If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Policy / Politique
The fee for tournament organizers advertising on ChessTalk is $20/event or $100/yearly unlimited for the year.
Les frais d'inscription des organisateurs de tournoi sur ChessTalk sont de 20 $/événement ou de 100 $/année illimitée.
You can etransfer to Henry Lam at chesstalkforum at gmail dot com
Transfér à Henry Lam à chesstalkforum@gmail.com
Dark Knight / Le Chevalier Noir
General Guidelines
---- Nous avons besoin d'un traduction français!
Some Basics
1. Under Board "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs) there are 3 sections dealing with General Forum Usage, User Profile Features, and Reading and Posting Messages. These deal with everything from Avatars to Your Notifications. Most general technical questions are covered there. Here is a link to the FAQs. https://forum.chesstalk.com/help
2. Consider using the SEARCH button if you are looking for information. You may find your question has already been answered in a previous thread.
3. If you've looked for an answer to a question, and not found one, then you should consider asking your question in a new thread. For example, there have already been questions and discussion regarding: how to do chess diagrams (FENs); crosstables that line up properly; and the numerous little “glitches” that every new site will have.
4. Read pinned or sticky threads, like this one, if they look important. This applies especially to newcomers.
5. Read the thread you're posting in before you post. There are a variety of ways to look at a thread. These are covered under “Display Modes”.
6. Thread titles: please provide some details in your thread title. This is useful for a number of reasons. It helps ChessTalk members to quickly skim the threads. It prevents duplication of threads. And so on.
7. Unnecessary thread proliferation (e.g., deliberately creating a new thread that duplicates existing discussion) is discouraged. Look to see if a thread on your topic may have already been started and, if so, consider adding your contribution to the pre-existing thread. However, starting new threads to explore side-issues that are not relevant to the original subject is strongly encouraged. A single thread on the Canadian Open, with hundreds of posts on multiple sub-topics, is no better than a dozen threads on the Open covering only a few topics. Use your good judgment when starting a new thread.
8. If and/or when sub-forums are created, please make sure to create threads in the proper place.
Debate
9. Give an opinion and back it up with a reason. Throwaway comments such as "Game X pwnz because my friend and I think so!" could be considered pointless at best, and inflammatory at worst.
10. Try to give your own opinions, not simply those copied and pasted from reviews or opinions of your friends.
Unacceptable behavior and warnings
11. In registering here at ChessTalk please note that the same or similar rules apply here as applied at the previous Boardhost message board. In particular, the following content is not permitted to appear in any messages:
* Racism
* Hatred
* Harassment
* Adult content
* Obscene material
* Nudity or pornography
* Material that infringes intellectual property or other proprietary rights of any party
* Material the posting of which is tortious or violates a contractual or fiduciary obligation you or we owe to another party
* Piracy, hacking, viruses, worms, or warez
* Spam
* Any illegal content
* unapproved Commercial banner advertisements or revenue-generating links
* Any link to or any images from a site containing any material outlined in these restrictions
* Any material deemed offensive or inappropriate by the Board staff
12. Users are welcome to challenge other points of view and opinions, but should do so respectfully. Personal attacks on others will not be tolerated. Posts and threads with unacceptable content can be closed or deleted altogether. Furthermore, a range of sanctions are possible - from a simple warning to a temporary or even a permanent banning from ChessTalk.
Helping to Moderate
13. 'Report' links (an exclamation mark inside a triangle) can be found in many places throughout the board. These links allow users to alert the board staff to anything which is offensive, objectionable or illegal. Please consider using this feature if the need arises.
Advice for free
14. You should exercise the same caution with Private Messages as you would with any public posting.
Myself, I think Topalov will come out of the opening gate strongly.
I feel many enthusiasts must be tired of the brutal winter and the terrible world political situation and are looking for some diversion.
Colin Crouch wrote yesterday:
It's Sunday night, and for once I want to think about something other than the world crisis, and the presumed terrorist bombings against China, and the far from veiled threat by Russia, against Ukraine.
Time to relax. For the rest of the month, I would like to watch some really heavy high-level chess at the Candidates'. I know that I have predicted several months ago that Aronian would win the Candidates', and will provide a really tense opposition against Carlsen. This however is probability, not certainty.
I'm rather surprised at how little many of the top players rate Topalov's chances. I know he isn't exactly the most popular guy around but objectively it seems to me that only Kramnik and Aronian have better chances. I'm going to make two predictions: 1) Svidler makes more than 50%; 2) Anand makes less than 50%.
"Tom is a well known racist, and like most of them he won't admit it, possibly even to himself." - Ed Seedhouse, October 4, 2020.
has a countdown clock, which says that the broadcast will start at 9:00 a.m. New York City/Toronto/Montreal time!
_______
ChessBet.com has a free prediction contest with chess book prizes. You bet in blocks of rounds 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 and 13-14.
_______
Kramnik and Karjakin seem very focused. From two recent interviews at chess-news.ru:
V.KRAMNIK: (If I used social media, I would tell everyone), but I don't have such a need - to tell and explain everything, like where I am, what do I do or whom I am working with. I arrived several days ago, Zakhar Efimenko is accompanying me- he has been my second for a long time already - here's also the masseur who was with me in London. That's it. I haven’t played after London, i.e. for almost three months, I had a rest from chess, then I spent time on preparation. Well, just as usually.
Е.SUROV: Did you plan to have such a long pause before the tournament or it just happened to be so?
V.KRAMNIK: No, of course I planned it. I had a very tense year, I even thought it was the tensest year in my entire chess career. I played more games than in any other year, like around 100 games per year. Taking into account my pension age it was really a lot for me. So it was a well-thought out idea to have some rest. That's why I denied invitation to Zurich, although I would love to play there. I just needed to take a short pause. I mean in order to have a valuable preparation, first you should have a full-fledged rest from chess. I tried to do so in December and early January, then I started preparation. So, I didn't really have time for playing somewhere. This is how it was.
____________
S. KARJAKIN: The Candidates is the most important tournament for any chessplayer. Not everyone can qualify. I was helped by my company “Alpari” which paid for my coaches. Without it I could not have coped.
In my pre-tourney prep I had four coaches plus a fitness trainer and a masseur – a whole team of assistants. Hopefully our work was not done for nothing.
The training was held in a very warm country. We swam in the sea there, played volleyball, played sports – which may seem a little strange when coming to cold Khanty-Mansiysk. I absorb energy from the sea.
(Karjakin will have the help of Rustam Kasimdzhanov in Khanty-Mansiysk and remote help from Yuri Dokhoyan and Alexander Motylev)
Myself, I think Topalov will come out of the opening gate strongly.
I feel many enthusiasts must be tired of the brutal winter and the terrible world political situation and are looking for some diversion.
Colin Crouch wrote yesterday:
It's Sunday night, and for once I want to think about something other than the world crisis, and the presumed terrorist bombings against China, and the far from veiled threat by Russia, against Ukraine.
Time to relax. For the rest of the month, I would like to watch some really heavy high-level chess at the Candidates'. I know that I have predicted several months ago that Aronian would win the Candidates', and will provide a really tense opposition against Carlsen. This however is probability, not certainty.
To which I say, “Amen”.
Out of those 8 players, I would predict that only Levon Aronian has the biggest chance to beat Carlsen. "Amen". I wish Caruana is on the mix.
Last edited by Ferdinand Supsup; Thursday, 13th March, 2014, 07:50 AM.
The commentators are Viktorija Cmilyte GM from Lithuania and Peter Heine Nielsen GM from Denmark.
The first game to finish is Andrekin-Kramnik, a draw. Kramnik commented that as he played his first game with the black pieces, he just wanted to get warmed up for the tournament. He didn’t say how deep his preparation was but noted that he already had the position, in the NimzoIndian after 21..Qe4 against Mamedyarov, who took a draw with perpetual check.
The press conference was friendly. There was a question about Kramnik being in Ukraine in February doing some preparation. He was to meet a friend to discuss things in Kiev but he was “busy”. Kramnik noted that his father is Russian and his mother, Ukrainian.
Candidates 2014
Round One
March 13, 2014
Andreikin, Dmitry-Kramnik, Vladimir
E32 Nimzo-Indian, Classical Variation
The pairings for this tournament were known well in advance. In Karjakin-Svidler, Peter was asked, “So you had one month to prepare for Karjakin..?” Svidler said that he checked many lines and he thought there was a big probability that this setup will occur. This morning he spent three hours repeating all the variations, but somehow he forgot to look at 8.f4.
Karjakin said that he also expected this line but he forgot the preparation.
Svidler was pleased that he survived the initial assault but he just couldn’t see how to develop the play. He felt stuck. There was an option to open the game with 23…fxe4 24.bxc4 bxc4 25.Ka1 where black would get some counterplay on the queenside, but his knight would still remain out of play. Karjakin suggested 24…Rxc4 as possible improvement and Svidler admitted that he didn’t really look at this as “opening the b-file felt natural”.
_________
Mameyarov had the better of the game against Topalov. He should have checked with his knight on c6 rather than 31.f7. The sacrifice 33…Rxb2 is better for white.
Mamedyarov admitted that he didn’t get anything from the opening, but after maneuvering the knight to d3 he thought he got some chances. Near the end of the game he thought that he was on the brink of winning, but he just couldn’t finish black off, as there always was some only move that saves the day for Topalov.
In the end the Azeri was forced to drop the ambitions and take a draw with perpetual check.
___________
In Anand-Aronian, Vishy said it was a typical Marshall and at the end he had a strong game and Levon was running short of time. Aronian said that he thought he had a comfortable position but he had underestimated 19. Ne5! and never recovered.
Aronian said that he starts playing better after a loss, so he might as well get it over! Anastasia Karlovich, the interviewer, said that Tal used to lose in the first round too, but usually recovered to win the tournament!
__________
Viewers’ Comments
- Fantastic start for Vishy. Well done! I now I have no idea who will win. If Anand's biggest issues over the last few years have been a lack of confidence and killer instinct, this is one way to overcome them quickly.
- A very game nice win by Anand - former World Champion. Anand beats his biggest rival here in this field thereby once again beating an opponent against whom he has a negative score.
Quite a masterpiece this game was
- Anand is not back yet! Just a single wining the first round of a big event does not clear the memory of last 2 years of history.
However, Anand's win is good for Kramnik! Still, there are lots of rounds to go guys, just wait for 4 games, and then you can have better judgements on player's forms.
Last edited by Wayne Komer; Thursday, 13th March, 2014, 12:33 PM.
Reason: added scores and comments
- Fantastic start for Vishy. Well done! I now I have no idea who will win. If Anand's biggest issues over the last few years have been a lack of confidence and killer instinct, this is one way to overcome them quickly.
- A very game nice win by Anand - former World Champion. Anand beats his biggest rival here in this field thereby once again beating an opponent against whom he has a negative score.
Quite a masterpiece this game was
- Anand is not back yet! Just a single wining the first round of a big event does not clear the memory of last 2 years of history.
However, Anand's win is good for Kramnik! Still, there are lots of rounds to go guys, just wait for 4 games, and then you can have better judgements on player's forms.
On the other hand, if Anand had lost in the first round, he would have been written off immediately. How cruel can be the peanut gallery. It was nice to see him get a win against Aronian (I have nothing but respect for both players) since I think this injects some artificial balance into the Candidates by showing it won't be a cake walk for Aronian and anyone can win on any given day. I think it may turn out to be rather close race between 3 or 4 players.
On the other hand, if Anand had lost in the first round, he would have been written off immediately. How cruel can be the peanut gallery. It was nice to see him get a win against Aronian (I have nothing but respect for both players) since I think this injects some artificial balance into the Candidates by showing it won't be a cake walk for Aronian and anyone can win on any given day. I think it may turn out to be rather close race between 3 or 4 players.
That's what happens when you have 4 years of lackluster results. He lost all the rope he gained in the 1990s when he barely beat Gelfand and he performed like an average 2700 against Carlsen.
I think a lot of us in Canada underestimate the contribution Anand has made to global chess. He single handedly brought world's largest democracy into the chess tent, bringing literally millions of new players as well as countless fans. It was strictly because of him that the last WCC was watched live on television by more people than all the previous championships in history. He has been a truly great champion and remains a great player. It was wonderful to see him gallop out of the starting gate with a decisive win over the tournament favourite.
I am still betting on another former champion, Kramnik, as the most probable winner of the event but it is great that Anand has started off so well.
Tweet
Comment