Nice pics of Anand and Co. from the last day of the match from Freddy at ChessBase. From 1.e4! of game 11 to the celebratory bubbly. They also put up collection of interviews and media clips from the Indian press here.
Some flashbacks from pre-match interviews. Both players probably have at least six months worth of preparation left over. Kramnik could probably sell his as "Like New! Never Used!" on Ebay.
Anand: "I have been studying Kramnik since the end of April, up to ten hours a day, here at home in my cellar, where I have my office. I have a database and construct game plans. I try to neutralise positions in which Kramnik is strong. He is doing the same thing with my game, which I must of course take into consideration. Let me put it this way: I must remember that he is thinking about what I am thinking about him. In any case one is working for months with the computer, trying to find new paths."
Kramnik: "So basically my preparation started - let me see, when did we sign? - well sometime in November. From that time I started to collect my team, I started to check the games of my opponent, to think about different possible strategies. But it became fairly intense from somewhere around April - more intense with more concrete chess work."
Q: In the game of psychological warfare, you seemed to be well prepared, taking Kramnik by surprise. Even in the openings you came off as better prepared….
A: I think that comes with a bit of hindsight… It turned out that our match strategy was correct. We were able to anticipate where he would go. That was a big part of the victory, of course. Because without those two games, the match would be tight. I think he did expect me to play d4 but I didn’t get the direction correctly. Yes, in opening, he prepared for somebody else… for some other Anand (laughs). In that sense, I took him by surprise. After round 6, he pulled himself together but luckily, my lead was large by that time.
Q: Can you elaborate on your strategy and preparation for the match?
Yeah. I made the decision last year because, I guess, for a match with Kramnik it’s better to play 1.d4. It’s better to take the decision earlier rather than putting it off till very late and then start working towards it… Right or wrong, you have to stick along with that decision as you cannot back out. Having said that, it worked out very well. In fact, the problem was the whole year I was trying to prepare for d4 and playing e4 in tournaments… that was quite tough to handle.
Q: How much credit would you give to your seconds. What was their role in your novelties in the match?
A: It’s difficult to break it down… but I guess it’s a lot. Most of the ideas all of them checked back and forth as a unit. They worked very well as a unit. Otherwise, they worked very well on their own. We got together a couple of camps, all of us. We managed to jell very well together. So much that by the time the match started, they were working on their own.
>Both players probably have at least six months >worth of preparation left over. Kramnik could ?>probably sell his as "Like New! Never Used!" on >Ebay.
He could open an exhibition titled :
"Paintings that didn't get to impress Anand"
Just a room with computers and chairs where the paying visitors can sit in front of the comps and explore the "Kramnik-imagined" lines.
An artistic experience offering an intimate view of Kramnik's mind.
In ChessBase10 format, there can be paintings there named as :
"Typical endgames resulting from Petroff"
"An awesome night in bed with Rybka"
"Withstanding the boredom of Exchange Slav, a heroic and exciting challange in itself !"
"Nightmares, the Meran variation"
"Alternative lifestyles : how to swing your Queen with that of your buddy"
"Berlin, self-portrait"
You should know this best. What it takes to be a world champion?
Lots of hard work and patience and the ability to rise above oneself. Anand consciously keeps away from controversy and politics. At times this has been very expensive for his career. But rather than complaining Anand would try to just play his chess.
For example, in 2002 there was a plan to have a world championship and in that scheme only player who got a bad deal was Anand. He was unfairly kept out. It was a very difficult moment for us. We went for a holiday and came back and Anand said the only thing I can do is play my chess and enjoy it. He went on to win two chess Oscars in 2003 and 2004. This was some of the happiest moments of our life.
When did the Bonn preparation start?
Before Mexico we understood that Kramnik would have the privilege to get a match irrespective of what happened in there. It didn’t feel right but Anand said let me win Mexico and only then do I need to worry.
He played some of his best chess in Mexico and won. Then within an hour the talk about the Kramnik match started. I really felt bad but Anand said I would like to play a match and not have a career where I haven’t got the chance and moreover I want to do something different.
“Not for winning the match but when I look back at my career I want to feel proud that I played d4.” He risked and played something. It was when Anand said this, it really impacted me. It was at that moment we decided that we would give Bonn all that it takes and the whole Team Anand rose to the occasion. In Anand’s case, he never got a privilege and never tried to reason with his critics. He just said I will play and win and the rest takes care of itself. It is a quality that is very special not only in a champion but in a person.
What would it take to see a Kasparov - Anand match?
USD 5 million? 10 million?
C'mon Garry, get back to the chess board while you still can! Surely you can see that playing the Russian ploitics game with a target painted on your back has a limited shelf life?
as I said a few threads ago (where all were denying this). And now Anand himself, in an interview, has suggested a WC Match Anand Kasparov.
See, guys?
Kasparov can return to politics later again.
Ovidiu,
You're quite disrespectful with a guy who plays chess a little bit better than you...
Anyone seen the video of the moment where the final game is agreed drawn? I haven't seen it yet.
A link?
Ovidiu is not being disrespectful to Kramnik, but to Anand; and I agree with him: Anand shouldn't be called a World Champion just for wining a lousy match against a painter. Any patzer can win against a painter. That's the idea you're brilliantly trying to convey, Ovidiu, right?
FIDE should have organized a re-unification match between Anand and Kramnik (two different title holders in 2000) in 2001 instead of organizing another FIDE Knockout in 2001. That way the schism could have been resolved much earlier.
Perhaps this was in the works but somehow never saw the light of day because of FIDE bureaucracy, or Kasparov's tactics at filibustering such an effort because that would leave him out, or Kramnik's refusal to defend his title so soon, just so that he could hold on to it for several years...
Trivia: Kramnik beat Topalov 3:1 in the 1999 KO in Vegas which was eventually won by Khalifman.
Check out the Europe-echecs.com. One of their videos show the players shaking hands with Kramnik extending both his hands to hold Anand's hand to congratulate him on the match win.
Despite all the criticisms, Kramnik has been very graceful in this defeat.
This was a great match on and off the board.
>Despite all the criticisms, Kramnik has been >very graceful in this defeat.
the criticism was about his play, being "graceful" in defeat is "public relation management", if not a feminine lack of ambition
Ovidiu is lying. In actual fact, his hateful attacks on Kramnik have only focused on his play as a means to attack him personally, ie preparation (laziness, complacency), opening choices when under pressure (cowardice, lethargy) and strong winning chess (recipient of luck = laziness again).
Agree here with Guillaume, especially considering Ovidiu's bizarre comment "Anand deserves our praise and Kramnik deserves our mockery." Can't have both, and you can't really have either according to Ovidiu himself. If Anand deserves our praise it's because he did something difficult, defeated an opponent at least equal in strength -- but Ovidiu doesn't think so. If Kramnik deserves mockery it's because he blew a match he should have won -- but again, Ovidiu would snort at that.
So there's nothing left, but you know what? Ovidiu keeps talking. It's the Net after all, where freedom exacts its greatest price.
"the criticism was about his play, being "graceful" in defeat is "public relation management", if not a feminine lack of ambition".
Wow, Ovidiu, even for you this is a startling low. If your stern, patriarchal upbringing has brought you only to here, perhaps you should re-think and get advice from your mother...
> Can't have both..If Anand deserves our praise it's because he did something difficult, defeated an opponent at least equal in strength ..>
Not really, for example Fischer at his peak or Morphy deserve our praise albeit they defeated
opponents well bellow their strenght.
Good to hear, Ovidiu! Then of course you'll wish to retract your statement. Since Anand was that much stronger, Kramnik is most undeserving of mockery for losing the match. In fact, you may want to single him out for praise for his play in the latter half of the match avoiding a shutout.
More foolish comments from Ovidiu. Why dont you leave these bords. Kramnik would in my oppinion have cauhgt up if the mach have been 4 games longer. He showed the better play in the last 5 games, Anand himself also say this.
I am very happy hearing that Kramnik said after the defeat that he will continue in chess and will fight for top hounour again.
He certainly has the ability to do just that.
Ovidiu, Kramnik played 4 matches and one tournament in eight years. Which means that he played as much for the title as any other world champion on an seven (or eight) year span. That was the first point.
Second point now. Four players managed to get over 2800. Kramnik is one of them. He played against the three other ones in world championship matches, defeating two of them and losing to the third one. Therefore Kramnik, as a world champ, not only fought for the title as often as any other world champion, but did it against the strongest players ever.
Therefore your comments are totally uncalled, unecessary, and do definitely display unelegant manners. Furthermore, your sentence about "feminine lack of ambition" shows prejudice, misogyny, and despicable stupidity. Which I can understand, because your country needed people like you to end up with Ion Antonescus a few years ago.
... on the whole, Ovidiu, you're a disgrace. And I'm pretty sure that for your words, the peaceful and gentlemanly Anand would spit on your face.
And I'm pretty sure that for your words, the peaceful and gentlemanly Anand would spit on your face.
What? And soil his saliva??
I'm an Anand fan, and I'm pretty ashamed of Ovidiu. Just ignore him, guys. We're not all like that, and Kramnik was a worthy opponent.
Mig, love your work.
Lots of truth in Ovidiu's comments.
There is such a thing as kicking a man when he's down --- what Ovidiu is saying is quite uncalled for in the circumstances.
I am an Anand fan myself and very happy he won but I don't see why that should lessen respect for Kramnik who fought hard after being pushed into an (almost) mathematically impossible position.
For what it's worth - I think the match dynamics would have been very different if it had been 16/20/24 games. Anand would not have throttled back to sit on his 3-0 lead with 10 games or more left and nor would Kramnik have played with that element of desperation from game 9 onwards. But that's a totally different case of "might have been".
If you've been following this blog for more than two weeks, you know that Ovidiu is not an Anand fan. He has always been one of the most vocal Kramnik supporters here, didn't regard Anand as the champion after Mexico, predicted he would lose to Kramnik in a match. He just feels let down by Kramnik's level of play here. (Initially he thought Kramnik was unwell and masking it just to get his paycheck!) At some point he decided that Kramnik wasn't even trying to put up a fight, and began attacking his personality. Don't worry, once Kramnik has a great performance (as he is bound to, sooner or later), Ovidiu will be back to normal.
Well plei, this makes just things even worse.
A fan or a supporter is supposed to be there when the "supported" person/team needs it most, that is in defeat.
A friend is supposed to be there for you when you have real problems.
Worshiping the winner just because he won and spitting on him when he looses is a tangible proof of either young age (like 12), or of total stupidity.
His comments would have been more understandable, less stupid and more logical in the mouth of a bulgarian Topalov fan.
Can someone tell me who is footing the $2 mn prize-money of the match ?
Is it Kirsan ?
Gazprom and Evonik. Don't worry, they steal enough money in Russia to be able to afford many more world championships.
Strangely, I've noticed Ovidiu's English slipping in the last couple of weeks -- grammatical errors, vocab solecisms.
Would the real Ovidiu please stand up? (So you can be slapped down).
Ovidiu's comments are playfully delivered, but frequently very poignant. I enjoy that kind of writing rather than watered down, sterile, predictable nonsense. Ovidiu’s stuff is not mandatory reading -- those who do not like it should not read it. Please, do not try to restrict my right to enjoy intelligent commentary only because some stubborn dummies can’t appreciate it.
D.
Protesting too much for too little again, Dimi. You know quite well that no one is restricting your right to read; however, more than once on this blog you have called for the application of restrictions for posters with whom you did not agree. So you could at least try to maintain consistency.
Moreover, it's definitely not mandatory for you to read the expository posts that appear after Ovidiu's frequent flights of lies and hatred. In fact, you have the freedom to skip right over the truth wherever you please! All the better for you to conjure the imaginary poignancy and playfulness of Ovidiu's delightful prose.
"...being 'graceful' in defeat is 'public relation management', if not a feminine lack of ambition." --Ovidiu
"Ovidiu's comments are playfully delivered, but frequently very poignant. I enjoy that kind of writing..." --Dimi
"Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?" --Airplane
Four or five hundred years of domination by the Ottoman Turks has definitely left its mark.
Have any in-depth Kramnik interviews come up yet?
Did Anand speak about Carlsen's inputs in any of his interviews?
Did anybody ask him if Kasparov had any input for Anand in his pre-match prep?
The history knowledge of a 3-rd grader paired to the mind of a 3-rd
grader -- typical Greg Koster. This is an excellent example to my 11
year old on what a sorry geek looks like and acts like.
D.
Dimi -- splendid to learn that you're teaching your child how to hate.
Just the other day I was saying to a friend that this world doesn't have enough school yard bullies to call people they disagree with names like "sorry geek".
Anand has been a world champion challenger, i think it is his time to reign, and i wish him all the best.