Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

[Laurentiu Grigorescu]

Looks like Naka is having a 50 player simul starting at 5:30pm this coming Friday.
DIA.org - Exhibitions & Events - Calendar - Friday, August 21

[John Coleman]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

The Detroit Chess Club allowed Windsor two places... Henry Zhang and Stefano Lee will be playing.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

Looks like Naka is having a 50 player simul starting at 5:30pm this coming Friday.
DIA.org - Exhibitions & Events - Calendar - Friday, August 21

Has Naka lost his mimd? The Sinquefeld Cup gets under way Friday with the players reception. Welcome diner on Saturday and then the first round Sunday. At the very least he is showing disrespect to the other players not to mention to the sponsor, Mr Sinquefeld. Why would he subject himself to 50 games of bad chess two days before the tournaments starts.
All very unprofessional, to say the least!

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

Has Naka lost his mimd? The Sinqfeld Cup gets under way Friday with the players reception. Welcome diner on Saturday and then the first round Sunday. At the very least he is showing disrespect to the other players not to mention to the sponsor, Mr Sinqfeld. Why would he subject himself to 50 games of bad chess two days before the tournaments starts.
All very unprofessional, to say the least!

How is that unprofessional?

Naka gets paid to play the Sinquefield cup and if he fulfills all the requirements in the contract, he can't be called unprofessional because of what he did the days before? What is that kind of thinking?

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

How is that unprofessional?

Naka gets paid to play the Sinquefield cup and if he fulfills all the requirements in the contract, he can't be called unprofessional because of what he did the days before? What is that kind of thinking?

In a sporting event the professional approach is to be at one's best form and anything less, if it can be avoided, is unprofessional. And in this case disrespecting America's very top sponsor of chess must in this case be termed insulting! A very foolish thing to do considering the great shortage of chess sponsors in the world.
And a true professional treats his opponents with respect and does not underestimate them.
And by answering your post in detail I am treating you with respect even though I think your question is fatuous.

[Peter McKillop]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

In a sporting event the professional approach is to be at one's best form and anything less, if it can be avoided, is unprofessional. And in this case disrespecting America's very top sponsor of chess must in this case be termed insulting! A very foolish thing to do considering the great shortage of chess sponsors in the world.
And a true professional treats his opponents with respect and does not underestimate them.
And by answering your post in detail I am treating you with respect even though I think your question is fatuous.

I think your post is fatuous. Who the hell do you think you are to pronounce judgement on what does or doesn't constitute professionalism for Nakamura? Let us all benefit from your great knowledge, Vlad: what is the correct length of time before a big tournament in which Nakamura should abstain from giving simuls?

P.S. Maybe you should send your answer to Nakamura. No doubt he'll be grateful for the advice.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

I think your post is fatuous. Who the hell do you think you are to pronounce judgement on what does or doesn't constitute professionalism for Nakamura? Let us all benefit from your great knowledge, Vlad: what is the correct length of time before a big tournament in which Nakamura should abstain from giving simuls?

P.S. Maybe you should send your answer to Nakamura. No doubt he'll be grateful for the advice.

I know who I am and am comfortable in my skin. And now I know who you are. But instead of enlightening you to what is obvious, I will leave you to wallow in your ignorance.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

I hope Nakamura goes 50-0 while standing on his head, and then wins the Sinq Cup to boot. What a bizarre complaint.

Seriously. Nakamura has posted here and has even shown up for a Canadian weekend Swiss (GPO, Victoria 2012, which he won, natch!). Just send him a message if you are convinced of your righteousness, Vlad, and see what happens. WTF! What would you accomplish by this complaint, anyway?

Gawd. We really are a small duck pond here in Canada, aren't we?

[Fred Harvey]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

I know who I am and am comfortable in my skin. And now I know who you are. But instead of enlightening you to what is obvious, I will leave you to wallow in your ignorance.

Bloody nonsense!

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

Vlad, just give us your answer: what is a reasonable amount of time for a GM to avoid simuls before a more serious event?

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

Has Naka lost his mimd? The Sinquefeld Cup gets under way Friday with the players reception. Welcome diner on Saturday and then the first round Sunday. At the very least he is showing disrespect to the other players not to mention to the sponsor, Mr Sinquefeld. Why would he subject himself to 50 games of bad chess two days before the tournaments starts.
All very unprofessional, to say the least!

Maybe he just wants to give back to the community and give a bunch of inner city school children a chance to see a supergrandmaster up close. Only on Chesstalk would this be spun as a bad thing. Kevin Fite the organizer of this event has a chess club with 200 school children in it. He was kind enough to reserve two spots for Windsor scholastic players. Kevin often brings some of his kids over to Windsor and we meet them regularly in Detroit tournaments. I suspect the chess will not be as bad as you expect.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

Maybe he just wants to give back to the community and give a bunch of inner city school children a chance to see a supergrandmaster up close. Only on Chesstalk would this be spun as a bad thing. Kevin Fite the organizer of this event has a chess club with 200 school children in it. He was kind enough to reserve two spots for Windsor scholastic players. Kevin often brings some of his kids over to Windsor and we meet them regularly in Detroit tournaments. I suspect the chess will not be as bad as you expect.

Why is everyone missing the points of my argument? I suspect none of you have read closely my initial post - blind men gasping the tail of the elephant!
And to address your comments, Mr Prez, I never said that exposing inner city school kids to a top GM was a bad thing - I merely questioned the timing of the simul. And yes, I know the level of players that join a simul. I had given hundreds of simuls when I was an active player in the early 70's - I know how physically tiring they can be. And didn't my friend Walter Browne die just recently a few hours after giving a strenuous simul in Las Vegas?
And I see by your comment>>>>> "I suspect the chess will not be as bad as you expect." and I agree that from your perspective the chess may not be so bad. But here we are considering the level of the chess in the ensuing Sinquefeld Cup where Naka will be faced with nine players who are all either in the top ten in the world or who could be in the top ten once the live ratings are posted after the event.
We'll just have to wait to see what effect Naka's 'unprofessional' approach has on his performance in the tournament. I expect there's a good chance he will lose his plus 2800 status in the live ratings.
And none of the 'gentlemen' who jumped on my comments in the initial post above seemed to recognize the harm done in Naka's skipping the player's reception where the sponsor Mr Sinquefeld will no doubt notice Naka's absence. You especially Mr Prez, seem to not concern yourself with individual sponsors. The likes of Mr Sinquefeld only come around perhaps once in a generation.
And I would guess that Mr Sinquefeld is currently the world's No 1 individual sponsor for chess.
So as you say >>>> "Only on ChessTalk......"

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

Why is everyone missing the points of my argument?

I noticed your two points:

* 50 simul is not good before the tournament.

imho, for Naka it will be fitness hours. While I did not do 50 players simul, I think if it would be more than 4 hours long, then all players can be held as winners LOL

* reception

Are you really sure about it? I saw only Friday for arrival, Saturday autographs (12 pm) and opening ceremony. R1 on Sunday. How long is a flight? 1-2 hours total most likely.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

Why is everyone missing the points of my argument? I suspect none of you have read closely my initial post - blind men gasping the tail of the elephant!
And to address your comments, Mr Prez, I never said that exposing inner city school kids to a top GM was a bad thing - I merely questioned the timing of the simul. And yes, I know the level of players that join a simul. I had given hundreds of simuls when I was an active player in the early 70's - I know how physically tiring they can be. And didn't my friend Walter Browne die just recently a few hours after giving a strenuous simul in Las Vegas?
And I see by your comment>>>>> "I suspect the chess will not be as bad as you expect." and I agree that from your perspective the chess may not be so bad. But here we are considering the level of the chess in the ensuing Sinquefeld Cup where Naka will be faced with nine players who are all either in the top ten in the world or who could be in the top ten once the live ratings are posted after the event.
We'll just have to wait to see what effect Naka's 'unprofessional' approach has on his performance in the tournament. I expect there's a good chance he will lose his plus 2800 status in the live ratings.
And none of the 'gentlemen' who jumped on my comments in the initial post above seemed to recognize the harm done in Naka's skipping the player's reception where the sponsor Mr Sinquefeld will no doubt notice Naka's absence. You especially Mr Prez, seem to not concern yourself with individual sponsors. The likes of Mr Sinquefeld only come around perhaps once in a generation.
And I would guess that Mr Sinquefeld is currently the world's No 1 individual sponsor for chess.
So as you say >>>> "Only on ChessTalk......"

Obsequious toadying does not become you. I didn't miss your point. I missed the man who himself used to give simuls across Canada and marveled that this poster was the same person who used to give those simuls at the Devonshire Mall in Windsor. Then again I shouldn't be too surprised I never got more than a couple of issues of the promised subscription for beating you in that simul.

Given the range of Mr. Sinquefield activities it is entirely possible that he approves of this simul. In all likelihood it was arranged through contacts in Saint Louis associated with Mr. Sinquefield's chess club. The next time I see Mr. Fite I will have to ask him.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Nakamura at Detroit Institute of Arts - Friday, August 21

I noticed your two points:

* 50 simul is not good before the tournament.

imho, for Naka it will be fitness hours. While I did not do 50 players simul, I think if it would be more than 4 hours long, then all players can be held as winners LOL

* reception

Are you really sure about it? I saw only Friday for arrival, Saturday autographs (12 pm) and opening ceremony. R1 on Sunday. How long is a flight? 1-2 hours total most likely.

Yes Egis, I use the terms 'arrival' and 'reception' interchangeably as they mean the same thing. And I'm sure Mr Sinquefeld will be there to greet the players who will probably have been there several days already in order to recover from the trip - jet lag etc - and to socialize with the other players and say "hello and thank you" to the sponsor.
Between the ages of 2 and 5 my family lived in a small hut in a small village in Bosnia. There, if someone came to visit, they would be seated at a table where some food would be offered them. They would always take their hat off while they ate. To not take the hat off would have been a mortal insult - "I am keeping my hat on so that I can leave as soon as I finish eating your food, as I do not want to spend any time in your company"
I still feel the same way about people who don't take their hat off when they sit down to eat.
And Naka is coming to eat Sinquefeld's food (money) and not allowing time to socialize - "I am here only long enough to take your money, and no longer than that"
And if my memory serves me, the last place finisher in this tournament still gets $20,000 ! Not a bad pay day.