Well, a long walk around the gorgeous Jardin du Luxembourg here in Paris turned up all of two pairs of chessplayers with one spectator each. Neither board was using a clock and in both games in progress one player was down at least a rook in an irrational position and looking entirely unconcerned, insouciant even, about the state of things. I can only assume the chessplayers of Paris have run before me like a warm reblochon. It's also a four-day weekend for many here thanks to the May 1 holiday, and this seems to have cut down on the park population despite the spectacular weather after a rainy week. We took a walk here last weekend -- it's a block or so from our hotel -- and there were far more people.
That isn't to insult French cheese, of course, which is one of life's true pleasures. A great quote from our guidebook refers to someone saying a local cheese shop "smells like zee feet of angels." Perfect. Speaking of French things that stink (now there's a segue), former guillo-teen wonder Etienne Bacrot has a promising position against Inarkiev in the 11th round in Baku, underway here. It's a good time for Bacrot to get something going because he finishes against contenders Mamedyarov and Carlsen, who will try to shake the Frenchman out of his +1 -1 =8 malaise the hard way.
Update: Just when I was feeling bad about the stink joke, Bacrot first fritters his good position and then proceeds to hang his queen to a simple capture those guys at the Jardin would have noticed. A horrible moment of chess blindness. An instant hall of shame worst move ever candidate. Poor guy. Wang Yue beat the sloughing Svidler to join Grischuk at +3 with two rounds to play. Best individual tourney result ever for China if he holds on?
Paris? Chess? Has anyone else picked up on the clues?
"...one player was down at least a rook in an irrational position and looking entirely unconcerned, insouciant even, about the state of things."
Is married life taking away Vlady's "edge?"
@ mig
It's close next a tennis court; the people play outside or under a little roof (like a little public shelter).
Direction wise it's rather close to the "side" and not in the middle if I remember well. I just checked the map, if I see it right the entrance should be
"Porte Fleurus" (on the left side when you look at the map, http://www.flickr.com/photos/atp19/29210623/sizes/l/ ), then you walk to the left.
This is what I remember.
There is all kinds of players by the way, old people without clocks and younger players with modern clocks and a whole crowd around them. Lots of different strengths I mean.
Oh, and on weekends there'll be more people obviously.
@ mig
P.S.:
After entering through "Porte Fleurus" you take first bigger lane to the left (and then it'll be on your right, next to the tennis), don't walk to the middle, because then the left will only bring you to the fountain.
guillo-teen wonder Bacrot... haha, so true, especially after what he did with his promising position :)
Well done Mig.
Chess at the Luxembourg starts at 11 and ends when the police kicks us out when the part is about to close
I just came from there are there were more then 50 boards with about as many as 100 looking over; and it wasn’t even a crowded day
You probably didn’t know where to look
Bacrot
forgot about the N on the
back row.
I did something similar once against a player I out-rated by 800 points: Qh6+?? Ng8xh6.
From Chessdom's interview with Topalov
Asked about the other semi final match Kramnik - Anand, Topalov said, "For now this match does not concern me. I look forward to the match with Kamsky, where there is no official host announced."
semi-final?!
http://www.chessdom.com/news/topalov-arrives-at-mtel-masters-2008
"Wang Yue beat the sloughing Svidler to join Grischuk at +3 with two rounds to play. Best individual tourney result ever for China if he holds on?"
Yep, already--even if he loses the last round to drop back to +2. The only result that can compare would be Bu's convincing victory in the Blindfold tournament in Spain. But blindfold events are hardly comparable to a Grand Prix even, nor are some of the fine individual results the Chinese have achieved in Team Tournaments.
Well, Wang Yue (and, for that matter, Gashimov), will have big targets on them for the next event.
Even when Bacrot was at Even score two rounds ago, it felt like he was at -2. Now the reality matches the feeling. Was the long loss to Mamedyaorv any less painful for Bacrot?
Off the topic guys, but a very nice and long interview with Anand was aired today. You can watch it in parts here.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/opponents-taunts-dont-matter-i-just-want-to-win/64541-5.html
Bacrot must've felt horrible hanging a queen to a one-mover.
Bacrot not only made this terrible blunder, but he also drew a lot of promising games in this tournament. What a bad tournament for him.
Carlsen even has an extra pawn against him in the last game. Bacrot could finish last...
Mamedyarov will draw this ending, yes? so that Carlsen can tie for first!
x