest star IM Sopiko (Miss Strategy) Guramishvili fills in for Peter on the first two days. We'll also have German, with WGM Melanie and IM Nikolas Lubbe, and Spanish with GM Pepe Cuenca, IM David Martinez and guests.
              _______

              New In Chess has a special 46-page colour edition on the Candidates, which can be downloaded for free:

              - Jan Timman names his personal favourite

              - Anish Giri dissects all candidates

              - Annotated games by all eight Candidates: game notes by Kramnik, Caruana, Aronian, Mamedyarov, Karjakin, So, Ding Liren and Grischuk!

              - Stats: did you know that Karjakin is the favourite when playing his compatriot Kramnik? He leads with 5 wins and only 1 loss (and 12 draws).

              Read or download the pdf at:

              https://issuu.com/newinchess/docs/ne...89593/58863553

              _________

              And this breaking news from ChessBase India:

              Anish Giri will be Vladimir Kramnik's second at the Candidates 2018!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                Hi Everyone,

                We'll be covering the Candidates on our channel https://www.twitch.tv/chessbrah. Commentators will be GM's Yasser, myself, and Aman. It is always free to watch and the more Canadians in chat the merrier :)

                Cheers!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                  Well I enjoyed my first session with Eric and Uncle Yaz. The best comment (and there were many good ones) was: Canadian chess has really improved! (by Uncle Yaz)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                    Originally posted by Hans Jung View Post
                    Well I enjoyed my first session with Eric and Uncle Yaz. The best comment (and there were many good ones) was: Canadian chess has really improved! (by Uncle Yaz)
                    Yasser has better lighting, and camera position. Eric's head is low, light is bluish, something could be put on the blank door behind him. And he shouldn't be on without first having breakfast and a coffee.

                    Yasser has great energy and laugh. Could save the stories until later in the game, after opening analysis. Both shared info on the players usual opening choices, their own opening knowledge, and sharp tactical ideas. I'm so out of touch that I've never before heard the nickname Shack.

                    As for Canadian content, Eric's Canadian tour sounded bigger than it was, but Canadians are behind Aronian. But no mention of Suttles and Eric hasn't said I'm Sorry.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                      Originally posted by Erik Malmsten View Post
                      Yasser has better lighting, and camera position. Eric's head is low, light is bluish, something could be put on the blank door behind him. And he shouldn't be on without first having breakfast and a coffee.

                      Yasser has great energy and laugh. Could save the stories until later in the game, after opening analysis. Both shared info on the players usual opening choices, their own opening knowledge, and sharp tactical ideas. I'm so out of touch that I've never before heard the nickname Shack.

                      As for Canadian content, Eric's Canadian tour sounded bigger than it was, but Canadians are behind Aronian. But no mention of Suttles and Eric hasn't said I'm Sorry.
                      And Yasser mentioned a Zuk point, historical BC master Robert Zuk. I really like when Eric looks to the left as if he is in the same room as Yasser. (Yasser never looked right.) Some discussion about not looking at engines, but to what issues the human player is struggling with.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                        Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                        March 10, 2018

                        Had the impossible task today of monitoring Jan Gustafsson and Sopiko Guramishvili as commentators while switching between Eric Hansen and Yasser Seirawan and the official Yannick Pelletier and Judit Polgar too. Throw in an online chess book auction, and everyone is able to concentrate on the games more than I!

                        Great theater today, though.

                        The complexities of Aronian-Ding Liren had a lot of commentary until the draw was agreed:

                        Berlin Candidates 2018
                        Round 1, Mar. 10
                        Aronian, Levon - Ding Liren
                        A18 English, Mikenas-Carls, Flohr variation

                        1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.e5 d4 5.exf6 dxc3 6.bxc3 Qxf6 7.d4 b6 8.h4 Bb7 9.Bg5 Qf5 10.Bd3 Qa5 11.Kf1 Nc6 12.Rb1 f6 13.Bd2 O-O-O 14.a4 e5 15.c5 Bxc5 16.Rb5 Qa6 17.Rh3 Bxd4 18.Be2 Rd6 19.Rb1 Qa5 20.Rb5 Qa6 21.Rb1 Qa5 22.Rb5 1/2-1/2

                        Final position in Aronian-Ding



                        Round 1, Mar. 10
                        Caruana, Fabiano - So, Wesley
                        E11 Bogo-Indian Defence

                        1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Be7 5.Bg2 d5 6.Nf3 O-O 7.O-O c6 8.Qb3 Nbd7 9.Bf4 a5 10.Rd1 Nh5 11.Bc1 Nhf6 12.Nbd2 b5 13.c5 b4 14.Qc2 a4 15.Re1 e5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Nd7 18.Nf3 Bxc5 19.Ng5 g6 20.Bf4 Qb6 21.e4 b3 22.axb3 axb3 23.Qe2 Ba6 24.Qf3 Bc4 25.Rxa8 Rxa8 26.e6 dxe4 27.exf7+ Bxf7 28.Nxe4 Bd4 29.Nd6 Bd5 30.Qe2 Nf8 31.Bxd5+ cxd5 32.Qf3 Qa5 33.Re7 1-0

                        Position after Caruana's 29.Nd6



                        Round 1, Mar. 10
                        Kramnik, Vladimir - Grischuk, Alexander
                        A48 King's Indian, East Indian Defence

                        1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.b3 c5 4.dxc5 Qa5+ 5.Nbd2 Qxc5 6.Bb2 Bg7 7.e3 O-O 8.c4 b6 9.Be2 Bb7 10.O-O Qc7 11.Rc1 d6 12.Nb1 Nbd7 13.Nc3 Rac8 14.Rc2 Qb8 15.Qa1 a6 16.Rd2 Rfe8 17.Rfd1 Ba8 18.Ng5 Rc5 19.Nh3 b5 20.Nf4 bxc4 21.Bxc4 Rg5 22.Ncd5 Ne5 23.Be2 Ne4 24.Rd4 Nc5 25.h4 Rf5 26.e4 Rxf4 27.Nxf4 Nxe4 28.Nd5 Nc5 29.Rb4 Qa7 30.Ne3 a5 31.Rb5 Ne6 32.Rxe5 dxe5 33.Bxe5 Qc5 34.Bxg7 Nxg7 35.Qd4 Qxd4 36.Rxd4 Bc6 37.Rd2 Rb8 38.Rc2 Be8 39.Rc7 Kf8 40.Ra7 a4 41.bxa4 Rb1+ 42.Kh2 Rb4 43.a5 Rxh4+ 44.Kg1 Ra4 45.Bc4 Bc6 46.Rc7 Be8 47.a6 Nh5 48.Nd5 1-0

                        Position after 47.a6



                        The longest game with the hardest endgame to defend:

                        Round 1, Mar. 10
                        Karjakin, Sergey - Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar
                        C60 Ruy Lopez, Fianchetto Defence

                        1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.c3 a6 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 Bg4 8.Qb3 Bxf3 9.gxf3 Bg7 10.Be3 Ne7 11.Nc3 Bxd4 12.Bxd4 Qxd4 13.Qxb7 O-O 14.Qxc7 Rab8 15.O-O Rxb2 16.Qxe7 Qxc3 17.Kg2 Rc2 18.Rad1 Rxa2 19.Rc1 Rc2 20.Rxc2 Qxc2 21.Ra1 Qc4 22.Qb7 Qb5 23.Qxa6 Qg5+ 24.Kf1 Qf6 25.Kg2 Rb8 26.Ra5 Rb3 27.Qc8+ Kg7 28.Qg4 Rb5 29.Rxb5 cxb5 30.Qd7 Qg5+ 31.Kf1 Qe5 32.h4 b4 33.Qb7 Qc3 34.e5 b3 35.Kg2 Qc4 36.Qb6 h6 37.Kg3 Qd5 38.f4 Kh7 39.Qb8 Qc4 40.f3 Qc3 41.Qf8 Qc4 42.Qb8 Kg7 43.Qb6 Qd5 44.Qb8 Qd1 45.Qb7 Qg1+ 46.Kh3 Qe3 47.Kg2 Qe2+ 48.Kg3 Qe1+ 49.Kg2 Qe3 50.Qb4 g5 51.hxg5 hxg5 52.fxg5 Qe2+ 53.Kg3 Qxe5+ 54.Kf2 Qh2+ 55.Ke3 Qg1+ 56.Kf4 Qc1+ 57.Kg4 Qe3 58.Kg3 Qxg5+ 59.Kf2 Qd5 60.Ke3 Kg6 61.Ke2 Kf6 62.Ke3 Ke6 63.Qb6+ Kd7 64.Qa7+ Kc6 65.Qa6+ Kc5 66.Qa4 Qc4 67.Qa5+ Kc6 68.Qa1 Kb5 69.Qb2 Kb4 70.Kd2 Qf4+ 71.Ke1 Qh4+ 0-1

                        Position after 47.Kg2. Can White hold the draw after this?



                        At the end of the chessbrahs broadcast, Yasser is telling Eric who Meatloaf is because Eric does not know the Bat Out of Hell album.

                        Tomorrow, Eric vows to play some Meatloaf before the broadcast. Dozens of posts in the chatroom about meatloaf! How did we get to this point in chess commentary?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                          Luxury of commentary. First round Fab Fabi, Vlad the Impaler, and Shak all won to tie for the lead.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                            The set up is unlike anything I have worked before. Each game is walled off from the next so you cannot see anymore than 2 partial views at a time. I feel like a short track speed skater walking around the perimeter continuously. No effort has been made to curtail mobile phones so they are everywhere. The noise level of the crowd around the balcony above us was a bit much so we hope the security and volunteers will be more vigilant going forward. There is only one toilet on the game floor. A second one is available one floor down. Not ideal.

                            Despite these challenges the organizers are very happy with the visuals and compared to Moscow 2016 the noise level is much better. I only glanced at Aronian's game against Liren as I made my rounds but I thought he would be the first victor of the day. Instead it was the only draw! Shak's win with Black against Karjakin seems to confirm that his steady rise has been no fluke and he continues to play the best chess if his career.

                            We still have 13 lucky rounds to go. Off to work!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                              Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin

                              March 11, 2018

                              Round Two

                              Round 2, Mar. 11
                              Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar - Aronian, Levon
                              E32 Nimzo-Indian, Classical variation24

                              1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 O-O 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Nf3 c6 10.g3 Nd7 11.Bh3 b6 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.Qc6 Rb8 14.O-O Rd8 15.Rfc1 Ba6 16.Bf1 Bc4 17.Qa4 a5 18.b3 b5 19.Qxa5 Bxb3 20.Rc7 Bc4 21.Qa7 Ra8 22.Qb7 Rab8 23.Qa7 Ra8 24.Qb7 Rab8 1/2-1/2

                              Position at the draw



                              Round 2, Mar. 11
                              Grischuk, Alexander - So, Wesley
                              C84 Ruy Lopez, Closed

                              1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Bb7 10.Nbd2 Re8 11.Ng5 Rf8 12.Re1 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Ndf3 Qd7 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 h6 17.Ne4 Rfe8 18.Bd2 Nf6 19.Rc1 Nxe4 20.Rxe4 Bf6 21.Rg4 Kh8 22.Rc5 Rad8 23.Qc1 Nxd4 24.Nxd4 Re4 25.Rxc7 Qxd4 26.Be3 Rxg4 27.hxg4 Qe4 28.f3 Qb4 29.Rxb7 Bxb2 30.Qf1 f6 31.Qf2 Be5 32.f4 Bd6 33.g5 Qe4 34.Qf3 Qb1+ 35.Qf1 Qe4 36.Qf3 Qb1+ 37.Kf2 Bb4 38.Qe2 Qe4 39.Qf3 Qb1 40.Kg3 fxg5 41.Kh2 Qf5 42.Rf7 Qg6 43.fxg5 Bd6+ 44.Kh3 1-0

                              Position after 22.Rc5



                              CT readers might be interested in how and where Karjakin prepared for this tournament:

                              See: http://forum.chesstalk.com/showthrea...733#post121733

                              Post #434

                              Round 2, Mar. 11
                              Kramnik, Vladimir - Karjakin, Sergey
                              C67 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence, open variation

                              1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.h3 Ke8 10.Nc3 h5 11.Bf4 Be7 12.Rad1 Be6 13.Ng5 Rh6 14.Rfe1 Bb4 15.a3 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Ne7 17.Nf3 Rh8 18.Bg5 c5 19.Nd2 Kf8 20.Nf1 Nf5 21.g3 Ne7 22.Kg2 Nd5 23.c4 Nb6 24.Ne3 Nxc4 25.Nxc4 Bxc4 26.g4 hxg4 27.hxg4 Bb5 28.Kg3 Re8 29.f4 b6 30.f5 Ba4 31.Rc1 Kg8 32.c4 Bc6 33.Rcd1 Ba4 34.Rc1 Bc6 35.Bh4 Ba4 36.Rc3 Bc6 37.Rce3 Rh6 38.Bg5 Rh7 39.R3e2 Ba4 40.Re3 Rh8 41.Bh4 Rh6 42.e6 fxe6 43.g5 Rh8 44.Rxe6 Rf8 45.R6e5 Bc2 46.f6 gxf6 47.gxf6 Rh7 48.Rg5+ Kh8 49.Re7 Rg8 50.Rxh7+ Kxh7 51.Rxg8 Kxg8 52.Kf2 Bb3 53.Bg3 Bxc4 54.Bxc7 Bd5 55.Bb8 1/2-1/2

                              Round 2, Mar. 11
                              Ding Liren, Caruana, Fabiano
                              E05 Catalan, open, Classical line

                              1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O dxc4 7.Qc2 b6 8.Ne5 Qxd4 9.Bxa8 Qxe5 10.Bf3 Nd5 11.Qxc4 Ba6 12.Qb3 Nc6 13.Qa4 Bb7 14.Nc3 Nd4 15.Bxd5 exd5 16.Bf4 Qf6 17.Rad1 c5 18.Be3 Nf3+ 19.exf3 d4 20.f4 dxc3 21.bxc3 Bf3 22.Rd3 Bc6 23.Qb3 Qf5 24.c4 Be4 25.Rd2 Qh5 26.f3 Bxf3 27.f5 Bc6 28.Qd1 Qh3 29.Rff2 h6 30.Qf1 Qg4 31.Rf4 Qg5 32.Rd3 Qf6 33.Bd2 Ba8 34.h4 Qc6 35.Kh2 Bd6 36.Rf2 Be5 37.Bc3 Bxc3 38.Rxc3 Re8 39.f6 g6 40.Rcc2 Re4 41.Rfe2 Qe6 42.Rxe4 Bxe4 43.Rf2 Bf5 44.Qc1 Kh7 45.Qc3 h5 46.a3 1/2-1/2


                              Standing after Round Two

                              Mamedyarov 1.5
                              Caruana 1.5
                              Kramnik 1.5
                              Aronian 1.0
                              Grischuk 1.0
                              Ding Liren 1.0
                              Karjakin 0.5
                              So 0

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