Second Sinquefield Cup

[Jack Maguire]

Quite the lineup for the 'Second Singuefield Cup' with a record breaking average FIDE rating of 2803!

http://www.chess.com/news/second-sinquefield-cup-grows-in-size-and-prestige-5245

[Nicolas Haynes]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

It's a fantastic lineup, although I would have liked to see Wesley So in the tournament. So's results seem to keep getting better and he's one of the few guys that might have a chance to take Magnus' title. Caruana and maybe even Karjakin are likely bigger threats at the moment, but So is getting there.

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

There's been one change to the field of six. Karjakin is out and Topalov is in.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/chess-2014-sinquefield-cup-will-be-even-stronger-last-year-s-powerhouse

[Andy Shaw]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

Why did Karjakin step out?

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

Why did Karjakin step out?

Karjakin evidently declined his invitation. I haven't come across as yet any reasons as to why.

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

Karjakin evidently declined his invitation. I haven't come across as yet any reasons as to why.

Hi Jack:

Russia - USA relations at the moment? Do you think Karjakin was discouraged by officialdom from participating?

Bob A

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

I wonder if the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis will be offering discounts for their Sinquefield Cup ticket prices (quite reasonable, imho) to the National Guard, now so prevalent in St. Louis ):

https://saintlouischessclub.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=62

That's my admittedly very weak segue to the following news item that has nothing whatsoever to do with chess but does bring a smile to my face. I can only hope that the penalty for "failure to disperse" is not too severe since a 90-year-old woman does not have much of a actuarial life expectancy (:

http://www.shalomlife.com/news/25296/holocaust-survivor-arrested-in-ferguson-protests/

[Wayne Komer]

Second Sinquefield Cup

Second Sinquefield Cup

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Round Pairings

Round 1 Wednesday, Aug. 27
Levon Aronian – Hikaru Nakamura
Veselin Topalov – Fabiano Caruana
Maxime V-Lagrave – Magnus Carlsen

Round 2 Thursday, Aug. 28
Hikaru Nakamura – Magnus Carlsen
Fabiano Caruana – Maxime V-Lagrave
Levon Aronian – Veselin Topalov

Round 3 Friday, Aug. 29
Veselin Topalov – Hikaru Nakamura
Maxime V-Lagrave – Levon Aronian
Magnus Carlsen – Fabiano Caruana

Round 4 Saturday, Aug. 30
Maxime V-Lagrave – Hikaru Nakamura
Magnus Carlsen – Veselin Topalov
Fabiano Caruana – Levon Aronian

Round 5 Sunday, Aug. 31
Hikaru Nakamura – Fabiano Caruana
Levon Aronian – Magnus Carlsen
Veselin Topalov – Maxime V-Lagrave

REST DAY Monday, Sept. 1

Round 6 Tuesday, Sept. 2
Hikaru Nakamura – Levon Aronian
Fabiano Caruana – Veselin Topalov
Magnus Carlsen – Maxime V-Lagrave

Round 7 Wednesday, Sept, 3
Magnus Carlsen – Hikaru Nakamura
Maxime V-Lagrave – Fabiano Caruana
Veselin Topalov – Levon Aronian

Round 8 Thursday, Sept. 4
Hikaru Nakamura – Veselin Topalov
Levon Aronian – Maxime V-Lagrave
Fabiano Caruana – Magnus Carlsen

Round 9 Friday, Sept. 5
Fabiano Caruana – Hikaru Nakamura
Magnus Carlsen – Levon Aronian
Maxime V-Lagrave – Veselin Topalov

Round 10 Saturday, Sept. 6
Hikaru Nakamura – Maxime V-Lagrave
Veselin Topalov – Magnus Carlsen
Levon Aronian – Fabiano Caruana

PLAYOFF Sunday, Sept. 7

Games start 2 P.M. St. Louis time

[Andy Shaw]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

I'm picking MVL to beat Carlsen today.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re : Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

I'm picking MVL to beat Carlsen today.

Bet?
I will lay $300 to your $100 that he doesn't.
That is, if MVL wins, I will pay you $300. Any other result, you pay me $100 - deal?

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

Anyone find a working (ie: actually available) live feed site? The 'official' site is supposed to have live coverage but doesn't seem to even mention that. I realize the first round starts around 2pm Eastern time (at least I think that is what I saw posted). Using playchess isn't my cup of tea either.

Oops: 2pm Central time, so 3pm Eastern...

And: looks like you have to sign up for an 'account' at the official site [ http://uschesschamps.com/node/499 ]
and that takes you to a page where the live feed looks like it will appear.

I presume the 'account' is free (it is so far... :) )

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

Chessbomb.com has that match listed so I guess they will show the games. The pairings aren't listed there as yet on my display.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

Second Sinquefield Cup

Round One
Aug. 27, 2014

V-Lagrave, Maxime – Carlsen, Magnus
C45 Scotch, Potter Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Qe2 a5 8. e5 O-O 9. exf6 a4 10. Nd5 Re8 11. Be3 axb3 12. Qg4 g6 13. Bc4 Nb4 14. Nxb4 d5 15. Qf4 dxc4 16. O-O bxc2 17. Nd5 Re6 18. Qxc4 Bxe3 19. fxe3 b5 20. Qc5 Bb7 21. Ne7+ Kh8 22. Qxc2 Raa6 23. Rac1 Rxf6 24. Rxf6 Rxf6 25. Qxc7 Qd2 26. Qb8+ Kg7 27. Qg8+ Kh6 28. Qf8+ Kh5 29. Rc5+ g5 30. Rxg5+ Kxg5 31. Qg7+ Rg6 32. Qe5+ f5 33. h4+ Kh5 34. Qxf5+ Kh6 35. Qf8+ Kh5 36. Qf5+ Kh6 37. Qf8+ Kh5 38. Qf5+ ½-½

Topalov, Veselin – Caruana, Fabiano
A34 Reti/English, Symmetrical Four Knights

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nc7 7. O-O e5 8. a3 Rb8 9. d3 Be7 10. Be3 O-O 11. Rc1 Bd7 12. Nd2 Nd4 13. Nc4 f6 14. f4 exf4 15. Bxf4 Nde6 16. Bd2 b6 17. g4 Be8 18. Be1 b5 19. Ne3 Bd6 20. Ncd5 Nxd5 21. Bxd5 Bf7 22. Nf5 Be5 23. Qd2 Nd4 24. Bxf7+ Rxf7 25. Rd1 Nxf5 26. gxf5 Qd4+ 27. Bf2 Qg4+ 28. Kh1 c4 29. Qc2 Re8 30. dxc4 Qh5 31. h4 Qg4 32. Qd3 bxc4 33. Qe3 Rfe7 34. b3 Bb2 0-1

Aronian, Levon – Nakamura, Hikaru
D18 QGD Slav, Dutch Variation

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Qe2 O-O 10. e4 Bg6 11. Bd3 Bh5 12. e5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Qe3 Re8 15. Bd2 Qa5 16. Qe1 Bxd2 17. Qxd2 Qd8 18. Ng5 Bg6 19. Bxg6 fxg6 20. f4 Rc8 21. Rac1 Qb6 22. a5 Qa6 23. Qb4 h6 24. Nf3 b6 25. Qd6 Nf8 26. axb6 axb6 27. Qb4 Qd3 28. Qd2 Qb3 29. Rfe1 Rxc1 30. Rxc1 Ra8 31. h4 Ra2 32. Rc2 Ra1+ 33. Kh2 Rb1 34. Kg3 Kh7 35. Rc8 Rxb2 36. Qc1 Qa2 37. Qh1 Qa3 38. Qc1 Qa2 39. Qh1 Qa3 40. Qc1 ½-½

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

Second Sinquefield Cup

From chess.com

The first round of the strongest tournament in history began with a bang. Actually, many bangs. Two hours into the 2014 Sinquefield Cup, a thunderstorm roared through, and a lightning bolt struck close enough to knock out seven of the televisions inside the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

"It was definitely quite loud," said GM Hikaru Nakamura. He was able to keep his concentration thanks to his hometown experience -- in his 2011 match with GM Ruslan Ponomariov, also in St. Louis, a tornado came through town, sending the players to the basement.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Second Sinquefield Cup

Second Sinquefield Cup

From chess.com

The first round of the strongest tournament in history began with a bang. Actually, many bangs.

What criteria do they use to designate this "the strongest tournament in history"?

I'd consider St. Peterbsburg 1914 and particularly it's 5 player double round robin final to be at least the equivalent. That was 100 years ago.