Ay chihuahua! Breaking news from Morelia, Mexico, where the first leg of the Linares supertournament is scheduled to begin Saturday the 17th. Teimour Radjabov has pulled out of the tournament after his father's room was burgled. I'm told they said they "felt in fear of their lives." (Apparently this phrase is catching on.) A press release from Radjabov and some notes will be appearing at ChessBase.com [ I just put it up here now] and more as it breaks here. Maybe they had seven players in Linares for so long for a reason? A curse? But there won't be seven this time. Ivanchuk will replace Radjabov. Anyone else rude enough to wish they'd burgled Carlsen's room instead?!
A terrible shame if Radjabov drops out [he has]. He had a great Corus (as I predicted, just to get in a last brag) and we all want to see more KIDs. Mexicans are the most hospitable people on the planet, btw. I lived there for two years and traveled to every corner of the country. Marvelous place, marvelous people. There is very high crime in some areas, however, and of course tourists are the favorite targets anywhere you go in the world. I had various run-ins myself, including the time my sister and I were kidnapped in Mexico City, which really is a dangerous spot these days. But that's another story.
Update: Odd that Radjabov describes Patzcuaro as a high-crime town. It's a tiny and pretty place next to a beautiful lake famous for its Day of the Dead ceremonies. I've been there quite a few times. I doubt it's been overrun by brigands. But all popular tourist spots attract thieves.
I hope Radjabov's dad backed up the opening databases! Nobody thinks about that stuff until the first tragedy. How about you, backed up your precious data lately? Online or at someone else's house so it wouldn't be lost in a robbery or a fire? Seriously. Just a few DVDs can save a lot of tears.
Update 2: Hmm, not going to make any judgments after reading just his press release. And the Mexican organizer has a reputation that doesn't bespeak of reliability. But emotional support aside, I'm not sure why the tournament organizer should pay for a player's hotel room being robbed. It would be a nice gesture of hospitality I suppose, and they are in some way compromised as hosts. But still, players have been mugged before (a few famously of all their winnings). Anyway, it would have been very hard to maintain playing concentration after such an event, especially if things became contentious with the organizers afterwards. A real pity any way you look at it.
Memories... Robert Byrne in the NY Times on the 1994 Moscow Olympiad on Jan 17, 1995: "Moscow crime spoiled the recent World Chess Olympiad for many players and teams. Joel Benjamin of Manhattan, Board 3 of the United States squad, said, "It was so rampant that we quickly learned never to go out of the Hotel Cosmos."
One team representative was robbed of $7,000 after he had exchanged currency. Moreover, two members of the American team, Alexey Yermolinsky and Alexander Shabalov, both originally from the Soviet Union, were also robbed of considerable amounts of money. There was no tally of how many players were victims, but there were new stories of robberies almost every day.
Despite this alarming situation, the players managed to apply themselves and numerous good games were contested."
I'd say Australians are probably more hospitable...as long as you aren't a muslim that is.
Can you tell us about the time you and your sister were kidnapped in Mexico City?
>Odd that Radjabov describes Patzcuaro as a high-crime town. It's a tiny and pretty place next to a beautiful lake famous for its Day of the Dead ceremonies>
Sure, odd indeed the dead, and the lake beautiful. Mig's reasoning (evidence and arguments) is impressive as always.
"Odd that Radjabov describes Patzcuaro as a high-crime town."
Not so odd when he just got robbed. Sounds like all of Mexico is a high-crime town.
"Anyone else rude enough to wish they'd burgled Carlsen's room instead?!"
Well, maybe he wouldn't have pulled out because of a burglary, it's hard to tell.
Anyway - if Carlsen doesn't perform, he will soon not be invited anymore. If he performs, he has earned his place. Just give him a little time.
Anyone else rude enough to wish they'd burgled Carlsen's room instead?!
What a rude suggestion to put forward on a sad incident
Hey Ovidiu, stop showing off your lack of English comprehension for a while, would you? At the very least stop insulting people when you have no idea what you are talking about. Gee, I've been to the place many times, it was small and attractive and safe, and it's odd that it's now described as high-crime. Not exactly a puzzle.
Christ, sometimes I really worry that it reflects on me that this place has become such an idiot magnet. From the acid in my stomach, it looks like it's time to take another week off from reading the comments.
Keen sense of humor you've got there, Rolf. Keep up the good work.
So Radjabov withdraws, and the others just go on playing happily? That's kind of weird, too.
If it's true that he got no support from the organizers (he might be exaggerating due to the stress), at least a support from colleagues would be adequate.
ggg: "Not so odd when he just got robbed. Sounds like all of Mexico is a high-crime town."
Sounds like it based on this one incident? Surely Mig, who actually lived there for some time, has a clearer assessment of it than either you or Radjabov. It's understandable that Radjabov is rattled and has an unfavorable opinion of the area, but this one burglary isn't evidence of rampant crime in Patzcuaro or anywhere else in Mexico. As Mig noted, tourists are common marks in cities throughout the world. Nothing indicates Mexico is worse by any degree.
Wow... anyone thinking that Mexico is high-crime HAS NOT ever been to Guangzhou, China. My mom had travelled there 3 times, and she got robbed in every trip (twice on the 2nd one)!
Shanghai, the city where I live, is quite okay tho.
Wow... anyone thinking that Mexico is high-crime HAS NOT ever been to Guangzhou, China. My mom had travelled there 3 times, and she got robbed in every trip (twice on the 2nd one)!
Shanghai, the city where I live, is quite okay tho.
I think that Ivanchuk is probably the only top 10 player who would agree to play in such a tournament with less than a week's notice.
This guy is a warrior!
I sympathise with Radjabov and his father very much. Clearly he would be in no state of mind to play in the tournament following this incident. The security in the hotel must have been severely lacking for nobody to notice those robbers bashing the door in and ransacking the room.
"To be a Gringo in Mexico — ah, that is euthanasia". (A.Bierce)
>At the very least stop insulting people when you have no idea what you are talking about.>
September 15, 2006
This Public Announcement alerts U.S. citizens to the rising level of brutal violence in areas of Mexico. This violence has occurred throughout Mexico : Tamaulipas (particularly Nuevo Laredo), Michoacan, Baja California, Guerrero, and other states. This Public Announcement expires on March 15, 2007.
For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements can be found.
Mig - perhaps you could include smilies or something similar for those with an inability to detect your sense of humour? See?
For every regular contributor of comments, I expect there are many more who lurk and simply read your posts and just occasionally some of the comments.
Most of the comments (including this one) are rarely worth reading.
Ah, so smilies don't work! lol.
Well, as Radjabov got robbed and Mig got kidnapped (showing unerring instincts for what's safe and not safe), plus the State Department advisories and general not high reputation of Mexico ... plus inept policing and low apprehension ... sounds a high crime place to me.
Once upon a time, there were no smilies, yet people managed to communicate. Incredible, isn't it?
My take on this story is that Danailov was on a mission to inspect the toilet in Radjabov's hotel room and things turned awry.
Bierce would know. As would I. Which is why I said some areas are very dangerous. Bad things happen. Or was it Radjabov's fault for going to Mexico? Always amazes how people will be jerks to you even when agreeing with you and adding nothing.
The State Dept. warning, btw, as unedited by Ovidiu, is about drug crime, executions, and kidnapping, mostly on the border. All quite horrible, but not about hotel room robberies in tourist towns. They happen everywhere. The warnings for Israel and Philippines are just as bad and they seem to be doing all right in the chess visitor department. The one for Romania isn't very good either. As always, the place place that makes you afraid is the place where you personally have the trouble. But it sounds like Radjabov will go back to Mexico next year, unless it's an all-Linares show for the 30th anniversary tournament.
Smilies are for people who can't communicate with words. You may as well write "joke here!" I feel the same way about exclamation points but give in to temptation in weak moments. Writing for a significant ESL audience often makes me want to explain jokes more than I usually would.
Anyway, the http://www.soloajedrez.com/ site still appears to the one that's more on top of things. It's the only one of the "official" sites mentioning the Ivanchuk for Radjabov swap. Nothing beyond the Radjabov press release though.
Considering it more, I would can easily imagine the organization providing additional security for players during such an important event for the region. You'd want to make sure everything was perfect when it's putting you on the map.
On the other hand, here's Robert Byrne on the 1994 Olympiad in Moscow: "Moscow crime spoiled the recent World Chess Olympiad for many players and teams. Joel Benjamin of Manhattan, Board 3 of the United States squad, said, "It was so rampant that we quickly learned never to go out of the Hotel Cosmos."
One team representative was robbed of $7,000 after he had exchanged currency. Moreover, two members of the American team, Alexey Yermolinsky and Alexander Shabalov, both originally from the Soviet Union, were also robbed of considerable amounts of money. There was no tally of how many players were victims, but there were new stories of robberies almost every day. Despite this alarming situation, the players managed to apply themselves and numerous good games were contested."
Don't know if anyone left because of it, although a team event is a bit different. Still, I'm quite sure the organizers weren't compensating anyone. I don't blame Radjabov at all for not playing, and he may well have been mistreated by the organizers. But I don't see why they should pay for his stuff, either.
September 15, 2006
''This Public Announcement alerts U.S. citizens to the rising level of brutal violence in areas of Mexico. This violence has occurred throughout Mexico : Tamaulipas (particularly Nuevo Laredo), Michoacan, Baja California, Guerrero, and other states. This Public Announcement expires on March 15, 2007''
i wonder what the US State Department's advice is for visitors to those oases of peace and violence-free tranquility like New York, South Los Angeles and Atlanta........mmm
here's the most important question!!!!! (Yes, I gave in to temptation with the exclamantion marks!!) When and where are the live games??? Isnt it starting today??
Well, homicide rates would put Russia (20) and Mexico (13) in the dreadful category, the US extremely poor (4.3), and Romania not so bad (2.5), compared with normal first-world rates (Canada, UK, Italy, Norway with 1 to 1.4).
Top of the rankings are Columbia (60) and South Africa (50).
All rates per 100,000.
The organizers of a top level invitational tournament in a place like Morelia or Moscow should budget for private security.
The games start tomorrow!!! Today is just the opening ceremony!!!!!!!
>The State Dept. warning, btw, as unedited by Ovidiu, is about drug crime, executions, and kidnapping, mostly on the border.>
Not true, not even close, I will paste bellow the full text.
>The warnings for Israel and Philippines are just as bad>
insallah
> The one for Romania isn't very good either.
seriously ? have you read it or you are playing
Fool's Gambit and bet all on the apriori "insight" that, after all, even inside Vatican isn't 100% safe ?
MEXICO, US GOV. Info at
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html
CRIME: Crime in Mexico continues at high levels, and it is often violent, especially in Mexico City, Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Acapulco, and the state of Sinaloa. Other metropolitan areas have lower, but still serious, levels of crime. Low apprehension and conviction rates of criminals contribute to the high crime rate. Travelers should always leave valuables and irreplaceable items in a safe place, or not bring them. All visitors are encouraged to make use of hotel safes when available, avoid wearing obviously expensive jewelry or designer clothing, and carry only the cash or credit cards that will be needed on each outing. There are a significant number of pick-pocketing, purse snatching, and hotel-room theft incidences. Public transportation is a particularly popular place for pickpockets. U.S. citizen victims of crime in Mexico are encouraged to report the incident to the nearest police headquarters and to the nearest U.S. consular office.
Visitors should be aware of their surroundings at all times, even when in areas generally considered safe. Women traveling alone are especially vulnerable and should exercise caution, particularly at night. Victims, who are almost always unaccompanied, have been raped, robbed of personal property, or abducted and then held while their credit cards were used at various businesses and Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). Armed street crime is a serious problem in all of the major cities. Some bars and nightclubs, especially in resort cities such as Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Acapulco, can be havens for drug dealers and petty criminals. Some establishments may contaminate or drug drinks to gain control over the patron.
U.S. citizens should be very cautious in general when using ATMs in Mexico. If an ATM must be used, it should be accessed only during the business day at large protected facilities (preferably inside commercial establishments, rather than at glass-enclosed, highly visible ATMs on streets). U.S. and Mexican citizens are sometimes accosted on the street and forced to withdraw money from their accounts using their ATM cards.
A number of Americans have been arrested for passing on counterfeit currency they had earlier received in change. If you receive what you believe to be a counterfeit bank note, bring it to the attention of Mexican law enforcement. Kidnapping, including the kidnapping of non-Mexicans, continues at alarming rates. So-called "express" kidnappings, an attempt to get quick cash in exchange for the release of an individual, have occurred in almost all the large cities in Mexico and appear to target not only the wealthy, but also middle class persons. U.S. businesses with offices in Mexico or concerned U.S. citizens may contact the U.S. Embassy or any U.S. consulate to discuss precautions they should take.
Criminal assaults occur on highways throughout Mexico; travelers should exercise extreme caution at all times, avoid traveling at night, and may wish to use toll (“cuota”) roads rather than the less secure “free” (“libre”) roads whenever possible. In addition, U.S. citizens should not hitchhike with, or accept rides from or offer rides to, strangers anywhere in Mexico. Tourists should not hike alone in backcountry areas, nor walk alone on lightly-frequented beaches, ruins or trails.
All bus travel should be during daylight hours and on first-class conveyances. Although there have been several reports of bus hijackings and robberies on toll roads, buses on toll roads have a markedly lower rate of incidents than buses (second and third class) that travel the less secure "free" highways. The Embassy advises caution when traveling by bus from Acapulco toward Ixtapa or Huatulco. Although the police have made some progress in bringing this problem under control, armed robberies of entire busloads of passengers still occur.
In some instances, Americans have become victims of harassment, mistreatment and extortion by Mexican law enforcement and other officials. Mexican authorities have cooperated in investigating such cases, but one must have the officer's name, badge number, and patrol car number to pursue a complaint effectively. Please note this information if you ever have a problem with police or other officials. In addition, tourists should be wary of persons representing themselves as police officers or other officials. When in doubt, ask for identification. Be aware that offering a bribe to a public official to avoid a ticket or other penalty is a crime in Mexico.
It is increasingly common for extortionists to call prospective victims on the telephone, often posing as police officers, and demand payments in return for the release of an arrested family member, or to forestall a kidnapping. Prison inmates using smuggled cellular phones often place these calls. Persons receiving such calls should be extremely skeptical since most such demands or threats are baseless, and should contact the U.S. Embassy or closest U.S. consulate, or the Department of State for assistance.
[end of "crime" paragraph for Mexico]
ROMANIA
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1004.html
CRIME: While most crimes in Romania are non-violent and non-confrontational, crimes do occur in which the victim suffers personal harm. Crimes against tourists, including robbery, mugging, pick-pocketing and confidence schemes, remain a problem in Romania. Organized groups of thieves and pickpockets operate in train stations and on trains, subways, and buses in major cities. A number of thefts and assaults have occurred on overnight trains, including thefts from passengers in closed compartments. Money exchange schemes targeting travelers are common in Romania. Some of these ploys have become rather sophisticated, involving individuals posing as plainclothes policemen, who approach the potential victim, flash a badge and ask for the victim's passport and wallet. In many of these cases, the thieves succeed in obtaining passports, credit cards, and other personal documents. Credit card and Internet fraud remain among the most common crimes affecting foreigners in Romania.
[end of "crime" paragraph for Romania]
I feel bad for Radja...would love to see him do well, would look forward to his presence much more than Ivanchuk's.
There is a bit of difference between this and Moscow: the organizers are responsible for choosing a safe hotel and security arrangements for it. The crime of the city is something any GM can research and decide whether to travel of the tournament or not.
Ovidiu has a point that a small pretty town can still be a high-crime area. However, the insults towards Mig were uncalled for.
A friend worked in Mexico for 2 years for DEC. He and his wife claim the crime rate is terrible. DEC put them up in a private apartment building with locked garage and security guards. Locked rooms and total control of everything. They could not walk the streets or be outside the building. The building itself was robbed a few times but not his apartment.
He would drive a car from inside the locked garage to inside another locked security garage where he worked. DEC did everything possible to make sure everyone was safe.
I strongly believe that the organizers should compensate Radjabov for his losses. The organizers know and knew that it was not safe for the chess players in that hotel. These are world class people and they deserve the strongest security possible. Obviously the organizers did not provide that.
Did the organizers explain how dangerous it would be in the hotel before Radjabov signed a contract to play there. My friend know ahead of time of all the dangers in Mexico before agreeing to work there. But his company did everything possible to give him and his wife the best security.
The tournament is not going to be the same with Radjabov gone. Who is going to give Topalov a run for top spot now.
There is so much crime in the world from NASCAR racing, baseball, tour de france, etc but we act like no one would cheat at chess. We have our heads stuck in the sand. Wake up. Stop any possibility of cheating. What has Morelia done to stop any possible cheating by the players. What security will be provided for the Mexican World Championships 2007.
Mexico is squaking they demand their tournament be a world championship. What have they done to make sure the players are totally secure during that tournament.
I sincerely hope no one else is robbed or has any other problems. The organizer should want good publicity. They have the responsibility to help Radjabov have full replacement of any losses as best as possible.
If someone was a guest in my house and was robbed in my house I would definitely be responsible. My guests in my house expect and deserve security and a safe and happy experience. Leaving Radjabov out to hang on his own is a disgrace.
"Anyone else rude enough to wish they'd burgled Carlsen's room instead?!" - Hahah, that's mean. But still funny, though. Yes, if you are going to burgle someone's room, might as well do the chess world a favor and make it the room of the lowest rated player by far, not the KID kid. What's Carlsen's hotel room number, by the way?
And how about Ivanchuk? Topailov bragged about being ready to play with a two day warning. Ivanchuk will do with just one.
Its sad news and we obviously haven't had quite the full story from both sides.
On a slightly censorious note I've been getting e-mails asking why Magnus Carlsen has been invited and we had Mig's sniffy note above. I really can't understand this.
Carlsen has done enough in the last few years to mark him out as a potential champion, he has earned himself a chance to play at a highest level and to learn what is required to succeed. He and Karjakin are still very young (and the 9 months between them is a significant difference at this age) and to write Carlsen off after two steady rather than really bad results is just incredible.
Kasparov's first superGM event at the age of 18 was the Interpolis tournament in Tilburg 1981 and he only scored 50%.
Carlsen will bring publicity to the event, for I imagine a pretty reduced fee compared to some of the other players you might think should be playing, which would have been an important consideration also. He will get a lot out of this experience and I for one am glad he's there.
The real problem is the lack of super event throughout the calendar compared to 10 or so years ago when there were many more, not the invitational policy of Morelia / Linares.
*sigh
Ovidu, who do you expect to read this? Just so you can make a "point"? Forget it. Grow up, get a life and don't spam around so much.
Well said, Mark C. I fear for Carlsen here, but the organisers invite the people they think will get their event publicity, and he'll do that. I mean, FFS, what was Tiviakov doing at Corus?
I'm inclined to agree the WC organisers better be paying attention. I don't know about compensation - if Radjabov's lost his databases then it's not a question of money.
This is why they need to host top-level tournaments in the US. With concealed carry handgun permits available in most states (including NY, just stay out of NYC), thieves cannot be so brazen, since the law-abiding "victim" might just turn out to be able to defend himself.
So why aren't there big tournaments in the US, for top FIDE talent? Is it because the USCF isn't interested, they would rather spend their money hosting kids chess camps where everyone is rated under 1000?
how can you say mexico is one of the safest and most hospitable places, when you yourself say, you and your sister were kidnapped there??
Why would anyone in their right mind rob a chess player?! Us chess players struggle enough already trying to make a living. Come on, focus on the doctors and lawyers who at least have a decent income!
Bizarre (yet sadly all too real-life) story to begin with...but the comments make it even more bizarre. In fact this might be the most unintentionally funny thread I've ever seen on Dirt.
Start with the last one: By Mr. "Frank N. Stein"....aka Charleton Heston.
Well, add one to the list of Hollywood celebs involved in chess! Hey, Charleton, it's nice to see you are still out and about. I thought you'd gone out to pasture after your remarks about the Columbine massacre cost you what had seemed a lifetime gig as the NRA's official spokesman. (Heston said publicly right after Columbine that this would never have happened if ALL the students and teachers had been armed in school.)
Then check the "Kenny Foster" item. That seems to be the latest handle for the guy who posted here regularly a year or so ago as "tommy" and then switched to calling himself "Frank H."
The giveaway is his non-sequitur insertion of a paragraph or two about cheating, done with a completely straight face.
As for whether one hotel room break-in makes a crime wave, I'll offer an experience of my own. I too had my hotel room burgled at a chess tournament once. It was the 1972 US Open, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was an inside job. Someone on the hotel staff or who at least had access to the master key, went into a large number of rooms during the night and stole people's cash right out of their pants. My roomates were convinced he'd done this while we all were asleep in the room, without waking any of us up.
We were all pretty pissed, but I don't recall any of us either feeling unsafe or asking the hotel to compensate us -- even though it was clearly an inside job. (If anything, the largest of my roommates made it clear that the thief was the one who was unsafe: had this roomate awakened during the operation, the thief would have met his Maker amid a hail of broken window-glass 20 stories below.)
Of course, my roommates were just paying customers, not famous GMs (for my part, I didn't pay, I was just freeloading).
"Carlsen has done enough in the last few years to mark him out as a potential champion, he has earned himself a chance to play at a highest level and to learn what is required to succeed. He and Karjakin are still very young (and the 9 months between them is a significant difference at this age) and to write Carlsen off after two steady rather than really bad results is just incredible."
Get serious. What has he done to merit a trip to Linares? Mamedyarov was world junior champion, is fourth in the world, and they take Carlsen over him? Ivanchuk only gets in because of Radjabov's withdrawal?
The Kid didn't win a single game at the Tal Memorial or Corus. Some of his openings have been pure debacles (go back and look at his game with Gelfand). He's not ready for this level of competition, and doesn't belong at a tournament like Linares. But I do hope he doesn't get robbed.And I'd sure hate for America to become like Mexico, though there's some who are making every effort to make sure it does.
Jacobs,
How sad that you have a victim mentality. It is ok to defend yourself from animals who do not respect your body or property. Really, it is.
Although if you don't feel competent or responsible enough to carry a gun, you are probably right.
Mexico is one of the highest crime countries in the world, there are no 'safe havens' anywhere, and certainly none-in Mexico.
Mig's 'visiting many times' aside, those of us who actually deal with Mexicans every day can tell you that the rest of the country is as impoverished as the border areas and that while the majority of Mexicans are great people, there is a significant undercurrent of criminals.
Don't be surprised when Topalov starts playing the KID.
If Mexico is so hospitable, how come so many Mexicans are living in the USA?
Albrecht, I actually read Ovidu's excerpts, although I confess I haven't yet followed the links. If those excerpts are accurate (I'll check in a few minutes and get back to the thread.) then comparing Romania and Mexico in terms of US State Department Travel Advisories is ludicrous. I mean, whose heard of actual highway robbery of buses in Europe recently? This time, it appears, the point goes to Ovidu.
To Frank N. Stein (oy), while I'm personally in favor of the right to bear arms (including being allowed to get a permit for concealed carry), I doubt the USA is safer than Mexico for that reason. Instead I would argue it's due to having a stronger civil society all the way around. For that matter, if _concealed_ carry prevents crime, then what about wearing firearms openly? That would REALLY give criminals pause. Just like the Old West days!
Finally, it's hard to see where concealed carry would have helped in Radjabov's case. The hotel room was burgled when no one was there, and the burglers no doubt had someone posted as a lookout. If someone showed up in the hall and pulled a firearm, the criminals would likely have started firing first.
Why would anyone in their right mind rob a chess player?! Us chess players struggle enough already trying to make a living. Come on, focus on the doctors and lawyers who at least have a decent income!
Posted by: Matt Helfst at February 16, 2007 09:45
Lawyers only please, if any robbers are reading.
Hey Frank,
You're soooo right. Because of America's liberal gun laws, we don't have any crime. The criminals are too afraid! Golly gee, we don't even have hardly any murders here in the Good Ole USA. Hardly ever. Trust me. Seriously. No I'm not joking. Well ok...
Ovidu's excerpts are rather accurate. I suspect it was a stratight cut and paste, but there may be an occasional typo or something similar. Overall there's no serious inaccuracy or misrepresentation. Seriously, he nailed this one. (Incidentally, I never thought he had done anything other than cut and paste, but I just thought I would check the facts for completeness' sake.)
Incidentally, there are also sections in his Mexico link about crime in specific areas, which he didn't include above. (Romania does not have any such subsections.) If anything, it makes Mexico look even worse than he made it out.
Also, do we now how recently Mig lived in Mexico? His personal experience may be badly out of date now.
Finally, here's a quote from Radjabov's press statement: "The Mexican Organizers of Morelia/Linares 2007 instructed the participants to acclimatize from travel in the small city of Patzcuaro, Mexico." If the organizers told the participants to stay in that city (perhaps even that hotel?) then perhaps they do have more of an obligation to compensate Radjabov's team for the losses. We would need to now more about the particulars.
Okay, on to an actual tournament related question. Was Ivanchuk already in Mexico for this tournament either as a journalist or someone's second? Or did the organizers have him waiting around as some sort of alternate, just in case? (In this last case he might actually have an advantage in preparation.) I'm wondering how he was available on such extremely short notice.
And I want to echo Vrex's comment above: Chukky is a real chess warrior! There's a reason the recent New in Chess proclaimed him "The People's Champion!" (I wonder if he'll start the tournament by saying "FINALLY ... The Chukster ... HAS COME BACK ... to Morelia...." Nah, probably not.)
Chessbase say he was there anyway doing a display or something. But hey, this is Chessbase. I haven't checked the true story at veselintopalov.net yet.
Thanks RDH.
The tizzy over the story of a chess player's room getting broken into just reminds me of a local news broadcast in the US (e.g., recent wall-to-wall coverage in the midwest of a snow "storm", including constant advisories of the impending doom a day beforehand, involving more doppler radars than ever before, and breathless, unbroken commentary on the catastrophic consequences of the entire inch of snow that did actually fall...).
Look, it's not the first time someone's hotel room was broken into, and it certainly won't be the last. And it could happen anywhere in the world, yes, even in the richest of ritzy resorts. Sad for the victim, but banal in general. Next.
Incidentally, Radjabov's letter on Chessbase states the following:
"Therefore, I requested reparation for the damages that we have sustained, attributing much of the blame directly on the Morelia/Linares Mexican Organizers for making unsafe and improper safety arrangements in the known, high crime city of Patzcuaro, Mexico. I feel that this is a fair and proper request for the clear mishandling and improper security provided by the organizers of Mexican part of Morelia/Linares chess tournament."
You feel for the guy, but if this is such a crime hotspot and the security was so clearly lax, why did they wait until they were robbed to complain about the arrangements, and why not leave valuables in a hotel safe, etc?...
Come now - I suppose they would reply that they didn't know it was a crime hotspot nor that the hotel security was lax until after the event. Besides you can't check your laptop into the hotel safe every time you go out for a meal.
In general terms though I take your 'next' point.
Do you think other participants will pull out or do they not see the danger because it hasn't happened to them? I mean this is the world championship, and is the ultimate goal of most chessplayers. As Tiki Barber of the NY Giants says, opportunities seldom come perfect, but if you aren't ready to take advantage of them, then they may never come again. So this person had to be really scared to withdraw, so you wonder if this makes other competitors wonder whether they should be scared.
Danailov stole Radja's laptop.
Theorist, Patzcuaro is not a crime hotspot. MIG stated that he has been there multiple times and describes it as a nice place. Anywhere you go there will be crimes. Who knows maybe we will see part 2 of this report when there is a chess theif in Linares Spain for the second half of the event.
"In MIG we trust" :D
"Why would anyone in their right mind rob a chess player?! Us chess players struggle enough already trying to make a living. Come on, focus on the doctors and lawyers who at least have a decent income!"
Posted by: Matt Helfst at February 16, 2007 09:45
What do you mean why? They will take the database apart and sell the Kings Indian novelties on the black market. Watch out for the stolen ideas!
NEWS BREAK: Topalov and Danialov were the ones who broke into Radjabov's room in order to steal his analysis. But since Topalov can't remember it all, Danialov will still have to signal the right moves to him.
Oh my god, see:
http://www.chessvibes.com/plaatjes/corus2007/bulgarencomp.jpg
:)
Oh my god, see:
http://www.chessvibes.com/plaatjes/corus2007/bulgarencomp.jpg
and guess who was sat just out to the right of the picture 8-)
I think this was just before Topalov told Fred Friedel that Fritz 10 was exactly the same as Fritz 9 but with a different box..... which was a hilarious conversation.
Just for the record don't forget that in this year's Hastings Tournament, England, one of the players was beaten and mugged at the end of the tournament.
Radjabov's claim that there was no police investigation (even after he got in touch with the well-connected tournament organizers) is a red flag. That could put this incident out of the category of "ordinary crime" that can happen anywhere.
My wife and I stayed in Patzcuaro for one night after the Morelia leg a year ago. We had a lovely time and no sense of crime. There were fancier hotels than the one we stayed in, but its concept of "security" was a flimsy lock on the room door. And yes, I did have a computer.
OTOH, things can change in one year.
who was the perpetrator at Hastings, Gormaly?
And Korchnoi was mugged in London when he played his candidates match against Kasparov there.
I did not see mention of what was stolen. Does anyone know what was taken and the value that Radjabov put on those items?
I have noticed for a while that Mig has been negative towards Magnus Carlsen. I really don't understand why. I understand that he thinks that there are stronger chessplayers out there (and I think so too), but Magnus is still such a young player with such a wonderful potential. At least you admit that you are rude in your comment : "Anyone else rude enough to wish they'd burgled Carlsen's room instead?!".
For me this rude question from Mig was very disappointing. There are more serious chess blogs around, and from now I will turn my attention to them. Good bye.
lighten up. and you'll be back.
"Get serious. What has he done to merit a trip to Linares? Mamedyarov was world junior champion, is fourth in the world, and they take Carlsen over him? Ivanchuk only gets in because of Radjabov's withdrawal?"
It's been a while since being the world junior champion meant anything, esp. when you win it at 20.
Keep in mind that Carlsen was invited prior to his lacklustre showings in Tal Memorial and Corus. If he keeps his current winless streak going, he won't be getting any ST-invitations next year.
Btw, Mamedyarov will be playing in Dortmund...as will Carlsen, lol!
The German page of ChessBase (www.chessbase.de) writes a little bit more about this tragedy. Mr. Friedel is there, I guess it was he who wrote the following:
"Radjabovs Notebook, samt Vorbereitung, alle Sicherheitskopien und weitere wichtige Dinge aus dem Besitz gestohlen."
Not being a native speaker of the German language I can't translate it 100%. It says something like "Radjabov's notebook, his preparation, all backups and other important possesions were stolen.".
So they took even the data he had backed up lately. Were these kept separately? Then it is even more serious, for no normal thief would take the trouble to steal a few DVD's, I guess. If these were in the same bag as the laptop itself, ok, then I can understand.
That’s the strangest story I have seen in a long time.
It’s very hard for me to accept that losing your possessions during a trip (a pretty normal thing for those who travel a lot) can derail your career to such an extent as to force you to miss a major tournament during the climax of your career…
What if his laptop wasn’t stolen, but the hard disk just disintegrated. It happens all the time.
I would think that a Super GM like that has a copy of all his valuable data that can be DHL-ed to him within 24 Hours, together with as many laptops as he needs.
Let’s not blame the Mexicans here! It makes absolutely no difference where the robbery occurred – USA, Russia, Germany, Azerbaijan, Mexico, anywhere… Things have been stolen from on (almost) all continents.
Something is very strange here. I do not want to speculate yet.
D.
Such sensitive little drama queens around here. "Oh my goodness gracious, Mig said something mildly disapproving! He expressed on opinion! Oh lordy, I'm getting the vapors! Catch me, I may swoon!"
It's not an attack on Carlsen. It's not even critical of him. (And if you can show me a place where I have been critical of him, whatever that means, and not his play, please send me a link.) There are many deserving players and not enough tournaments. I would personally prefer about a dozen other players, that's all. Terribly sorry we can't all love everyone equally and that some of us have opinions and preferences. Wahh. Don't start telling me I'm "anti-Carlsen" now. Soon I'll be anti-everyone with all the fainting primadonna fans around here. "Mig would prefer Polgar to Carlsen, he hates Carlsen. Mig thinks signaling is a danger, he hates Topalov. Mig think Kramnik should play in Mexico, he hates Kramnik." Blah blah blah. They're called opinions, you might try one on sometime. Hell, I'm a neutered tabby these days. You should read my old junk. Back then I'd have put Carlsen up for adoption to Anna Nicole for that -4 at Corus. Or perhaps suggest that Danailov might be looking for a fresh new 16-year-old to mentor in another country.
As I said in my first Linares 07 post, they often go with the kids. Radjabov got the same VIP treatment. I think it retarded his development because it made him so defensive with white. He played to survive with white and would occasionally score a win with black when his opponent overpressed to beat the kid. Everyone knew he was incredibly talented, but I'd prefer at least Linares to be an event for people who have won their spurs. (A qualifier is a different matter.) Kids add a storyline, and we all like that, of course. Hou Yifan and Negi are the latest flavors and I'm all for giving them attention. I'm sure I'll be anti one of them soon though.
After carefully reviewing the videotape and the photographs, I have come to the conclusion that absolutely no evidence exists that:
A) Radjabov's room was burglarized
B) Radjabov has a father
C) King's Indian is a valid opening for the black
Its hard to know whether something helps or hinders development. I do know there were some extremely approving comments on Radjabov's play from the big guys at Wijk. 19 seems to be the breakthrough year, with Kasparov, Karpov and Kramnik off the top of my head being the real deal then. Radjabov looks right on target to me, so if he had to play a little more negatively at first to adapt, it doesn't seem to be the case at the moment.
What we also have to remember is that Linares isn't quite the super rich event it was before, so this new invitational policy may well be because their appearance fee money only stretches so far and Carlsen is both publicity rich and relatively cheap. I understand Mamedyarov would have been at Wijk but wouldn't back down on his appearance fee which the organisers felt a bit much, perhaps the same thing happened at Morelia/Linares.
Carlsen drew 9 and lost 4 at Wijk for a 2610, in the old days they used to say a player was out of his depth if he couldn't get a third (a master third) of the winning total. He got just over half. He's young and might improve very fast under this new pressure. If not, he's got another three years until he's 19 which really does look to me the key age. And even if he loses at least it will bring some decisive games to the event.
Linares used to be the gathering of the absolute elite (with Wijk concentrating on producing the most attractive field), it hasn't been quite that for some years but there certainly is room in the calendar for such an event. Mig's comment only brought to mind other ones I'd received recently. I just think if he is the talent many good judges say he is (including Kasparov) he will adapt quicky to this much needed test.
At events like Morelia/Linares, do the organizers pay for and arrange the players accommodations, or is it up to the players to take care of these details?
If the organizers arranged everything I can see compensation being justified, but not if it was his responsibility to arrange things.
You might like to try some band-aid on that foot Mig.
"It’s very hard for me to accept that losing your possessions during a trip (a pretty normal thing for those who travel a lot) can derail your career to such an extent as to force you to miss a major tournament during the climax of your career…"
Me too, but since getting robbed is an inherantly upsetting experience, I can understand why Raj doesn't want to play right now--he probably doesn't want to risk losing all of the rating points that he earned at Wijk.
"Let’s not blame the Mexicans here! It makes absolutely no difference where the robbery occurred – USA, Russia, Germany, Azerbaijan, Mexico, anywhere… Things have been stolen from on (almost) all continents."
True dat.
Now, let's talk about Ivanchuk stepping in at the last minute--I think this is like two days before zero hour. I remember being impressed when Mamedyarov (sp?) stepped in for Kramnik at Wijk in 2006 with just two weeks notice; I can't imagine anyone being willing to come in as soon as this--other than Ivanchuk, apparently.
Given that he hasn't prepared for the event, and no one else has prepared for him, is there any speculation on how well he'll score?
We all make mistakes. And when we are out in front of such a critical group of bloggers as we have here, it can be doubly hard to not make a mistake.
I have always admired Mig for his humorous writings. And I am not so sure his audience is always ready for some humor. I more that think it acceptable to have an opinion on who you would like to see in every tournament and match.
All that aside, I think the exact wording of
>>Anyone else rude enough to wish they'd burgled Carlsen's room instead?! >>
is a big mistake. It definitely is rude to wish they'd burgled Carlsen's room. It definitely does not fit in as a joke either. I am sure Mig will apologize to Carlsen when they meet. For now let's move on and try not to be so rude again.
The possible wording: >> I would personally prefer about a dozen other players >> certainly is missing the rudeness and is in much better taste. Here we have an expression of preference instead of a rude comment.
I am a Carlsen fan. I am very happy that Carlsen is playing Linares this year. I hope he continues to play the top tournaments. This is part of the sacrifice we have to go through to help the super talented to continue to mature. Magnus will certainly reward us with some spectacular games in the future. Watching him lose now will make the future wins all the more sweet.
As someone above said. At least it provides for some decisive games.
I hope Magnus wins some games at Morelia and Linares. I expect to watch all his games win lose or draw.
And Mig
>> It's not an attack on Carlsen. It's not even critical of him. >>
You are correct it is not an attack on Carlsen. The problem is that it is more an attack on yourself. It is not what it says about Carlsen. It is what it says about you. We the readers are shocked to see you be so rude as to be wishing that a high level chess player, Magnus Carlsen would be robbed of his possessions. It really is beneath your dignity and reputation. If this had been a failed attempt to be funny we could understand more. But you admit you were not trying to be funny by trying to get everyone to laugh.
Mig still has the best chess blog on the internet so I will continue to support Mig as the Best.
Kasparov in brief: "I wouldn't have played either. The organizers have a responsibility. This is Linares, not some open tournament. What's most remarkable so far is there were no comments from Radjabov's colleagues in Morelia, no words of support. So much for solidarity."
To be fair, I don't know if anyone has asked or where such comments would appear. The organizers have already made efforts to downplay it in the Spanish-langugae press and put it behind them. Fernandez said, "this shouldn't be the main news from the tournament." Anyway, more will be in Garry's upcoming New In Chess column, which is otherwise on Corus.
I'm really annoyed I didn't notice that the burglary was reported in the local Morelia paper on the 12th, right after it happened. I've been watching the local news for bits and bobs and missed that one entirely. Now I found it. Too busy here for the past week or so. My bad.
"Mig still has the best chess blog on the internet so I will continue to support Mig as the Best."
Yes, we do.
Mig, relax.
I usually love your wit, wordplay and writing. I love this blog and the spirit you give to it.
But your joke about Carlsen was unsuccessful and left a bad taste in many mouths. It was downgrading towards Carlsen (chesswise) and towards Radjabov (emotionally). In both cases unnecessary. Why take raps against two of the most gifted and promising individuals ever in our beloved pastime?
Whether Rolf Espenes, probably a Carlsen fan and/or countryman, has a sense of humour neither you or I don't know. Also unnecessary.
Keep up the good work, Mig. And different from you to Espenes, I sincerely mean it. I congratulate you to the establishment of this blog.
Mig: [re Kasparov’s comments]
People probably didn’t have time to comment, they just arrived there, didn’t they? Plus, who wants to criticize the Organizers? Chess folks are not too talkative, either, and rightfully so. Of course, if you had Nigel there, that would be a different matter…
On the “Carlsen thing” – the death of a journalist is when he becomes a politician, a hostage of popularity. In that respect I prefer sharp comments, rather than bleak PC stuff. The most successful journalists are not amongst the more pleasant folks… [Having said that, I’m Ok with everything you write, as long as it is not anti-Topalov :-) Anti-Kramnik is OK. Anti-everybody else is Ok too :-)]
You served some jalapenos in the daily dirt today… I’ll enjoy the show!
D.
Mig, please know that most of us out here in cyberland were not in the least victimized by your innocent humor regarding Carlsen.
Great blog, I check it daily.
Here is an off-the-wall question: what kind of music does Garry Kasparov like to listen to? What does he do to relax?
This blog is called "The Daily Dirt." We all know Mig's writing is saucy and opinionated. That's why many of us come here.
I couldn't care less if Mig does serially "insult" Anand, Kramnik, Kasparov, Topalov, Euwe, Carlsen, and Kermit the Frog. Hell, I'd probably enjoy it. Maybe I'm just too old to be a fanboy.
Maybe Mig should add a byline to his blog that says "NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART" to clear up any possible misunderstandings.
Kasparov:
"What's most remarkable so far is there were no comments from Radjabov's colleagues in Morelia, no words of support. So much for solidarity."
He might have been a monster with thousand eyes, but the world is a pretty big place and so is the net - why does Kasparov assume that he _would_ have heard about it if someone did indeed express their support?
As a matter of fact, that's exactly what Henrik Carlsen (Magnus' father) has done on his rather new (Magnus-oriented) chess blog - see http://blog.magnuschess.com/index.html
About Ivanchuk: I don't think he steps in on a day's notice - it's already several days since the incident, and the organizers probably checked the feasibility of a replacement the moment they realized the potential withdrawal of Radjabov. But still, it's a _very_ short notice and shows both sportsmanship _and_ eagerness to play such an event.
Kasparov:
"What's most remarkable so far is there were no comments from Radjabov's colleagues in Morelia, no words of support. So much for solidarity."
He might have been a monster with thousand eyes, but the world is a pretty big place and so is the net - why does Kasparov assume that he _would_ have heard about it if someone did indeed express their support?
As a matter of fact, that's exactly what Henrik Carlsen (Magnus' father) has done on his rather new (Magnus-oriented) chess blog - see http://blog.magnuschess.com/index.html
About Ivanchuk: I don't think he steps in on a day's notice - it's already several days since the incident, and the organizers probably checked the feasibility of a replacement the moment they realized the potential withdrawal of Radjabov. But still, it's a _very_ short notice and shows both sportsmanship _and_ eagerness to play such an event.
¡"Ladrón", Mig!
Someone should check the cgi-scripts of this blog-engine. Or the web-server configuration. When I posted, it returned with "internal server error" or similiar, so I thought the post didn't go through. So I guess I'll stop thinking "what a jerk" the next time a see a double post here... ;)
¡"Ladrón", Mig!
"What's most remarkable so far is there were no comments from Radjabov's colleagues in Morelia..."
Omg, Kasparov says the same thing I did, even using the same words. I must reconsider. :)
Regarding the comments (if there were any) which ridicule Radjabov for asking for compensation, please think of the cultural differences: in many countries of the world guests are the most important people. In Japan your host would be saying things like "I don't deserve you to come to my awful house" or similar.
In the Middle East hospitality is a tradition, and Radj is from around there. Well, almost.
It's not at all outrageous that an invited player would feel hurt or offended if the organizer didn't make everything possible to ease his situation, which seems to be the case here.
I seriously think the organizer should've given Radj his own notebook, compensation money plus his daughter. Fellow players should absolutely speak up if this matter is not rightly settled.
Borat was rude.
"Anyone else rude enough to wish they'd burgled Carlsen's room instead?!"
was thoughtless bad taste.
I am a mexican and have lived in Mexico for all my life except 7 years.
I have emmigrated to Canada as a permanent resident. I gave up a nice job and house in Mexico because I got fed up with beeing robbed at gunpoint. My father, my father in law, my sister, all of them have lost cars to armed robbers.
Two people in my workplace were kidnapped last year. They had to sell their houses to pay the ransom and were lucky enough to be left alive.
Last time a stupid robber pointed his gun at my seven year old son so i woud give him my CELLPHONE. My son got scared and ran and this animal shot at him but missed, thank god.
Then I got enough. There I led a team of analyst. Here maybe I'll deliver pizza for a while, but I feel safe.
I totally understand Radjabov. You cannot possible concentrate after an episode such as this one. It takes time to regain confidence.
Regards,
Francisco
the fact that Magnus and his father are fond enough of that picture of Magnus to use it on their own website is really disturbing.
Mig, I'm still a fan of your blog, but you can be such a cry-baby sometimes. Somebody dares to take you to task about a bad, tasteless joke and you begin to purport you're the victim : "Everybody thinks I'm anti-this or anti-that, when I'm just expressing an opinion. Nobody loves me on this blog..."
Ever considered apologizing for a bad joke ?!
prediction: mig announces that he's going into rehab
People:
Mig didn't actually want Carlsen's room burgled. It was an irreverent way to express a preference.
I'm sorry to dumb all this down, but some of you took the comment literally. How, I don't know - it seemed obvious that Mig wanted no harm to come to Carlsen.
When I watch basketball and I root for my San Antonio Spurs to kill the Dallas Mavericks, I actually don't want the Mavericks murdered.
"Ever considered apologizing for a bad joke ?!"
Why? I smiled. I see a lot of sarcasm in Mig's post about "drama queens" (an accurate description) but no whining for love. Who's the cry-baby here?
Safety is a relative thing. Considering that the gangs in Mexico even use YouTube to post video's of their killings I wouldn't be too quick to say there's nothing to worry about.
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/02/15/mexican_drug_cartels.html
So were their laptops with the chess analysis stolen? What else of value would they carry to a tournament? That might have been the most traumatic. I wouldn't feel comfortable (to put it mildly) knowing one of my opponents might be in possession of all my opening preparation.
Yes, bravo to Ivanchuk! He certainly is gutsy to participate in this kind of tournament without adequate preparation. I've always admired him for such "iron man" feats, similar to how he always plays every single round of the Olympiad.
Why don't they post an award of $2000 and "No Questions Asked" in order to get their data back?
D.
I completely agree with this comment but there is, on the other hand, enough evidence for that fact that:
A) Radjabov is pissed.
B) Radjabov has a mother.
C) King's Indian is more popular than King's gambit.
Two comments:
1. One of my favorite radio personalities often says,
"Leave the comedy to the professionals".
2. In reading Radjabov's letter, I gathered that it seemed (to Teimour) like the robery was a set up. The Radjabovs are sent out of the way some place, and almost immediately they are robbed.
I think that would disturb the hardiest of us.
Two more comments:
1. Don't leave comedy to pundits.
2. I would be surprised if this is the first laptop stolen somewhere in Mexico.
Maybe this incident is an act by a conspiracy (don't we all love those?!) to get Mexico 2007 World Championship Tournament ultimately cancelled!??
Well, in any case too bad for Radjabov, but hats off to Ivanchuk - he is chessplayer with a capital C. Would always like to see him do well.
I'm definately in Ivanchuk's camp for this tournament. It's highly unlikely, but wouldn't it be great if he won the whole shabang?!
Wrt the idea of this incident being a set up, don't forget that Radjabov has shown signs of ever-so-slight paranoid tendencies in the past.
Sorry, but I can't resist any longer...
I-V-A-N-C-H-U-K !
Sympathy for Team Radjapower, still the press release seems a little over the top at certain points. (Considering what could have happened. My guess is that the organisers alleged lack of support etc. has played an important part in their decission to withdraw)
By the way if Carlsen had been robbed instead, we wouldn't have Chukky in the tournament !
Carlsen is Scandinavian ! And we all know the official Scandinavian take on criminals.
Two questions:
Why wouldn't we have Chukky in the tournament in that case?
What is the Scandinavian take on criminals? (Do you mean that Carlsen would have simply punched the guys out?)
I suspect that it was planned ahead. Maybe, somebody has "ordered" to get "all secrets" of Radjabov. Maybe chess enthusiast?
If it was an ordinary "robery", then, I guess thieves will call back offering to "buy" laptops. Since, for RA info is valuable. Or, hard drive is already formatted. And, chess info (which would mean nothing to bandits) is lost.
About back up copies... Well... No guarantee at all. CD's do not open... email service can do down... flash cards are also easy to lose and not safe to keep info...
Also, I got an impression that thing was much serious than described by Radjabov in his open letter. I hope that they were not in a room... But, I feel that things went differently. And, they were in the room, when somebody came and forced them to give everything back... Just my impression.
Mig,
Regarding the Kasparov words. I do not know if we have to take it as official support of Topalov to Radjabov, but the (official, semi official, fan site) of Topalov did come out with a statement a while ago.
http://www.veselintopalov.net/article/support-for-radjabov
"Why wouldn't we have Chukky in the tournament in that case?
What is the Scandinavian take on criminals? (Do you mean that Carlsen would have simply punched the guys out?)"
Carlsen wouldn't have withdrawn. As most other Scandinavians he has propably been taught in elementary school and later by the left-winged part of the surrounding mental-enslaving Machine, that criminals are to be understood, excused and helped. Not punished.
Shame, and charges, on you if you dare use anything resembling effective body language in order to protect the people you care for or your (at least for now still existing) private belongings, in this part of the world.
I don't quite understand all this "support" stuff. It's certainly regrettable and unfortunate to be robbed in a foreign country but fact is that these crimes are hardly ever cleared up and the police is very often helpless against a burglar mafia.
What kind of support does Radja expect now? His laptop is probably gone for good. It's his decision to play or not to play, but he cannot blame anybody else other than the burglars.
I don't quite understand all this "support" stuff. It's certainly regrettable and unfortunate to be robbed in a foreign country but fact is that these crimes are hardly ever cleared up and the police is very often helpless against a burglar mafia.
What kind of support does Radja expect now? His laptop is probably gone for good. It's his decision to play or not to play, but he cannot blame anybody else other than the burglars.
>but he cannot blame anybody else other than the burglars.>
He can blame all who downplay (even ridicule "why not carlsen ?", "happens everywhere") what happened to him because they do it so disingenously. The do it in order no to have their political agenda "Mexico is wonderful, come here and play" conflicted by an event which points to a larger problem. One not solvable in the forseeable future
and one which, if acknowledged, may (they correctly believe) seriously hurt their interests.
The event was telling for Radjabov with what kind of people he teamed up, that is how much he mattered for them. It was this that disbalanced Radjabov, not losing a laptop. It was this kind of response (well understandable economically yet miserable) from the others (organizers and colleagues) there (and echoed here by Mig) that which made Radjabov feel resentful and drop.
It was not investigations and compensations per se that Radjabov wanted but them happening as sings of people recognizing that he was wronged.
Alas, this is impossible : "no, nothing bad happened to you, look : the lakes are beautiful, the dead so odd, and we have an WCC to hold here here in few months, so shut up with your complains before people realize that this part of a bigger problem"
Yes! Mexico should be banned from the international league of nations altogether and severe economic sanctions should be used against Mexico and all civilized and reasonable men should express their disapproval of the country in general, of the people who decide to hold a chess tournament in such a disgusting country and anyone who after this scandalous incident doesn't come forward by supporting all these notions.
Ridiculous. i can't believe all this whining.
And what is this about scandinavians being taught to be understandable towards criminals? Err, criminals are, whether you like it or not, largely a product of a society rather than some inherently anti-social force.
But i'm sure you 'hard on crime'-people understand all these issues much better than the likes of Dostoyevsky.
What's most ridiculous, thuogh, is the idea that those who 'understand' criminals, which btw has very little to do with this whole topic, are being accused of being 'brainwashed'.
And what should have the other players done? Refuse to play if the organizers don't succumb under the ridiculous demands of Radjabov?
i guess Mexico is good for so long as you f'n westerners can use it as a source for cheap labour and cheap products but when the results of your politics hit you in the face when you travel there, yes, Radjabov chose to travel there but damn if he should have to take responsibility for it, after all he was just trying to make some money!, you start whining. Get real.
And I had looked forward to the mighty KID kid, what a disaster ! Maybe a good occasion for Mig to update his bloomy "Good to Know" section of the WCC 2007 site to reflect the more practical issues of a stay in Mexico... As to what the Radjabov's perceive as absence of a police investigation it may also be that the authorities where simply struggling to adjust to the relatively subtle finepoints of a stolen chess database:
"Police said two groups of gunmen videotaped themselves Tuesday as they killed five officers and two secretaries at police stations in Acapulco." (from an above link).
Go Chuko!
Some people here really need to get girl/boyfriends.
I can't believe some of you are drawing a line in the sand over a joke. OK, maybe it's not to everyone's taste but calling for apologies and suggesting some sort of anti-Carlsen conspiracy? Please.
Similarly, some of the "OK. Mig may have been to Mexico but according to my google..." comments are completely over the top. Last week 2 gun-toting loons went crazy and murdered people in Philadelphia and New Orleans. Should the rest of the world issue travel advisories for the US?
I'm not suggesting Mig is above being criticised, but if you constitution is so frail that a joke can give you palpitations, perhaps other less stressful and more pedestrian chess blogs would make a better home for you.
Mig picking on the youngest and lowest rated player in the field does not look good to me. "Humor", come on.
Kudos to Crowther.
Aw, did Miggy say something rude about widdle Carlsen? Miggy should be ashamed of himself. Sit in the corner, Miggy, while we make it better for widdle Carlsen. Where's Mommy?
Babson, in the case of Philadelphia and New Orleans, yes, there should be travel advisories.
J.A. Topfke
> Maybe a good occasion for Mig to update his bloomy "Good to Know" section of the WCC 2007 site to reflect the more practical issues of a stay in Mexico... >
yeah, he sould link to YouTube :
"Police said two groups of gunmen videotaped themselves Tuesday as they killed five officers and two secretaries at police stations in Acapulco." (from an above link).
Mig knows well what is going on, he doesn't need to informed, but he has made his choice to lie about, to downplay by cracking (dubious) jokes, etc. because he is involved with (paid by) the organizers of Mexico 2007.
In the end not Mig is the problem but Kirsan and FIDE and their push to drive chess in the 3rd-world sinkhole.
Instead of top chess being held in New-York, London or Berlin we have it in Kalmykia, Libya, Mexico, and in the future in Venezuela or Iran.
Hahah, yes, every official site promoting an event should provide lots of reasons why not to go there. Great idea. And every sponsor should up a list of reasons not to use their product and service. And of course every advertisement should list all their competitors too. Otherwise it's all lying! Liars! I'm not lying about or downplaying anything. I'm the one who said it was dangerous in parts and mentioned my own troubles. Doh. Put your pointy tinfoil hat back on and go sit in the corner, Ovidiu.
"Linares: other than the chess it's a boring dustbowl. But we have a Corte Ingles now!"
"Corus: Like chess, pea soup, and freezing wind? So do we!"
"Dortmund: Learn all about our Nazi euthanasia program and see a great chess tournament too!"
Actually, when the tournament approaches it would be entirely reasonable to give tourist advisories for any major city, certainly one as dangerous as Mexico City. Moscow and London have also had their share of chess crime. The press room at the 2000 world championship match in London was robbed of all the computers. AP reporter Rob Huntington was violently mugged. The Moscow nightmare mentioned above is well documented. Very strange they don't make those things the highlight of their official tourist promotions, as Ovidiu suggests. They must be liars. Liars!
Here is how I picture it (any resemblance to reality may be purely coincidental).
Organizer: Teimour, come a few days early, stay in this nice town; we'll make the hotel arrangements, it will be very peaceful
Teimour: Well, we planned to stay in Morelia, but maybe...
Organizer: Please Senor Teimour, we insist.
Teimour: Organizer, we were robbed in the hotel you booked, in the town you suggested.
Organizer: And you are ...?
{note, not an attempt at humour)
And Azmaiparasvili was beaten up in Calvia Spain..
Babson and Theorist,
you're a bit over the top. We (Crowther, Espenes, Akselborg, myself and others) just said it was an unsuccessful and unnecessary joke picking on Carlsen and Radjabov.
Don't worry about our constitutions being to frail to read this blog. I specifically said I love Mig's style and blog.
I can't believe I am devoting time to things like this. I shouldn't have written in the first place.
Magnus leading the event. Mig and others may pick on him, but they don't stop him.
I had my home robbed recently as well. I think my circumstances were a bit worse but in any event I can see even his case is unnerving.
I agree with mig on this. If he was asking for anything more than the ability to stay at a differnent hotel or a different town then its hard to blame the organizers. Its certainly understandable to withdraw from the tournament but the last thing I wanted after being burglarized was an extra stash of cash under my bed.
Ovidiou,
Maybe the reason that Kirsan was elected is because he was interested in developing chess in ALL the world, and not only for americans. (that is why he got votes from the less developed countries).
The best development of chess ever, was NOT in any capitalist country, but in USSR. This was not accidental, since the state wanted to promote Arts, Sciences and things that contribute to humman thought, such as chess, while corporate funding is interested about its own profit, and football is much better in this respect. (note, I do not praise USSR in total. my comment is very specific)
By the way, Venezouela provides oil for the poor regions in US. But then the "normal" countries care only about rich people (and football:).
How strange... I thought His Excellency Ilyumzhinov was elected because he bribed the officials of many poor countries.
Probably all that ChessBase propaganda is responsible for my misunderstanding.
derida,
I know Venezouela sells fixed amount of oil to some poor UK communities at below market price, but never heard they do this in the US, also. Are you positive?
Vlad,
I am quite positive. I have read it in a mainstrime newspaper (Greek) and also read it in (at least) a couple of websites.
Dear Mig,
Please tell us about the time you and your sis got kidnapped in Mexico. We would like to know how dangerous it is to travel it Mexico.
Thanks,
MP
Let's just say you definitely do NOT want to get into a street taxi in Mexico City if you're a gringo. The drivers know they can go to spot X and signal robbers who will jump in on top of you and take you hostage while the driver pretends innocence. Then they rob you, etc. Chatting with them seems to help if you speak Spanish. Telling them your credit cards don't have PINs isn't a bad idea either. They might even give you back your wallet and cards. Not taking all your cash with you out of the hotel is essential (hotel thieves are another matter). Grabbing the sharp weapon away from one of them only to realize another thief is sitting on your sister isn't a good idea either. They tell you to give it back and when you do, they stab you with it six times in the thigh, leaving a constellation of scars that only show when you have a tan. DO grab ahold of your sister's hand with a death grip when they slow the car so you can roll out onto the pavement without leaving her behind. Truly annoying is then having to hail another taxi to go back to the city. Having iodine or another antiseptic for your wounds is recommended. Basically, it helps to have your hotel call the taxi. Don't hail one at night, especially on the street.
But I don't blame Mexico per se. Tourists are marks wherever you go, even 1.95m tourists with shaven heads. I've broken the fingers of a pickpocket in Argentina, had my pockets ransacked by Brazilian children in Bahia during Carnaval, and had wannabee tourist guides try to con me in Morocco and Senegal. Then you have the waiters in Rome, the airport security goons in Moscow, the taxi drivers in Spain (and everywhere) and ALL the drivers in Jerusalem. And I live in New York, baby, the safest city of them all! (Really, it's very safe.) Hell, a few weeks ago one of the crappy electronics shops on 5th avenue tried to charge me and Garry $45 for a socket adapter instead of the $5 it costs at Radio Shack. Mentioning I was a local was enough to get the price down under ten bucks. Tourists beware!
Mexico City is a danger zone these days, no doubt. The US border areas have seen lots of drug-related crime, but rarely affecting tourists (there aren't many Americans other than Tijuana).
wow! Mig you're a tough guy... Koster, rdh, etc etc beware!
I understand the exotic appeal of these destinations, but personally speaking, they're not for me. I prefer civilised and safe places where you can get a drink without worrying about a Mickey Finn, or talk to somebody without mentally saying goodbye to all your valuables. Of course NY is great. I love NY. Never been to Spain, but I am wary of taxi drivers anywhere.
Dear Mig,
Thanks. Those are good advice indeed!!
I must also say I'm impressed with your quick actions to save yourself and your sis!!
Best of luck in your future visits to Mexico.
regards,
MP