I've barely had time to see the games, unfortunately. Just when I move closer to Mexico the players flee the continent. Coincidence? I think not. But the only fear going on in Linares now that they are actually in Linares is fear that Topalov was just taking the first half off and is ready for another San Luis explosion. (Or, as various commenters have suggested in various ways, maybe his radio transmitter didn't work on the Mexican frequencies.) Topalov has now won two straight to make it back to an even score. The man never quits, and while this can be a problem when you are in lousy form, it usually bears sweet fruit. Reaching +3 seems quite improbable, although it doesn't look like anyone else is making a move.
Speaking of lemons, the leader, Peter Leko, has shown a return to his old form too. I.e., too timid by half. I honestly thought there had been a transmission error when his game with Vallejo Pons ended in a draw. He's playing like he believes his +3 will hold up to the finish. I note that he has black against Topalov this time around. Svidler is doing his best to destroy the sales of every Grunfeld book on the market. Aagaard, Khodarkovsky, Rowson, and Davies should beg him to switch to 1..d5. That's 1/4 if you're scoring at home, and three losses with it in a row. Both Svidler and Topalov have even scores with three wins, three losses, and three draws.
Ivanchuk, what can we say that hasn't been said many times? He lost on time in a superior, probably winning, position on move 39 against Bacrot. Last year in Stepanakert he did something similar, losing on time in a trivial endgame against Bu Xiangzhi. This is Bacrot's only win. Clearly his first big supertournaments haven't been the showcases he and his fans were hoping for. It's a rough trip to Corus and Linares the first time around and there isn't always a next time.
Yes indeed, Topalov is doing the first half of San Luis as the second half of Morelia/Linares, apparently.
Not that I truly understand these things, but I feel his endgame win against Aronian showed remarkable determination, inventiveness, and skill. And I can't really put my finger on any serious error by Aronian.
I really admire the man.
Topalov's win today over Aronian was a true masterpiece. Sure there might be a draw there somewhere (49...Bd5 I though put up great resistance), but the pressure he put on was fantastic to watch.
I hope he keeps it up the rest of the way.
It was probably the difference in time zones. Topalov's form is back and the rest of the field should beware.
Leko should be ashamed of himself for accepting a draw against Vallejo in the position that he did.
I would be amazing if Topalov won two more games, but it definitely isn't beyond happening. The most dangerous game he has left is probably against Ivanchuk, since we never know which Ivanchuk will show up. Vallejo, I expect to go down in flames. Leko, who knows?
It was probably the difference in time zones. Topalov's form is back and the rest of the field should beware.
Leko should be ashamed of himself for accepting a draw against Vallejo in the position that he did.
I would be amazing if Topalov won two more games, but it definitely isn't beyond happening. The most dangerous game he has left is probably against Ivanchuk, since we never know which Ivanchuk will show up. Vallejo, I expect to go down in flames. Leko, who knows?
New Grunfeld book: Getting Your Ass Kicked With The Grunfeld by GM Peter Svidler.
I think Topalov found his radio transmitter :) I wonder where did he buy it from?
artyom: Radio Shack!
Clearly [Bacrot's] first big supertournaments haven't been the showcases he and his fans were hoping for. It's a rough trip to Corus and Linares the first time around and there isn't always a next time.
===========================
It's unlikely that Bacrot will break through to a higher level. His weaknesses are being exposed in the crucible. Of course, it's very impressive that he alredy had a Quantum Leap past the 2700 barrier. There WILL be a next time for Bacrot. When a Western European GM reaches even this level, there usually is a lot of financial support that flows into chess. Bacrot will be invited to future Super GM events, even if the organizers in the French chess world have to create those new Tournaments themselves. Consequences for failure are much more dire if you are an Eastern European Super GM. And if you come from the Caucuses, and you have some unpronounceable, exotic name, then you better have a strong reputation as a Child Prodigy...
Bacrot is just overrated, and his rating peak at more than 2730 was an accident. Same thing with Judit Polgar by the way.
I think that Gelfand, for instance, has sounder understanding than Bacrot or Polgar. Gelfand, Ivanchuk, Anand, all those guys were talented enough to be world champions but all of them lived under Kasparov's reign... bad luck, especially for Anand who is amongst the 5 best chess players ever, who clearly deserves a crown but who'll probably never get it...
Anand did win the FIDE knockout world championship. As he said, "I played for the only world championship title that was available."
I wonder--50 years from now, willl chess fans draw the big distinction between the knockout event titles and the classical title that we do today? Or, assuming that there is a classical title in place, will they simply list the 97-2004 FIDE knockout champions on the champions list and not pay much attention to the difference, except for the true chess historians among them.
duif
The knock-outs will always be ranked as historical oddities. If a classical long-match system can get going again, the San Luis tournament will take a secondary place among many other memorable tournaments.
Boxing tournaments (e.g. the Olympics), where competitors box a few rounds against each other, draw relatively little attention. But when the reigning heavyweight champ fights a top contender for 12 or 15 rounds, the world, and history takes notice.