World Cup - 2023

[Erik Malmsten]

Aris you were the star of one of the cameras. A few days I have breakfast and turn on my large TV, no women's soccer highlights that day, click to youtube and the chess commentators are on break. So they go to a camera that shows the wide view of the playing hall with the players intensely focussed on their game. But in the centre of the top half of the screen is where all the activity is, a well-dressed arbiter figeting, pulling something out of his pocket, looking at something in his hand. You didn't look bored, but in your own world. I'll have to get your autograph.

[Aris Marghetis]

Great anecdotes Aris. Thanks.

There was another special scene tonight: so when Magnus eliminated Gukesh, they spent a few minutes whispering about their game. I really hope that one of the cameras was able to catch the essence of that moment, where Magnus was doing most of the talking, and the look of earnest attention in Gukesh's eyes was even quite touching. We all know that Magnus is clearly "The Man" in chess, and I'm not a good enough player to have uber-confidence in my predictions, but something tells me that Gukesh is special, that this loss will end up being just a humble step on his way up!

Another cool moment tonight was when Abasov won by checkmate: you could HEAR the locals ROARING from their vantage point of DGT displays in the next part of the building!! Their local hero!!

[Hans Jung]

Great anecdotes Aris. Thanks.

[Hans Jung]

Rd 5 Game 2 All the games were endgames although Abasov finished by giving checkmate. Pragga won on demand forcing playoffs. Magnus, Fabulous Fabi, and Abasov won their matches.

[Aris Marghetis]

Here's another story, where I'll keep the player's name anonymous.

But I want to recount this story, because it shows how human-fun these elite players are, and how, like most everyone in life, there's a lot that people don't necessarily know about other people!

So I'm in the refreshment area, which is about 40 yards from the playing stage, and it's the access path to the player restrooms. The longish distance is just because there's so few boards still in action, in Rounds 1 + 2, it was like only 10 yards away from the lowest board numbers. Anyway, so I'm enjoying some biscuits and coffee, with one eye through the door to the playing area, but there's also a DGT display of every game. On one of the boards, I notice a rather peculiar move. Maybe it was the best move possible, but it was just so unexpected. Then, I notice the player who just played that move, get up and start walking towards the refreshment area. They're on their way to the restroom, and they look very serious. But then the instant they're clear of the playing area, their face just beams wide and they're CHUCKLING! I can't be sure of this, but I think that even in the face of LOTSA stress and money on the line, this player just ENJOYED making a nutty move?!

It was such an unexpected "fun" moment, and it really made my day!

[Aris Marghetis]

Rd 5 Magnus and Erigaisi strike first.

I got slightly caught in the "Magnus Magic" tonight ... after he had won, I had to get something through the hotel lobby. So I'm scurrying out the playing venue, and I notice he's being interviewed, but I just keep going, head a bit down, and I push open the door from the playing venue into the hotel lobby. And I get this immediate sensation of a huge entity drawing in their breath - I look up and it must be at least 100 people waiting almost right against that door, with all kinds of chessboards and other things for Magnus to autograph! I gotta keep walking, and I feel this big collective exhale now, and almost a grumbling "oh, it's just some guy". There's even one man who kinda half-waves me away, and audibly announces "we JUST want to see Magnus". He's SO popular here!

[Hans Jung]

Rd 5 Magnus and Erigaisi strike first.

[Hans Jung]

Eli Paetz had quite the run and made it to the quarter finals. There she played all the way to the end of the tiebreaks before losing.

Nurgyul Salimova from Bulgaria is the talk however of the quarter finals as she beat Shuvalova.

[Hans Jung]

and only one from all of Europe - Magnus! - chess is truly a world wide game now.

[Hans Jung]

Is it for the first time that there are 0 Russians in the quarterfinal? Is history being made?

For the first time also there are 4 from India - also history being made.

And 2 Americans, one Norwegian and one Azerbaijani.

[Aris Marghetis]

Thanks for that lovely anecdote on Ferenc Berkes. The Hungarian grandmasters that I know are all such modest and nice guys but also very interesting. I got to know Csaba Balogh at the Spice Cup and a friend of mine liked him so much that he became his student. Lovely people! It also must be something special to be on the same Olympic team as Judith Polgar and know her and analyze with her.

Yeah, there's a soft spot in my heart for the players just below the very top couple of dozen or so. The "fame" and sheer opportunities seem to drop off dramatically if you're "only" in the 2600s ...

[Hans Jung]

Big upset Vidit over Nepo. Those Indian youngsters - wow!

[Hans Jung]

Final 16 tiebreaks - Nepo and Vidit are putting on a show.

[Hans Jung]

Thanks for that lovely anecdote on Ferenc Berkes. The Hungarian grandmasters that I know are all such modest and nice guys but also very interesting. I got to know Csaba Balogh at the Spice Cup and a friend of mine liked him so much that he became his student. Lovely people! It also must be something special to be on the same Olympic team as Judith Polgar and know her and analyze with her.

[Aris Marghetis]

Pragga and Caruana are playing magnificent games.

As you know, Pragga eliminated Hungary's Ferenc Berkes last night. The latter and I happened to cross paths later in the evening at the hotel resto. He was graciously thanking Organizers and Arbiters, and I was asking him about the Hungary Olympiad, etc. If you look at the ratings of the final 16 Open players, he was the lowest-rated, and clearly over-performed. Even though he had just lost to Pragga, there was a deep "at peace" look in his eyes as he explained to me that this had been "the tournament of his life"! I'm happy for him, I could just sense how it really mattered!