April 2006 Rating List

Not a bad idea to put this list on here. That sinister looking van parked outside of your residence, with all the electronic equipment inside, may belong to the LFTV. Unless Seirawan snuck one by me, it's strange to see his name still on the list? Also, it is ironic that only 1 point is keeping Anand from the top of the current list. I've been studying Shirov's 1st volume of Fire on Board, great book. Better late than never.

Incumbent Kirsan on the campaign trail!

Go Kirsan! Three Sweep baby! Champions rule supreme. Champion chess President Kirsan is awsome.

President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is the man to bring chess into the next level.

Let's all wish him luck.

http://www.chessfidelity.com check it for facts and pictures of Kirsan.

Kirsan Fan's link talks about a Kramnik-Topalov match for mid-September as if its a done deal, but we're sure not hearing much about it.

Kasparov has spoken about how much a WCC match takes out of even a healthy person, and Kramnik hasn't even been that, lately. So it's odd that Kramnik would have scheduled a WCC match in mid-September, then a big computer match in November.

You have to be kidding about the LFTV? There can't be anyone in the world with their head that far up their 4th point of contact.

Nothing has been done beyond Kirsan's own, personal announcement. It hasn't even gotten to the fide.com website, hardly a definitive source on its best days. Not to say it's entirely impossible, or that it wouldn't be a good thing regardless of ulterior motives, but it's only in the dream phase right now to my understanding.

The players are a little trapped because neither wants to be the one blamed for it not happening even if there are irreconcilable differences. The first person to protest anything will probably be blamed, which makes honest and open discourse about the match difficult. In a way, such negotiations in private might be the only way to get them to the board, egos and previous statements out of the way.

It would be interesting to know whether Topalov and Kramnik are aware of their supposed match in September!

And now in 2007 the World Chess Champions cycle will go back to the "good old times".

And now it's all flowers and roses.

But how ignorant does Kirsan think we are. I would want more respect.

Duncan

Greg,

In his recent INterview, which was also published on chessbase.com, Kramnik also mentioned this match (if it were to happen) against Topalov. He was also asked if it isn't too much, planning to play in Dortmund, the WCC match and the Computermatch all in the second half of this year.
If I remember correctly, Kramnik acknowledged that it _is_ a tough schedule but nevertheless expressed his eagerness to do everything in his powers to make it happen.

There's a current article on Chess Base, "Kirsan on the campaign trail", that some may want to read. What I found interesting is Palistine's support of Kok, but even more so, that Israel's Ferderation may join with the Arab nation's and support llyumzhinov. Karpov shows his true colors in a short interview.

Someone asked about Seirawan still being on the top 100 list. Well, looking at the TWIC version of the list (which shows history), Seirawan had a rating change one quarter more recently than Kasparaov. That suggests that unless he plays in the next couple of months, he'll drop off the next list.

Karpov doesn't endorse Kirsan in the interview, he merely states that Kirsan is most likely to win which is obvious to any informed observer.

You still holding a grude Peach? I didn't say that he endorsed llyumzhinov, up to this point he had been neutral in regards to expressing any kind of opinion about the outcome of the election. vxqtl, thanks for the information.

Karpov is one of the Greats when it comes to our beloved royal game, but he seems to be quite the idiot in his interviews. Granted, I'm an outsider, but Kasparov seems to be much more lucid and objective in his comments and interviews.

I am currently hurling cyber-tomatoes at "Kirsan Fan".

Why are you hurling cyber-tomatoes at me?!

I was just stateing my view that Kirsan is the man. He obviously has what it takes to bring the big games to the plate.

Kirsan is the best President in the history of the organization. Not only that he is about to become President a third time and prob everytime he runs after. His competition's only hope is he he voluntarily retires from the sector.

They might as well just appoint him a life-ruler so we don't have to waste so much money on these elections. People complain about tax they collect , maybe it would not be so high if you did not force pointless elections where even the great GMs agree there is no chance he can lose. Kasparov picture and Arnold and Karpov all on Kirsan's webpage. Like anyone can beat that combo support.
Reguardless of what you say since these three great men do not ask Kirsan to take their pictures off his site they obviously do support him in some way or another. When Kirsan finally does step down whomever does take his place will wrap themselves in Kirsan's shroud and try to live up the the massive success Kirsan has brought to chess.

Kirsan Fan

Just when I thought my arm was getting too tired to throw any more cyber-tomatoes.

Kirsan fan, when I am done with you, you will look like a giant blob of catsup and bloggers will be dipping their cyber-french fries in your eye sockets.

In a battle for most sensible post, a Kirsan fan defeats a Kirsan foe. Doesn't happen too often.

Greg...please re-read Kirsan's post and share with me EXACTLY what you deem to be "most sensible".

No need to re-read mine, it was not intended to compete in a battle for "most sensible post".

You might look under your chess board for your sense of humor too, if you have a couple of extra minutes.

Cmon guys, its not that big of a deal. Kirsan Fan is just a few days late with his April Fool's joke.

>>Someone asked about Seirawan still being on the top 100 list. Well, looking at the TWIC version of the list (which shows history), Seirawan had a rating change one quarter more recently than Kasparaov. That suggests that unless he plays in the next couple of months, he'll drop off the next list.

The most recent TWICs have Seirawan playing for HSG in the Dutch team league. So, I guess he's going to stay up on the list for at least a little while longer. He still seems quite retired when it comes to individual events.

When I googled the League for Truth and Veracity and came up with zip (except the Chessbase article) I (duh) figured out it was, alas, a quasi-paradoxical April Fool's joke itself...good one, Mig & co.

An interesting tidbit from the rating list: Oleg Korneev (2671) played 79 games in 11 tournaments. Assuming it takes a day to travel from one tournament to another, he was either playing or traveling EVERY SINGLE DAY of the rating period.

And he managed to gain 21 points while doing so. Wow.

OMG, I fell for it! A little post April-fools joke on your part eh? I was falling for it hook,line and sinker when I decided to look up this League for Truth and Veracity and the only mention was on the Chessbase article (dated 04/01 of course!)

The World Champion going to Romania to meet the European Champion for a match of 4 games, starting today.
The local site says it is the most important event in the history of chess in Romania.
Not a single word about the prize fund.
They do it for fun?
Topalov does not risk an embarrassing loss in an important, but friendly match - for NOTHING.
Why the secret?

The World Champion going to Romania to meet the European Champion for a match of 4 games, starting today.
The local site says it is the most important event in the history of chess in Romania.
Not a single word about the prize fund.
They do it for fun?
Topalov does not risk an embarrassing loss in an important, but friendly match - for NOTHING.
Why the secret?

Alex,
Korneev would have gained 39 points if he had just limited himself to the first four tournaments that he played. Shows that too much is not always good.

Kramnik may not mean it when he said he would play Topalov and then Fritz, but he certainly said as much himself. Here is an interview from his website, for those who haven't seen it:

http://www.kramnik.com/eng/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=77

I am left with the possibility that much like the Prague agreements Kramnik will be in favor only up to the point where it looks like it will actually happen.

Yuriy--

1) Kramnik fulfilled his responsibilities under Prague. FIDE, on the other hand defaulted on numerous Prague commitments--to install a cycle, to stage a match to select Kramnik's opponent, etc.

2) Kramnik invited Kasparov to play in the Dortmund qualifier. Kasparov declined, demanding a rematch. Blame whom you like, but let's not go over all this again.

1. Kramnik was obligated to play the winner of Dortmund under terms preceeding Prague. Check Mark Weeks' chronology if you don't believe me, but the tournament's status and names of participants were announced about a month before Prague. After the Kramnik-Leko match was finished and just as it looked like Kasparov-Kazimdzhanov was about to happen, Kramnik gave an interview to the premium Russian sports newspaper in which he said that he sees no reason he should be forced to play unification match, that he considers himself completely free from any obligation of Prague, and that he doesn't owe anything to anyone. The only point at which FIDE defaulted at that moment was that instead of having Ponomariov they had to stage a tournament to replace him when he essentially bailed.

I don't agree with the statement that FIDE grossly violated the terms of the agreement. It took Kramnik 2.5 years to stage his match with Leko. What, FIDE defaults because it might have taken them a few more months? I don't even see a deadline in Prague for when the next cycle is to be staged. It is not out of question for FIDE to wait for one cycle to finish before starting the staging of the next one. And, at the point of Krammnik's interview, 27.10.04, it certainly looked like Kas-Kaz was going to happen; the interview is pretty much conducted with such an assumption.

2. Sure, I don't see anything I disagree with here, or anything I said in my post that does.

I am not willing to call Kramnik a Pragueist for playing the only challenger he had available to him, and following through on a contract that existed prior to Prague. He was the first party to default on the agreement, and unsurprisingly, the rest of it collapsed shortly afterwards.

Yuriy,

Many of your points re the Prague agreement are inaccurate, but it would be tedious in the extreme to rehash this old ground.

If "Kramnik will be in favor only up to the point where it looks like it will actually happen," it was awfully odd of him to put together a $1.4 million package for a WCC match. [Accepted by Topalov, vetoed by FIDE.]

You enjoy Mark Weeks, so you can read all about it in his January 14, 2006 column.

Your suggestion that Kramnik doesn't really want to play a WCC match is, with all respect, too silly to argue about.

Greg, if you are going to argue a point, you need to defend it with facts of logic. Simply saying that I am wrong about the Prague agreement amounts to a meaningless childish "No, YOU are wrong." If you find the argument tedious, don't start it or comment on it. And if you are making the same argument time and time again, perhaps it is not convincing.

I did not say Kramnik does not want to play a WCC match, and again, saying somebody's argument is silly does not amount to much of a point. I don't think that Kramnik does not want to play a match. I do think that expressing interest in a match that is nowhere near happening does a good job of portraying Kramnik as a defender of classical chess crown and is wise strategy. He schedules a Deep Fritz match close to this one, which makes me wonder whether he thinks Topalov will ever come off.

I think that each of the three parties is pursuing the idea of a match for their own reasons. Topalov turns his tournament win into seeming like more of a real championship if he defends it. FIDE gets to exterminate the real world title. Kramnik gets to say: "See, guys, I really want this to happen," while knowing that FIDE's demands are ridiculous and the matter would probably not come to pass.

I also want to point out that saying that Kramnik put together a 1.4 million package which FIDE rejected is oversimplifying things. The money as far as I know was put together by UEP, and accepted by Kramnik. This was done like days after San Luis. It takes time for a GM to solicit sponsorship, thus it is more likely that the sponsor had a proposal ready which they put on the table in front of the parties. Such is also the tone of their press release: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2738. Additionally, Topalov's management, both before the offer was made and after made a statement saying they weren't interested in Topalov playing Kramnik (boo!) for the title
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2742 (rejecting the offer)
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2693 (after Topalov clenches San Luis)
You makes it seem like Kramnik saved up a pile of money and put it on the table, which FIDE said no to. Were FIDE's demands reasonable? I don't think so, but to paraphrase you, blame whom you like, the match didn't happen.

Posted a long reply which didn't go up. Probably too long for the blog. To sum up: Everything I said about Prague I got directly from reading the agreement, as well as the agreement for Dortmund 2002, which was established a month before Prague, and the statement from Kramnik declaring Prague void. If Greg thinks I am wrong, he is going to have to prove it to me, and if he thinks it's tedious to argue about something that is not very convincing, he can stop replying.

Never said that Kramnik doesn't want to play a WCC match either. But supporting a match which doesn't look like it's going to happen is a very easy way to maintain your status as a defender of classical chess championship. Kind of like Kirstan promoting the match on his website.

Lastly, the situation about the proposal is not as simple as your shorthand. The package was not put together by Kramnik, it came from an outside single source (UEP or Dortmund). While they insist FIDE vetoed Topalov's acceptance, both before and after it was proposed to him, Topalov's management and Topalov stated that they considered playing a WCC match with Kramnik beneath them. Topalov did not accept the proposal but rather allowed it to expire, after expressing interest. The shadiness of the situation was commented on both by Mark Weeks in his column and Mig here.

If Mig is really deleting overlong posts I'm all in favor.

If he could find a way to charge posters by the word, proceeds going to charity, we'd see more concise posts and less repetitious ones.

I haven't deleted anything in weeks. (Not Mark.) The system doesn't limit by length and if you'd received one of the sporadic server 500 errors it still would have saved the post. The only things that automatically junk posts are including many links, but it would tell you and the post would also be saved in the system for moderation. There aren't any. If a post didn't go up and you didn't get an alert or error message, let me know.

Hey, Mig. I got the "moderation" message, probly because of a couple of links to Topalov's statements. Wasn't accusing you of doing anything wrong in my post--just wanted to explain things.

Strange, there aren't any posts in the moderation queue now. So I don't know what happened to it. Or does let you know before you continue and post?

I was just going to add that there used to be a setting to prevent more than three posts within a two-three minute window to prevent auto-spamming, but actually I don't think that setting exists in this version of the MT software.

Oops, just found it. For some reason I didn't get a notification and this version (recent upgrade) doesn't show moderated comments in the main list. I had to click "show unpublished comments" to find it. It should be above when you refresh the page. Yes, it was the number of links. Sorry about that; usually I get a notification.

Chess seems to have faded its importance in the limelight of the sports world when it should be given more recognition and importance because chess is the sports of the brain, strategies, initiatives and tactics. I think the FIDE must be given more financial and moral support from non governmental organizations in the world. Chess is one sport where creativity, art and innovation must be made in order to win or draw. The ratings listed on the ranking of the top twenty grandmasters of the world signifies great honor and pride not only for the individuals but for the country they represent. Chess must be given more recognition in the world because it takes a genius to play chess. The legendary Bobby Fischer though inactive now in playing chess is still honored and appreciated like a precious chess gems and star grandmaster. In the Philippines we even have a former President who is a chess afficionado in the person of former President Carlos P. Garcia. This is how chess is being played, they are usually played by great people like Gary Kasparov and the rest of the twenty top grandmasters of the world.