Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

[John Coleman]

Finally, a win in classical chess. Both players must be exhausted!

[Fred McKim]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Finally, a win in classical chess. Both players must be exhausted!

You beat me to it John.

Looks like Grischuk collapsed it time trouble, as his game didn't look all that bad 7 or 8 moves previously.

[Daniel Abrahams]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Gelfand is the oldest challenger to the championship since Viktor Korchnoi, who was 45 when he faced off against Lasker in 1897.

[Jean-Michel Rivest]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Wow. Well done Gelfand. I don't think he's reading this though. I agree with you John. The players must be super tired. Major heartbreak for Grischuk.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Gelfand is the oldest challenger to the championship since Viktor Korchnoi, who was 45 when he faced off against Lasker in 1897.

absurd x3
1. Viktor Korchnoi was born only 1931
2. Wilhelm Steinitz played the match with Emanuel Lasker in 1897.
3. W.S. was 61 at that time.

V.K was 50 when he played his 2nd match vs Karpov in Meran.

[Craig Sadler]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Gelfand is the oldest challenger to the championship since Viktor Korchnoi, who was 45 when he faced off against Lasker in 1897.

lol :) +1

[Stephen Wright]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

At one point at the Keres Memorial over the weekend the subject of Gelfand possibly winning the Candidates came up, and we idly speculated on when the last world championship occurred where both the champion and challenger were over forty (as will be the case with Anand-Gelfand). Without doing extensive research, looks like the last time was a century ago - the Lasker-Janowski match in 1910.

[Jean-Michel Rivest]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

It's pretty cool that both Anand and Gelfand are above forty. For once, people may reconsider the affirmation that only young players can play chess at the level of world champion. People don't get dumber as they age, they just lose ambition.

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Without doing extensive research, looks like the last time was a century ago - the Lasker-Janowski match in 1910.

Alekhine (b. 1892) vs Bogoljubov (b.1889) 1934 match was the last with >40.

[Mavros Whissell]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Gelfand is one of the most unremarkable players of the top players.

I'm curious if anyone thinks he has one quality or another (or even several qualities?) that really should seperate him from the rest of those at the top. Of course the funny people out there will say... he wins.

Kortchnoi was at least remarkable with a certain style and tenacity. I have no issue with the age of the player, its just that Gelfand never struck me as brilliant.

He seems to know all lines incredibly deep however, for example in the Petroff and in the Catalan. A while ago when he played the Najdorf frequently he was not so bullet-proof, but now he seems to be.

Maybe that Gelfand is bullet-proof is remarkable in itself.

[Peter Bokhout]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

I think that Gelfand played an exceedingly crafty game! His two quck draws gave the impression of a somewhat tired man ready to play out the string. Then in this last game he makes a demonstration on the kingside, inviting Grischuk to attack with Bf6, which he does. Oh boy! White's K side is broken open - Black must be winning, no?! NO! It was all a deep positional sac by White, who then closes in for the kill on the Q side. Excellent psychology!

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Gelfand is one of the most unremarkable players of the top players.

The worst possible outcome for FIDE and its World championship, and hopefully a good lesson. You just cannot setup a quick random formula and hope that the best player, or even one of the best will somehow emerge. It seems that Carlsen has been proven right to stay away from those short matches with unpredictable results. No Kramnik, no Topalov, no Aronian... not even a Kamsky. Weep...

[Alex Ferreira]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

And now that the London bid fell through... who will sponsor Gelfand vs Anand?
:S

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

There can only be one. The rules were the same for all the players.

[David Bowers]

Re: Gelfand beats Grischuk in the Candidates

Could get a lot worse: Anand crushes Gelfand or Carlsen and Anand arrange their own match - a sponsor could be found for that one.

The worst possible outcome for FIDE and its World championship, and hopefully a good lesson. You just cannot setup a quick random formula and hope that the best player, or even one of the best will somehow emerge. It seems that Carlsen has been proven right to stay away from those short matches with unpredictable results. No Kramnik, no Topalov, no Aronian... not even a Kamsky. Weep...