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---- Nous avons besoin d'un traduction français!
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Matchups and Standings
Gelfand(2.5)-Morozevich(1.5)
Carlsen(2)-Anand(2)
Nakamura(3)-Andreikin(2)
Mamedyarov(2.5)-Caruana(2)
Kramnik(1)-Karjakin(1.5)
++++++++++++ Sensation – Carlsen beats Anand in 29 moves!
(more to follow)
Press Release – St. Louis (June 17, 2013) -- For the first time ever, World Championship challenger GM Magnus Carlsen will play a high-profile tournament in the United States.
The World’s No. 1 ranked player will take on three other top-ten players in St. Louis this September when he joins GMs Levon Aronian, Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky for the Sinquefield Cup, a four-player, double round robin scheduled to be held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis CCSCSL) September 9-15.
The average FIDE rating for the field is over 2800, making it the strongest tournament in the history of the U.S.
The opening ceremony will take place on September 8, and round 1 will begin at 1 p.m. CT on Monday, September 9.
The Sinquefield Cup, which will feature a prize fund of $170,000, is named after the founders of the CCSCSL, Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield.
+++++++++++++++++
(Anna) We congratulate you on your victory; can you tell us a little about this game?
(Magnus) I thought I would play a line that he (Anand) hasn’t faced in a long time. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too prepared for that. What he did was a little bit passive – it was played in the game Ponomariov-Kramnik about ten years ago.
I don’t remember the exact move order but I do remember that it was something similar with Bb4 at some point. Since I have managed to put all my pawns on dark squares, it makes sense to exchange the black bishops.
I was surprised by his 16….Qd6
Black makes a positional move with Bc8 trying to transfer it to f5 after which his problems would be much less.
(Anna) What do you think about this move Bc8?
(Magnus) I think it is a decent enough move but it just doesn’t work.
18…Rc7 is the logical move preparing Bf5 but now the problem is that I have changed plans and go with f3. I was thinking about this for a while but couldn’t see any good plan for black. If I manage to push e4-e5 he will have serious positional problems.
I think he was expecting 24.exd5 but not Bh3.
It is now difficult to suggest anything decent for black.
(Anna) Is this win extra important for you?
(Magnus) Yeah, it’s good before the World Championship Match to remind him that I can outplay him once in a while since between us recently there have been a lot of draws. But I am not going to go around and think that he is going to have such a bad day at the World Championship. I’ll have to prepare for the worst certainly.
And to clarify, I don’t mean that I am going to lose necessarily but he is going to be at his best and not give anything free away like today.
(Question from the audience) The U.S. yesterday announced that you will be playing a match in St. Louis with Aronian, Kamsky and Nakamura?
(Magnus) I think it will be useful for me before the WCC Match because it will be tough; the players are tough characters at the board and thus it will be a good test to have such an atmosphere before the WCC.
And besides, not playing from this tournament until November will be too long a break for me. I am used to playing quite a few tournaments and that also is part of my training.
(Question from the audience) Today is a big day for sports – not only your game against Anand but the sixth game of the NBA playoffs (San Antonio Spurs-Miami Heat). You must be looking forward to that game? Have you set your alarm for five o’clock in the morning?
(Magnus) I’ll just watch the game on demand online after my game and avoid any site, which will give the result of that game.
(Audience guy) Any predictions?
(Magnus) It is a bad idea to bet against the home team in such a situation.
(Audience guy) Speaking of home team advantage, do you see a bigger challenge that Vishy will have all his fans with him in Chennai or do you see a bigger challenge from the climatic conditions in the south of India?
(Magnus) Vishy will probably get a boost from all of the support at home. Right now I am trying to focus on this tournament. As for home advantage, I’ll believe more in that if a Russian manages to win a game in this tournament!
(Big intake of breath from Anna at this shot)
(Magnus) Which to be fair – will happen – quite soon.
(Anna) Thank you very much, Magnus, and good luck to you.
+++++++++
Whether Carlsen’s win had an effect on the other players, I don’t know. But, Nakamura-Andreikin came to the press conference right after, with a draw.
Gelfand-Morozevich had Gelfand with a winning advantage but then, suddenly, he blundered but still won anyway. Kramnik-Karjakin and Mamedyarov-Caruana were draws.
++++++++
Carlsen looked very much like the top dog after his victory. He was confident and brash and brimming with animal vitality!
Some comments:
(Chessvibes) The game started as a Nimzo-Indian, one of Anand's two main weapons, besides the Semi-Slav. Carlsen opted for Vladimir Simagin's 4.e3 0-0 5.Nge2!? line, which is quite rare at top level these days.
I was inspired by the game of Sergey's star pupil!
was Carlsen's first remark at the press conference. He referred to GM Daniil Dubov, one of Russia's big talents who is coached by Sergey Shipov (commentator at the Tal Memorial) and who has played this line a lot recently.
++++++++++
Carlsen did seem to make it look very easy, much like an old Capablanca or even Fischer game. You could probably even fit some old Chernev "Logical Chess Move by Move" annotations to it. Engines, naturally, point out improvements for Black, the move 21 suggestion being to play b5. But the regroup with Bc8 might be inaccurate as well.
+++++++++
When Carlsen was asked in the press conference about Anand's home advantage in the title match, he looked a bit uncomfortable before coming up with: "I'll believe in home advantage when a Russian player wins a game here!" and smiled happily before adding that this surely will happen very soon. Funny otherwise that the Russian players now have five losses and no wins, not a good Tal Memorial for them.
+++++++++
Carlsen is a brat. Today he insulted the chess players of Mother Russia at the press conference. Caissa will abandon him.
++++++++
The WC looked pretty demoralized after the game (they didn't say anything afterwards). I think there might be some truth to Kramnik's statement that Carlsen has gotten inside Anand's head (I forget the exact words). Anand hasn't scored against the Norwegian in nearly three years. I hope he gets over this soon and gives Carlsen the fight of his life in November; if any one can do it, it is Vishy. Carlsen made the great point that he expects no "free points" in their match, and assumes Vishy will play his best chess every round.
Nakamura seemed pretty keen on resting up before his game against Anand tomorrow. That, or he is only interested in beating top-10 players!
Gelfand is playing very solidly, and has made the most of his chances. He has yet to face Carlsen or Nakamura, however.
Mamedyarov also hasn't played Carlsen or Gelfand yet, so there are a ton of remaining games left between the leaders. I honestly think Carlsen has great chances to win the event, considering his massive plus score against Nakamura and the fact that he has beaten Gelfand in their last three encounters in a row.
Caruana and Karjakin, of course, can come to life and bid for first at any moment. That is one of the great features of these short round robins!
And Kramnik ... is it possible he will finish on the bottom without a win? Has this happened before?
++++++
Right on cue Carlsen shifts gears and moves up winning against the world champion yet again
+++++++
Chess sometimes looks so easy... I can't remember Anand losing so badly ever and he didn't even really blunder, just some inaccuracies and very strong play from white after a rather quiet opening and the game was over. Amazing performance from Magnus!
Last edited by Wayne Komer; Tuesday, 18th June, 2013, 02:22 PM.
Matchups and Standings
Morozevich(1.5)-Karjakin(2)
Caruana(2.5)-Kramnik(1.5)
Andreikin(2.5)-Mamedyarov(3)
Anand(2)-Nakamura(3.5)
Gelfand(3.5)-Carlsen(3)
Commentators today are Sergei Rublevsky, Maxim Dlugy and Anna Burtasova. Grischuk and Svidler were at the conference desk only in the first couple of rounds.
(Maxim Dlugy was born in Moscow and emigrated to the United States when he was thirteen)
+++++++
The first game to end is Caruana-Kramnik, in a perpetual.
As in earlier rounds, the irritating young man with the blue pages in his hand asks the first questions at the press conference.
Fabiano gave me a laugh with his answer to this sports-directed question:
What do you think about the chances of the national football team of Italy in their coming matches with Japan and Brazil?
(Caruana) Actually, I don’t really watch football at all and I don’t support any teams.
(applause and laughter from the audience)
++++++++++++
Anand-Nakamura
A Ruy Lopez, Smyslov-Barnes Fianchetto
(Commentator) Congratulations on your victory today. You are the sole leader of the tournament.
(Nakamura) For now!
(Commentator) Boris Gelfand’s game is still going on. If he wins, he will join you at the top. Could you tell us a few words about your game? How did you manage to win with black?
(Nakamura) I think I get black against Vishy almost every game. This is my six or seventh black in a row but usually I do quite well.
((Greengard tweet) My database shows that from 11 career games vs Anand going back to 2010 he's had black nine times. But three wins (all black) and no losses!)
It becomes difficult to know what to do but I decided to play in the Russian style. Today I was feeling inspired by Spassky and Smyslov. They used to play the Steinitz System as black. I looked at this before the game and felt that even with the doubled c pawns, it was all right for black.
In the middle game it got quite messy but it was all in the spirit of Tal.
..........
30.Kh2 is probably the losing move for white.
It is a knights and pawn endgame with all sorts of possibilities. The knights seem superhuman – so much so, that on chessbomb.com a viewer comments:
levemand: I played a 24 hour blitz tournament last weekend. Turns out knights become more and more powerful as the night progresses.
(The analysis goes on in Russian and in English with translation for Hikaru while everyone is talking at the same time)
Vishy resigned here (on the 46th move).
(Applause from the audience – after all Hikaru managed to say that he got inspiration from Spassky, Smyslov and Tal in just one press conference!)
++++++++++
On British radio, in the 40s, there was a program called ITMA – It’s That Man Again. For comic effect, it loosely means someone that keeps showing up when you would rather not have him around.
At the press conference, the man with the blue pages is there again – ITMA!
(ITMA) In the Candidates Tournament only eight grandmasters participated. One has the feeling that there are a lot of good people who should have played such as Morozevich, Karjakin etc. Would you support broadening the Candidates with up to fifteen persons?
(Nakamura) No – with eight players it is much better. Because for it to be fair, it should be a double-round robin. With fifteen we are back to the 1950s again. There is nothing wrong with this but in this day and age, a tournament going two and a half weeks is quite long. In the past it was OK but for the audience it is not as good perhaps, for the purists it is much better.
Also, there is nothing wrong with eight players. They really should go down the rating lists at this point. With live ratings and their being so dynamic, it doesn’t make sense to me why they don’t just use the ratings instead of having qualifiers from tournaments.
Also, in the World Cup, it’s two-game matches – anything can happen. It seems much more logical to use the top eight ratings; if they had, Karjakin, Caruana and myself would have been playing in the Candidates and we weren’t.
(ITMA) What about the pressure in such tournaments? Is it easier to play two rounds and have a free day?
(Nakamura) Better would be three playing days and a free day. Actually, for me, I would prefer that there would be no rest days. Too much time to think. I would rather play every single day and then go home.
But having said that, at the Olympiad, I was talking to my team mate, Kamsky, and he was saying that ten or fifteen years ago he could play every day but now he can’t. So, you know in ten or fifteen years I might have a very different opinion.
++++++++
The remaining games Andreikin-Mamedyarov, Gelfand-Carlsen and Morozevich-Karjakin are all draws – with the latter going to 100 moves.
+++++++++
Tomorrow is a rest day. The Seventh Round is on Friday.
Last edited by Wayne Komer; Wednesday, 19th June, 2013, 03:57 PM.
Matchups and Standings
Carlsen(3.5)-Morozevich(2)
Nakamura(4.5)-Gelfand(4)
Mamedyarov(3.5)-Anand(2)
Kramnik(2)-Andreikin(3)
Karjakin(2.5)-Caruana(3)
Commentary today by Maxim Dlugy, Sergei Rublevsky and Anna Burtasova.
The key match is Nakamura vs Gelfand, the two top players. From a Sveshnikov, Nakamura builds up a slight advantage, which seems to dissipate at white’s critical 23rd move. After move 27 Gelfand appears to have the advantage. In the end the black passed pawn on a5 readies itself to move and Nakamura resigns.
(Gawain Jones tweet) Nice combination by Gelfand. Naka has to choose between being mated, losing a piece or trading into a lost K+P ending. Boris retakes lead!
Naka is not at the press conference. It is conducted all in Russian and there are no questions after. “It’s that man again” is not there. Children flood the conference desk to get autographs.
Mamedyarov-Anand is a draw as is Carlsen-Morozevich.
(Carlsen) I tried to think of something new in the opening. But I missed a number of things and so, after that, black is absolutely fine.
Personally, today I got surprised in the opening, so obviously what preparation I did, didn’t help and besides my head wasn’t working great today. I think in general for a tournament like this, one free day is enough – unless you are playing marathon games every day.
(Someone) Nakamura can play even on free days! (everyone laughs)
Kramnik loses a shocker to Andreikin after his 27.Ke3? Thus the Andreikin is the first Russian to win a game and it is against a Russian, who is the tail-ender.
Only one game left to finish – Karjakin-Caruana, with Karjakin having a slight advantage at move 56.
+++++++++
So, a rather ho-hum day. No great quotes from the players. Gelfand is in the lead with two rounds to go.
+++++++++++
I end with a couple of quotes from the on-line forums etc:
(June 19) Tweet from Hikaru Nakamura –
I turn on the television for the first time in Moscow, and I end up watching Borg-McEnroe from 1980!!!!!
+++++++++++++
(June 19) Endgame lapses Carlsen has had recently are a strange weakness to have at his level, essentially just a lot of stuff that must be explicitly memorized. Maybe that's just the problem; Carlsen is much better in positions where he can rely on his intuition, which relies on a very different kind of memory. Like strategic endgames, for example.
Maybe an intensive month with Dvoretsky would be a good cure!
More than ten years ago, when Peter Heine Nielsen first had a training session with Carlsen, he identified endgames (both strategic and technical I believe) as the youngster's biggest weakness. According to Carlsen's coach Agdestein, commenting at the recent Norway Chess 2013, he then told Magnus to read through Karsten Müller and Frank Lamprecht's Fundamental Chess Endings, and "after that Magnus never had any problems in endings". Now we see that's not quite true... these concrete, technical endgames must be repeated now and then, else they will fade from memory over time.
Btw. at the very top level, where players are trying to find any small edge over their rivals, do people need to know more technical positions than you find in Dvoretsky's and Müller/Lamprecht's books? Dvoretsky seems to think his Endgame Manual should be enough up to top GM level.
++++++++
(June 20) In my opinion Nakamura should be getting a reputation as brilliant endgame player, even stronger than most of his peers. Shirov wrote in Fire on Board that he believed he was strongest in the endgame, due to his calculation ability. I think Nakamura shares this quality with Shirov. Even when Nakamura plays poorly in the early parts of the game, he seems to have a particularly strong mastery of defensive ideas in inferior endgames.
For me this revelation was somewhat unexpected from the guy who not-so-long-ago was playing 2.Qh5, and seemed to play a sort of "poker-playing" gambling/swindling approach. Naka has played a few very clean technical wins lately.
(to be continued)
Last edited by Wayne Komer; Friday, 21st June, 2013, 04:02 PM.
Karjakin was able to obtain some pressure from this Spanish opening but Caruana's position remained solid. The Russian probed for weaknesses, took the initiative and placed his pieces as strongly as he could. Eventually he even was able to bring the enemy king into the center and not feeling so safe. Alas, Caruana's position resisted the onslaught and although Karjakin won a piece, he ran out of pawns and the Italian held the Rook and Knight vs. Rook endgame.
Online forum comments:
Gelfand has been very impressive not only here but in the Alekhine Memorial as well. In 1995-2010 he didn't win any strong tournaments and scored really bad results against the best players, and it sure didn't look as if he would reach this level around 45. Back in the top ten today, something I never thought would happen at his age.
Caruana defended a difficult endgame against Karjakin as a player that will one day be World Champion would do. Anand and Kramnik play each other for the wooden spoon tomorrow, that can never have happened before, but there are many tournaments the first half of this year and they will both play better next time.
+++++++++
Gelfand is probably the top expert in the world in the Sveshnikov and Rossolimo. World Championship match preparation is nothing to trifle with.
+++++++
Nice job by Boris. He is playing patiently, taking opportunities as they present themselves, and is well poised to take the event. Between the four players who can catch him several games remain, and he must be pleased Naka still has to face Carlsen (who played oddly unambitiously today; saving energy for Naka and Mamed, both of whom are ahead of him in the standings?).
Kramnik continues to surprise, negatively, and Andreikin, positively.
It is fairly shocking to see Anand and Kramnik effectively playing for last place, or to avoid it, anyway. Should be a good final two rounds. I expect Carlsen to fight fiercely, and for Kramnik to attempt some kind of redemption against Gelfand. Mamed will probably go for the throat against Gelfand as well.
Matchups and Standings
Anand(3)-Kramnik(2.5)
Andreikin(4)-Karjakin(3)
Carlsen(4)-Nakamura(4.5)
Gelfand(5)-Mamedyarov(4)
Morozevich(2.5)-Caruana(3.5)
Commentators Mark Glukhovsky, Sergei Rublevsky and then Anna Buratasova and Ilya Levitov
First game to finish is Anand-Kramnik – a draw (30 moves). Kramnik verbally annotates the game for 15 straight minutes without a stop.
No questions from the audience and autograph seekers swarm the platform.
Mamedyarov has on a white shirt with alternating blue and black horizontal stripes. He looks the spitting image of one of the four convicts in the movie A Christmas Story, who try to storm the house and are driven back by Ralphie and his Daisy carbine.
Andreikin-Karjakin is a draw. It looks like Andreikin will be the highest-scoring Russian in the contest.
Gelfand-Mamedyarov is also a draw.
Morozevich-Caruana is a win for Caruana.
Carlsen-Nakamura was an English Opening with Carlsen having an advantage out of the opening. He had the upper hand during most of the game but the Houdini evaluation gave nine ? or ?! up to move 37. One will have to wait for the detailed annotations of this game.
The endgame has Carlsen with four pawns and rook against Nakamura’s four pawns and bishop.
Houdini evaluates the position at move 45. as +8.03 for white
++++++++++
At the press conference Caruana gives a very clear and detailed analysis of his win – 25 minutes long.
The gist of it is that he felt that Morozevich had the advantage then near the end there was a draw in hand. With 29…fxe6 he decided to play ambitiously. Both players were short on time. At 34…Be5+ he kept on checking because he had no time and those were the only moves he could see.
(Caruana) I was going to take the draw but he played 38.g5?? which shocked me because now my pawn is going ahead supported by two bishops and I think black should be winning here. This was a decisive mistake but there were only seconds of time left.
(Anna) You just showed a lot of tactical variations. How do you train to calculate all those variations?
(Caruana) There are books for this. Myself, I am not a trainer and I don’t really know the specifics but I did a lot of work over the years on tactics. I can’t say my calculation is very good but over the board you have no choice, you have to calculate as much as you can. In some positions you can get by with positional understanding and intuition but in the game today there is nothing besides calculation. The position is very irrational and everything may hang on one move.
Carlsen-Nakamura
(Anna) Congratulations
(Magnus) There was one dangerous move for me in the game, I was waiting for his move and almost choked on a nut.
(no response from commentators or audience)
Carlsen thought he could win in any way and became too casual then found things were not so simple and he was running out of time. Still 1-0 at end.
+++++++
(Online comment) I laughed out loud when Carlsen said he’d almost choked on a nut. I thought it was hilarious, he also added that it was the only moment he was in danger during the game. I was even more surprised about the silence from the translators and the audience. Not even a smile, like he was telling a long dull variation, like a joke on a funeral.
+++++++++
Very impressed with Gelfand's tournament. Carlsen is doing another of his escapology tricks. And he seems to have Nakamura's number. Feel sorry for Nakamura, who was doing so well, but has now lost two on the trot when he looked set for what could have been his best result to date. Strange to see Kramnik and Anand doing so poorly. What impresses me about Andreikin's tournament is that he has obviously prepared well, aimed to not get beaten, pick off the stragglers at the tail-end (Kramnik!), and it has paid off for him big time. If Gelfand did manage to get or share first, would that be one of his best ever results?
++++++
Another fascinating tournament of twists and turns in the Tal Memorial.
Andreikin? Who he? I don't know. Not all that much on the internet. He is 23, and will no doubt make a big impression.
++++++
World No 29, 2010 World Junior Champion, 2012 Russian Champion, unbelievably good speed player. He may crack the world's top ten soon (he was 47 Elo behind current no.10 Morozevich at the start of the tournament). Unfortunately like so many, the rider is that it’s subject to him getting the invites.
Last edited by Wayne Komer; Sunday, 23rd June, 2013, 11:12 AM.
Reason: added results and material
Matchups and Standings
Nakamura(4.5)-Morozevich(2.5)
Mamedyarov(4.5)-Carlsen(5)
Kramnik(2.5)-Gelfand(5.5)
Karjakin(3.5)-Anand(3)
Caruana(4.5)-Andreikin(4.5)
This is the final round of the tournament. It began two hours early. This was 5 a.m. Montreal/Toronto time!
The prize fund will be distributed as follows: 1. 30,000 eur; 2. 20,000 eur; 3. 15,000 eur; 4. 10,000 eur; 5. 8000 eur; 6. 6000 eur; 7. 4000 eur; 8. 3000 eur; 9. 2500 eur; 10. 1500 eur.
Commentators Mark Glukhovsky, Sergei Rublevsky and Anna Burtasova.
There are two draws – Karjakin-Anand and Kramnik-Gelfand.
(Chessvibes) Sergey Karjakin and Vishy Anand drew a hyper-sharp Najdorf, Poisoned Pawn variation. The World Champ gave some great comments about his position out of the opening:
Luckily I had checked this line a few days ago so I knew that this position is a draw. If you don't know the line, it's almost impossible to find it at the board. (...) Here I reflected that this was one of the most ridiculous positions I can imagine. I mean, Black is not just slightly lost looking, he looks completely busted! Castling with check, king g8, light squares, queen coming to g4, it looked completely busted except I happened to know it's drawn!
Mamedyarov-Carlsen is a draw. Thus, Gelfand wins the tournament.
(Carlsen) It was from a King’s Indian. I was looking for ways to complicate the game. Far more dangerous for black than for white. Certainly I had underestimated the value of the pawn sacrifice. I think I was a little bit lucky to survive. Now I have to await the finish of the other games to see if I end up in second place.
(Anna) I understand that all participants want to be on top. How do you evaluate the tournament?
(Carlsen) For me the result is OK. It corresponds to my rating. It is the fourth time in a row that I scored +2 so you could expect that. The quality of my play is not spectacular. I won a couple of good games with Kramnik and Anand even though they were out of form. For the rest, my play was indifferent. Especially in a tournament like this, which is relatively short, you simply cannot win a tournament with so many bad games such as I have played.
+++++++++
Caruana-Andreikin
(Caruana) My play was not very good. Somehow I was worse in most of my games. I got lucky in the end and managed to make +1 which is not a bad result of course, but it did not reflect what I was doing in the games.
I play in Dortmund soon and the World Cup after that. As usual I have a full calendar with no breaks.
(Just as a matter of interest, Caruana did not break the 2800-rating barrier. As of today, his rating is 2795.9 and he stands third behind Carlsen and Aronian)
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Morozevich beats Nakamura!
(Chessbase) A very complex game spawned from Nakamura's unusual opening. In what resembled an anti-Moscow variation, White sacrificed his c4 pawn for initiative and quick development. Morozevich soon after the opening gave back his material advantage to secure a passed pawn on c3, but nevertheless because of White's blockade and kingside pressure he stood better. Nakamura made a key mistake with 29.e5?! a move that closed the a1-h8 diagonal and allowed Morozevich to quickly route his rooks to the open h-file, creating major problems for the enemy king. Nakamura found no defense, lost too much material and had to resign.
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The tournament is over, the playing hall is empty, except for the Chief Arbiter, who is setting the pieces up on the boards. Why? I guess so he can make sure the pieces are all there before they are boxed.
At the final ceremony – The third place prize goes to Fabiano Caruana; second place, to Magnus Carlsen and the first place trophy, to Boris Gelfand.
Online comment –
Anand started the year with 2772 and now he is 2774.7 after playing in 6 tournaments. So that is actually the level he is playing. Carlsen started the year with 2861 and now he is 2862.3. So both are maintaining their rating. If we go by this logic Anand has no chance against Carlsen.
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Caruana gets best tiebreak of 3 players on 5 because of Most Wins. If Sonneborn-Berger had been the tiebreak, Caruana would have gotten 5. place for 8000 EUR instead of 15000 EUR for 3.rd place. I admit Caruana had some interesting games, but I think it is not so deserved as if he had also been better on Sonneborn-Berger. What does most wins prove? Isn't it statistically irrelevant? Professor ELO held that two draws have the same value as a win and a loss, against the same 2 opponents.
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Boris played a very good tournament. He has always been true to his own chess style backed up with deep and creative opening preparation. A great player who has simply ignored the ageism of the chess media with his consistency over the board. I look forward to many more tournaments where Boris can get to share his experience with his younger colleagues.
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A great victory by Gelfand! Well done, and a peak rating to boot.
Carlsen finishes in second, with a 2830+ performance rating, for two tournaments in a row. Looks like a low point in his career.
Sadly, Naka's implosion was not altogether unexpected. Those who live by the sword die by the sword.
Caruana has reached his peak rating as well. Andreikin impressed, but will he show anything unique in a veritable sea of 2700+ Russians?
Kramnik and Anand in last place, pretty shocking. Kramnik with a winless -3, and well out of the 2800 club. If it weren't for the fact that Gelfand won the event, I wouldn't have much hope for the older generation.
Unfortunately Anand doesn't seem in good chess shape. Hopefully he gets his act together in time, or else he will be massacred in November
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Carlsen's +2 for the fourth Tal Memorial in a row wasn't bad, but the way he played it seemed more likely that he would finish on +1 than +3. The last years his +2 was enough to win, but not this time, but nothing to complain about.
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Bravo Gelfy! Solo first over such field!
PS Happy 45th (!) B-day tomorrow, one couldn´t think of better present than this. Just keep ´em coming! =)
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It is very seldom observed a victory by a player 45-years or older in a top-tournament. From this point of view, Gelfand success at Moscow 2013 can be compared with those of Capablanca at Nottingham and Moscow 1936, or Lasker at New York 1924. Probably Gelfand’s has been the only victory of an illustrious veteran in such a strong tournament after World War Two (as far as I know). We have the Alekhine Memorial 1956 and Vienna 1996, won by Botvinnik and Karpov, but in both cases it was a shared first (respectively, with Smyslov....and with Topalov and Gelfand!)
Last edited by Wayne Komer; Monday, 24th June, 2013, 01:18 PM.
Reason: Added Anand quote
Amazing that the four Russians -- Kramnik, Morozevich, Karjakin (always a Ukrainian in my books), and Andreikin -- could only score a total of two wins.
And just *when* is Carlsen going to knuckle down and improve his handling of simple rook endings?
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