Ping. Is this thing still on? Anyone still out there? Wow, what a week. Put it this way, probably the least intriguing part of my last seven days was flying to the Bahamas with Anatoly Karpov for two days. Oh, it's been all meetings with billionaires, signing book contracts, World Cup, no sleep, and, all the while, getting a very up close view of just how brutal and petty and, because of that, just how important chess politics can be. Seriously, if Karpov doesn't win I'm going to dump a few megs of horrific email on Wikileaks, assuming it comes back up. I mean, seriously, some poor guy who has worked much of his life to help chess under very difficult circumstances with little if any credit or assistance ends up being threatened and coerced by the very people who should be helping him. Times that by 40. I'm no innocent, and I knew it was bad, but not this bad. Ugh.
I'll be putting up some more FIDE politics here soon and also sharing some interesting material from my Bahamas trip with Daaim at the Chess Drum, including photos. It wasn't the best political trip, but hanging out with Karpov was interesting in many ways. Plus, I got to order him his first Goombay Smash. We also did a long interview I'll be organizing and sending over to ICC Chess.FM. The campaign is about to get very serious, as the earliest volleys of the mother of all lawsuits are landing on FIDE's various desks at the moment. They've been running a very sloppy ship for a long time and hubris has a way of catching up with you.
So on to more banal and uplifting topics, like the new rating list, where Magnus Carlsen has become the first person to get within shouting distance of Garry Kasparov's nigh-mythical 2851 of eleven years ago. His latest rating is 2826, 13 points higher than anyone else other than Kasparov (Topalov hit 2813). It also puts Carlsen 23 points ahead of #2 on the list, the same Topalov, surely the largest gap at the top since Kasparov's days.
Speaking of 20-point gaps, that's what's between #5 Aronian and #6 Mamedyarov. Despite the Armenian's relatively mediocre results this year, he's been keeping his rating up and keeping him in the super club with Carlsen, Topalov, Anand, and Kramnik. Wang Yue plunged 36 points, going from #8 to #28, perhaps enough to spare us his stultifying solidity for a while. The good news is that the lively Wang Hao has popped up into super-tournament range to replace him.
So, what's new? What's next? Other than Argentina-Germany in eight hours, that is.
You traded Brooklyn, cry babies and smelly diapers with billionaire mingling and umbrella drinks on the Bahamas? That’s what I would call “winning the exchange”!
Giri's flash rise to 2672 is the sub-2700 news story of the list...
He's really the only promising sub-age-17 junior in sight. Very weak batch of juniors presently.
@Seriously, if Karpov doesn't win I'm going to ..
to do nothing, this is merely another episode of the saga of being Kasparov's employee and mouthpiece.
Next will be maybe writing yet another book for him, supporting some other cause he will decide to embrace, or whatever else he may fancy as long as he pays.
You walk on the wild side Mig ;)
I do hope that 1. Karpov wins (heck, after all the effort) and 2. that wikileaks still gets some daily dirt.
You're tantalizing us Mig. Onward with the dirt. We want to know really how corrupt they are, who gets threatened, and why exactly are they clinging on to FIDE so badly. Global money laundering operation, anyone?
And I can only conclude with - Go Argentina!
I am not a fan of Topalov (or his and Danailov's behavior), but in April through September 2009 the gap between #1 Topalov and #2 Anand was 25 points or more. The Carlsen hype seems (for the time being) a bit exaggerated, just an observation ... .
And for you, Ovidiu, this is just another episode of the saga of posting trollshit on the internet.
@The Carlsen hype seems (for the time being) a bit exaggerated
Because Carlsen is so young it is reasonable to hype and hope for Kasparov-like dominance, while Topalov despite his +25 points was an old story from who nobody expected higher successes in the future.
Interesting stuff, it's wonderful how much you can learn from politics just by following a chess blog! Of course this not just any blog, this is Da Dirt, but it is very interesting considering the geopolitical situation here!
It's funny game the politics. I got to say the Kasparov plan was much better and subtle this time, but let's see how it ends up! The Putin adminstration clearly blundered earlier but based on Migs report, they were able to gain enough time to re-arrange their pieces make people to forget the blunder earlier and now they are again having the upper hand.
However, the pen is mightier than the sword, so gentlemen, study the old masters of politics, how they used the language to state the obvious, because it's a lot easier to be convincing if you are right at the same time!
"Carlsen hype seems (for the time being) a bit exaggerated"
Nonsense. Carlsen is the real deal (for anyone who can read a rating list). If you want hype, look at So, Giri and Nakamura.
It looks like Kasparov is - once again! - embarking on some sort of a losing political campaign. The goal seems quite easier this time, though: Kirsan & FIDE are much smaller than Putin & Russia. The good news is, were this one to end in abject failure, Kasparov is fully prepared to fight Mig's old nemesis Sam Sloan for Susan Polgar's vacated USCF position.
That said, I'm intrigued by Mig's threats of lawsuits and disclosures of wrongdoings that promise to shake the world with the same old news.
Exaggerated or not, I am sitting back and just enjoying the wonderful Carlsen saga. There's really no end to my amazement.
Wikileaks isnt down for me atleast. Post the dirt there regardless of who wins please.
Maybe I have to give my definition of "hype" or fanboyism, as opposed to respect, credit or admiration: The latter points out facts, the former invents or distorts facts to make exaggerated (or simply wrong) claims about one's hero.
Now Mig wrote "It also puts Carlsen 23 points ahead of #2 on the list, the same Topalov, surely the largest gap at the top since Kasparov's days." I went less than one year back in time (i.e. long after Kasparov retired) to prove him wrong.
I disagree with Ovidiu: When Topalov was #1 and the only 2800 player, quite a few of his fans predicted a very bright future, maybe Kasparovian dominance for him. The difference between Topalov and Carlsen (2009/2010) is that Topa always had some mediocre tournament results in between excellent ones.
About Giri: He may be slightly behind Carlsen regarding progress vs. age - Giri just turned 16 and is rated 2672, Carlsen had reached a similar rating (2675) when he was about 15.5 years old. Does it matter? Aronian first crossed 2700 when he was already 22 and still became a world-top player.
Some people enjoy his pleasant personality (and multilingual interviews), as well as his refreshing game annotations at Chessbase. Some chess experts apply their chess understanding: Kramnik predicted him as a future WCh candidate, Anand acknowledged the help he got from Giri in the context of his match against Topalov.
Just what the future will bring for Giri (and Carlsen), the future will tell ... .
So Mig misremembered. Yeah, big deal. What does that have to do with "Carlsen hype"?
I wonder what it would take for some people to be amazed about something Carlsen has achieved instead of just talking of exaggerations, hype, fanboyism etc every time he wins. Stating that Mig invents or distorts facts to make wrong claims about his hero is a sign of someone being very, very disappointed by Carlsen's successes.
It is more about trying to be objective rather than being "disappointed" as you suggest.
But in this case the hype and exaggeration is normal, it is in response not to the present but to the projected (great) future.
Yes Carlsen is hyped outrageously you are quite correct! Poor chap is still totally unproven and well nothing much special at all.
But no worries, I am sure soon enough he will fail at winning the classical chess title two times in a row and embarrass the civilized chess community in the process, and then by golly he will have achieved something worthy of his hype!
> the future will tell ...
Gee, you mean that when someone speaks of the future he's just making stuff up? That it's not set in stone? Why on earth do people do it then?
I'm so shocked and disgusted right now I don't know what I'll do next.
@I am sure soon enough he will fail at winning the classical chess title
oh, you mean he hasn't won it already ?
@If you want hype, look at So, Giri and Nakamura.
this guy isn't getting the hype he would deserve
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illya_Nyzhnyk
http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=14118084
Rybka says Black is winning in Argentina - Germany just out of the opening..
that was a 2994 performance by Germany
Argggggentina, like in ¨arggg, im in pain¨.
Great game Germany , congratulations Thomas ,go Uruguay!
Did Rybka also give a decisive advantage to Brazil yesterday? Both games were only decided at a later stage ... .
As a German living in the Netherlands, I hope that a non-Spanish-speaking country will win in the end - and in any case not the cheaters from Uruguay. Though Suarez's hands after 120 minutes was an automatic reaction, less deplorable than some other hand balls in football history, and missing mate in one was Ghana's own fault.
Excelente thomas...Argentina a casa. Ni modo Mig!
If you jealousy weren't so painfully obvious Ovidiu it would almost be comical...
Point of order "rogge"; Nakamura whipped Carlsen's overhyped butt in blitz, 3-1. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
@Nakamura whipped Carlsen's overhyped butt in blitz
chess scene has become full of kinders who need their butt whipped
And Dutch IM Manuel Bosboom once beat Kasparov in blitz, does this put him in the same league? He still remembers (I know him personally) but Garry might not ... .
On the Carlsen discussion which I started, Ovidiu is right: pointing out facts has nothing to do with being disappointed.
....And Bosboom, still trembling because of the high and unexpected honour, loses his first three games, and nobody blames him, for that was his destiny. But then Bosboom finds himself. He knew that he deserved his place among the giants, even if he was the only one that knew, and he starts winning games and finishes as the highest Dutch player, together with Loek van Wely. And against Gary Kasparov, the man who throws rocks as if they are tennis balls, uproots heavy trees with bare hands and eats strong
international masters for breakfast, against him Manuel Bosboom won their game. And he was the only one who did.
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hans31.txt
"On the Carlsen discussion which I started"
Riddle: What's "Me, myself, I, I ,mine, my ,me, me myself, I, ME! ?
Thomas hyping Thomas.
"waving@ Artist formerly known as Maradona"
@thomas, I hope for no spanish speaking people in the finals, maybe only the referee, doing the Dutch-German final!
Don't be silly. You did more than "pointing out facts". Otherwise, nobody would even have reacted, and obviously you are smart enough to understand that.
The Spanish is better than the Dutch, and what has Uruguay done since Montevideo 1938?
Hi Thomas, I am too wishing for Dutch - German final. But with the opposite result than the one I watched in 1974. However, no Cruyff, Neskens, Rensenbrink or Rep this time on the Oranje team :( On the other hand, two of the best German players are Polish. So I am torn.
Germany is the best team by a large margin. Holland, assuming they get past mediocre Uruguay who is there mainly due to the lucky draw, has little chance against Germany. Spain, if they stretch out like they do every game, will lose badly against Germany.
Spain might have scraped that match but I bet my whiskers they will go no further.
How strange, South America was looking so good and suddenly bye bye. I partly blame the defense and also lack of really tough opposition suddenly followed by a really testing game. IMO Brazil and Argentina lost heart relatively quickly and threw in the towel, in additoon to the fact that they were outclassed. Rumour has it they had been hanging around with the French team :)
As for chess, Carlsen still has to prove his superiority v Anand, Kramnik and Aronian, but even if the guy lost every game for the rest of his life, what he has achieved already is enormous. Hype schmype.
A lot of real foolish chatter this column, it seems to me. You go dormant for a bit, Mig, and it gets a little ugly.
First, regardless of Carlsen's rating, everyone should take note that he hasn't had a negative tournament (and they've all been of world-class caliber) for at least a year and a half. He is consistently either winning tourneys or damn close. So stop with the 'hype' word.
Second, if Giri, Caruana, and Vachier-Legrave aren't all in the top ten in three or four years time, I'll eat my words right here. If you've followed recent tournaments closely, you've heard the high regard guys like Kramnick and Anand hold for Giri. 'nuff said.
Interesting article on Ken Rogoff in the NYTimes:
http://tinyurl.com/2wm95ou
@the high regard guys like Kramnick and Anand hold for Giri
very respectable 16 years old, makes me remember Radjabov when he beat Kasparov at 15yr
here what Mig was talking about :
Karpov campaign is threatening legal action if FIDE does not submit the Ilyumzhinov ticket's documents for examination
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6476
apparently Karpov is playing tough, he wants Kirsan to blunder and disqualify him for not being nominated by RCF ...or to disqualify himself for the same reason.
Trolls like "Thomas" crawl up from under the floorboards every time Carlsen's ginormous rating; the Elista Kram-Topa match; the post-Kramnik-Kasparov state of affairs; the "greatest player ever" (pre/post-Fischer) debates, yada yada et cetera, emerge. Don't feed the bag of hammers, folks.
@every time Carlsen's ginormous rating..
triggers a fresh wave of fanboyism.
Some people are chronic enthusiasts. Few years ago (2006) there was here on the blog a veritable "Kramnik-craze", unamenable to reson.
I wouldn't be surprised if now this "Carlsen" is driven by the same people have who have merely changed the target of their exaggeration as Kramnik's bright star faded out.
"I mean, seriously, some poor guy who has worked much of his life to help chess under very difficult circumstances with little if any credit or assistance ends up being threatened and coerced by the very people who should be helping him. Times that by 40. I'm no innocent, and I knew it was bad, but not this bad. Ugh."
- Mig in original post
Hmmm, personally I've never had the impression of Karpov as an altruist in any way. Or a "poor guy" in the self-abnegating Mother Teresa-style.
More of the classic amoral, power-hungry, USSR-style insider with sharp dagger. A corrupt fat-cat. I have a slightly better impression of Kirsan. Karpov seems smarter, but Kirsan has a few morals.
Noyp: "Point of order "rogge"; Nakamura whipped Carlsen's overhyped butt in blitz, 3-1. Put that in your pipe and smoke it."
You’ve been smoking that same thing in your pipe for quite some time now, Noyp. Is that really all you have to hold on to?
" @Seriously, if Karpov doesn't win I'm going to ..
... do nothing, this is merely another episode of the saga of being Kasparov's employee and mouthpiece.Next will be maybe writing yet another book for him, supporting some other cause he will decide to embrace, or whatever else he may fancy as long as he pays."
:) Harsh but fair. Although perhaps ghost writing/editing might have been a more apposite description. Personally I love Migloids breathless descriptions of his "exciting" 3 jobs in the real world. Who are the "billionares" ??? Who ya kidding? Try as I might I cannot see the diminutive karpov as some freedom loving stalwart riding to the defence of chess ... but if you paid me I could work up some enthusiasm. I could even blog about it... On the other hand the whole thing is quite hilarious - the odious Nigel hand delivering Karpy's nomination to the FIDE office.
Incidentally perhaps the "giant international law firm" of White & Case [chessbase article]might actually read over their letters before sending them out. Using this simple professional approach they would avoid writing "counties" when they mean "countries". On the other hand perhaps the english language skills of the delectable Belgian born but Flemish,French, English, Spanish, and German speaking Ms Ank Santens (international partner) don't extend to this level of mastery. At USD 2000 per hour charge out rate who cares? Clearly not the "billionaire" Karpov and his intrepid team.
1930. They also won it in 1950.
@ I love Migloids breathless descriptions of his "exciting" 3 jobs in the real world. Who are the "billionares" ??? Who ya kidding?
they were billionaires is the same sense that Ostap Bender was a grandmaster
Actually there might be one Spanish-speaking player in a final Germany-Netherlands - probably starting on the bench, maybe joining later on: German striker Mario Gomez who has a Spanish father and a German mother.
The German team has many "immigrants" - but most if not all of them grew up in Germany, none were imported as established football players and given a quick German passport to become eligible for the national team. On German TV they have a commercial showing the players and their parents/families, accompanied by the Spanish(!) slogan "Futbol - mas integracion". [They probably chose Spanish because the average German TV viewer won't understand Polish or Turkish ...]
The pendulum seems to swing by 180 degrees, or close: Based on what happened in the meantime, it is interesting to revisit the "Kramnik Post-Match interview" thread from November 2008 - recently put alive by fresh comments from noyb and greg koster
http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/2008/11/kramnik-post-match-interview.htm
Many, though not all people commented that it would either be altogether impossible to "reinvent oneself" at the age of 32, or that Kramnik couldn't do it. I am not questioning their "chess understanding", I am not necessarily questioning their objectivity, it just shows how hard it is to predict the future.
Why not billionaires?
I mentioned this before: our NWO government in D.C. uses Kasparov as only one of many vectors to geopolitically subvert and regime-change Russia. Duh.
I think they chose well in history's greatest GM, and the world's greatest chess journalist in Mig.
Ergo they can afford an international law firm for trivialities.
Ergo the Wall Street fund-raisers.
Ergo the billionaires.
Ergo Nigel Short as their errand boy. (This must've cost ~10K to hire and fly Nigel roundtrip.)
Ergo the nitpicking over legalities, a standard CIA tactic.
I don't blame Mig for getting a real job (he's middle-aged and has a family now... can't expect him to do oddjobs anymore.)
"Ergo Nigel Short as their errand boy. (This must've cost ~10K to hire and fly Nigel roundtrip.)"
I believe Nigel Short lives in Greece?
@I think they chose well in history's greatest GM, and the world's greatest chess journalist in Mig.
I don't blame Mig for getting a real job he's middle-aged and has a family now, can't expect him to do oddjobs anymore.
Mig is too smart to ever get a real job (let alone three).
Work is for peasants, intellectuals do meaningful talk, journalism, economic predictions and
policy, "creative writing", and the like.
They do what they do because they "love" their work and the love it because what they do is nothing.
"our NWO government in D.C. uses Kasparov as only one of many vectors to geopolitically subvert and regime-change Russia."
hcl - You give conspiracy nuts a bad name, lol. I seriously doubt that the U.S. is subverting anybody. If anything, it's Russia (and/or China) subverting the U.S. They've infiltrated all facets of society, in particular the institutions of eduction, entertainment, and media (controling information flow). Now we're just running around messing ourselves up with all of the misinformation (dezinformatsia). As Khrushchev said, "Your own working class will bury you..."
"I believe Nigel Short lives in Greece?"
All the more reason to bail him out! ;)
"They do what they do because they "love" their work and the love it because what they do is nothing."
LOL - priceless
The truth is that Karpov and his "billionaire" friends do not have a penny to invest in chess and can't generate a penny in legitimate, long term sponsorship. They know as much and that's the only reason they go through the trouble of trying to depose Kirsan, who enjoys the insurmountable advantage of providing some money to the starving chess world.
If these group of challenged challengers had an ounce of funds and professionalism with them, they would only need to create a competing entity (International Chess Federation), adopt a similar rating structure, give credit to titled players, create a new title for Super GM (above 2750) and use their "sponsorship money" and "sponsorship connections" to lure all chess players away from corrupt, inept FIDE.
That's much easier and cheaper than trying to unseat Kirsan. It will not be done - of course - because Karpov & Co. are lying about their capability, their funds, their sponsorship potential and everything else. There is nothing of substance about this group of pretenders.
And, no, it is not illegal to create a competing chess entity (hey6, therev was nothing illegal about the GMA - remember?). It happens in boxing and many other activities. But they know that a new entity would be quickly killed by Kasparov and his stupid ideas and friends.
That's all there is to it.
The lawsuit that I had predicted and on similar grounds to that set out in my comments to the last blog entry now appears to be happening:
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6476
FIDE is in for a tough time now... although i would have waited till FIDE published its "independent" ratification of the nomination of the candidates later this month before filing a suit...Clearly the statements on FIDE website and their independence and impartiality are at odds.. we are in for a tough legal battle and Kirstan could lose the presidency on technical legal grounds alone... although this would be a hollow victory for karpov who would want to win on votes as well I would imagine...
@although this would be a hollow victory for karpov who would want to win on votes as well I would imagine...
He has the votes of Germany, France, and US but that's nothing when you think that Kirsan has the votes of such chess superpowers as : Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Macau, Madagascar, Chinese Taipei and, last but not least, Solomon Islands !
:) lol...this one is going to be a cliff hanger..I only hope some good comes of this - a FIDE run in an impartial manner by a duly elected president... i dream on foolishly perhaps...
I still don't see what is wrong with Kirsan as president. Kasparov was the one who broke apart the chess world, Kirsan was the one who reunited the chess world.
Suing FIDE is not a trivial process - and I'm afraid corrupt Kirsan will secure whatever documents he needs to run for re-election. A few thousand bucks coupled with an assortment of Chinese watches go a long way in most of the voting countries.
There is no way Karpov will unseat Kirsan with empty promises of a bright future. Every chess professional in the world - and most amateurs - knows that there is no real sponsorship money in the game, so they do best siding with the party that brings some money to the table - Kirsan, in this case.
If Karpov wants to build a compelling case that he can reform FIDE and fullfil all his empty promises, he can start by getting the sponsorship money he claims his "billionaire" friends can provide and use it to fund a chess organization that will gradually start to run professional tournaments for the benefit of chess players all over the world. If done right and with transparency, Karpov will be hailed as a hero and FIDE will be his the next election cycle. For now, he is just one more pretender not fooling anyone.
@I still don't see what is wrong with Kirsan as president.
There is nothing wrong with that bizarre clown from Kalmykia, it is quite the standard crooked human stuff.
Karpov is rather is unusal in that, albeit a selfish opportunist with a glorious career of back-stabbing and money-grubbing, he hasn't killed anyone in his lifetime.
Litigation is often a strategy to put pressure on the opposition...the fact that Karpov can threaten and execute litigation means he has some financial support on his side.. White and Case are one of the most prestigious and expensive international law firms in the world...so the threat of litigation may be more effective than the lawsuit itself...
Agree that Karpov needs to give more detail about what he plans to do - his website sets out his mission statement and his agenda - which is more detailed than his earlier interviews and so is welcome - next step - HOW? How is this agenda to be achieved ?
I think we have to give him credit for attracting an impressive team to help him achieve his goal - he needs to now prove he can lead them and convince them to achieve on a proposed draft roadmap prior to election- rather than leave it to chance after the election - that is the only way to answer his critics...it is not enough to say vote for Karpov because Kirstan is an embarassment- karpov has started well but in the middle game he needs to be more concrete and tell the federations and the chess fans how he plans to achieve his ambitious agenda set out on the website....
"Karpov is rather unusual in that, albeit a selfish opportunist with a glorious career of back-stabbing and money-grubbing, he hasn't killed anyone in his lifetime."
ROTFLMAO!
You're inspired today, Ovidiu!
(I loved the one about "They do what they do because they 'love' their work and the love it because what they do is nothing.")
Dev wrote:
"Agree that Karpov needs to give more detail about what he plans to do - his website sets out his mission statement and his agenda - which is more detailed than his earlier interviews and so is welcome - next step - HOW? How is this agenda to be achieved?"
Well said.
Chess, not futbol.
This will be a little harsh, but here goes: I don't blame Mig for taking a rest from this blog. Why? I don't check in real often, but I always see the same commenters (to put it nicely) relieving themselves of mind garbage either just to see their name in print, or because they don't have the discipline to sit back and just read or listen, or maybe just because they have NO life.
I'll tell ya what: It gets old. I tuned out of Chessdom for stuff worse than this after day two, but some of the drivel here and at Chessvibes isn't a lot better.
Anyway, you know who you are. Put a sock in it for a little while. Please?!
it gladdens me i am not alone in that attitude and those views. well said kenhabeeb. mind garbage. old. relieving. Accurate and compelling word choices all, much more sparkling and sophisticated than the word choices available given my limited vocabulary. In my native Australia we have a pithy expression for the mental incontinence which characterises some of the contributors here. We call them dickheads.
@Karpov has started well but in the middle game he needs to be more concrete.
That's the old problem of Karpov, he tries to position himself well and forgets the rest.
No aimig for anything in particular, no calculations of concrete variations, just "here and now" better piece placement and slight improvements and the game goes on.
@it is not enough to say vote for Karpov because Kirstan is an embarassment-
Karpov has no plans, no vision, no money and no worries. He plays the card "Kirstan is an embarassment thus, all other things being equal, I am an improvement over the present situation". That's true of course but don't expect anything more from him as FIDE-pres.
The choice is between Karpov (no money, no embarrassment) and Kirsan (money, embarrassment).
Most players, including Karpov and Karpov's partner and former Kirsan supporter Kasparov, would take the money in a split second.
Lawsuit, Karpov, Kasparov and VIP friends will be quickly forgotten as soon as the results of the election come in. Kirsan will win by a landslide.
Challenging Kirsan seemed like an impossible task. But Team Karpov is catching up. Kirsan's reactions are as expected. When Karpov started his campaign he must have known which forces he has to overcome. I believe Karpov is playing his game carefully, and I think he still has considerable resources left to play. The best is yet to come…
Cretin's Law — As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a civilized conversation based on the original topic approaches 0
Good point spiffy. It could also be stated that the average quality of the blog comments is inversely proportional to the quantity...
Pot-kettle kenhabeeb...
I just remembered this thread is ostensibly about Carlsen breaking away from the pack, so Kramnik's comments in a new interview are relevant:
"Carlsen has clearly improved, and you can’t rule out Topalov with his multiprocessor machine. [...]
- You once said of Magnus Carlsen that there’ll come a time when it’ll be impossible to compete with him. Has it already arrived?
The Norwegian’s successes really are impressive, but nevertheless they’ve been achieved mainly against the lower half of the table. So that if we talk about matches against, say, Anand or myself, I’m not sure that Carlsen will be the favourite. But in a tournament his chances are greater – his flexible, malleable style adjusts well to different types of opponents. In that you can see the influence of Kasparov who also, on top of everything else, was capable of “cutting down the tail-enders”."
There's lots more of interest there - e.g. on chess politics, and on turning 35: "I’ve become cleverer: before I’d waste a lot of strength and energy, while now I use it more efficiently. As a result I actually get less tired during tournaments, and the quality of my play isn’t inferior to before. So I confess that I don’t yet feel the onset of old age…"
http://www.chessintranslation.com/2010/07/kramnik-on-competing-with-carlsen/
mishanp's "Kramnik-intreview"
Apart of "confessing" that is getting less tired now that he has got older and other stupid, balloney confessions... Kramnik also is at awe and kissing up to Ilya Levitov :
Kramnik : "Ilya’s a prominent businessman, but he’s also well established in the chess world. It’s rare to find someone at a respectable age [he’s only 30!] taking up the game and quickly reaching the level of candidate master. That’s evidence of his outstanding intellectual abilities."
from chessvibes :
"In a curious symmetry with the meeting where Karpov was nominated, 17 delegates voted unanimously on all points raised (4 of the Karpov voters seem, as long predicted, to have switched sides). Those present were informed that Bakh had tendered his voluntary resignation, to come into effect on the 10 July. The reason for this can only be speculated upon, though Mark Crowther’s suggestion of a “go quietly or you’ll really regret it kind of ultimatum” seems spot on. His replacement is to be the 30-year-old Ilya Levitov, previously better known to a chess audience as Evgeny Bareev’s co-author on From London to Elista. He also appears to have headed the PR Department of the Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev & Partners law firm, whose legal opinion Dvorkovich relied on to declare the nomination of Karpov on 14 May invalid.
The short meeting included no discussion of the nomination for FIDE President, but there was a sting in the tail: point 4 voted Dvorkovich the right to represent the RCF to third parties. He sat down afterwards and used his new powers to write to FIDE and confirm his earlier (likely invalid) letter announcing the RCF’s support for Ilyumzhinov. The only other loose end to be tied up was the letter Bakh sent to FIDE. Levitov responded to FIDE’s query by writing that Bakh’s document was “not a legally valid document”."
http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/only-two-candidates-for-fide-president/
Thanks God for Mishanp. He is one of the few making the comment field worth reading. Thanks!
yea, finally something worth reading. Thanks Mishanp.
Carlsen hype - don't hate the player hate the game. Who else should be hyped,Topalov was 25points over number 2 but he was not 2826! Nor was he 19 nor will he ever be the best in the world Enjoy the once in a lifetime talent, there may never be better in many of our lives.
"Apart of 'confessing' that is getting less tired now that he has got older and other stupid, balloney confessions... Kramnik also is at awe and kissing up to Ilya Levitov..."
--You can tell haters by how little it takes to set them off.
Shame on Kramnik for confessing(!) to an increased energy-level, or for praising the co-author of a book about his London-to-Elista matches.
hcl: clearly (I think) the "poor guy" reference is not to Karpov - probably it refers to national-federation officials who are being squeezed for their votes now.
@You can tell haters by how little it takes to set them off.
You can tell the fanboys by how much they are willing to not see about their flawed hero.
Kramnik could have at least keep his mouth shut after that happened in Moscow.
Yep - I hope Valchess, who occasionally posts here, won't mind my relaying his view on a Russian forum that Mig was referring to Alexander Bakh. That fits better as Bakh's over 70 and has spent a lot of his life involved in chess organisation. He tried to nominate Karpov but was eventually forced to resign - although he seems to have got a reasonable "golden parachute": he was thanked at the meeting, told he'd be needed to organise events like the Tal Memorial (worryingly Levitov said he was shocked by the budget, only 20% of which is privately funded), and given a Russian medal.
he was thanked.. and given a Russian medal.
It looks like a mockery. Well, at least Kirsan and Dvorkovich put in his place the no less than candidate master Ilya Levitov, a man of outstanding intellectual abilities (according to Kramnik)
Don't worry, friend, they'll soon make a title for people with a rating of 1200. Then you too can be titled and your inferiority complex will be gone (along with your angsty, attention-craving posts).
Now that everyone is calm again let's have another Goombay Smash with Mig..."Abaco's answer to atomic fission" and say congratulations to GM
Matt Sadler returning to NOVA tournament in Haarlem winning it with 5 out of 6 TPR of 2709 playing 1...a6 and 2...h6 against van Oosterom.
Does anyone know what court will hear the Karpov team's complaint against Ilyumzhinov? A Greek court, perhaps?
@Title for 1200:
Where do I sign up? :)
What is at stake in the FIDE-pres/intenational chess/ game ?
Ilyumzhinov’s Game
By Stanislav Belkovsky
http://larussophobe.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/ilyumzhinovs-game/
FIDE’s reputation interests them somewhat, but only to the extent to which they control the Federation and all of its financial commodity flows. And they’ll do anything to keep that control....
@"Don't worry friend.."
I was not worried, "friend".
I was disgusted with Kramnik's "art of living" which, it turns out, consists manily in kissing up to intellectual giants as Dvorkovich and Levitov.
For what it's worth that Belkovsky article was mentioned by Mig quite a while ago: http://tinyurl.com/2umobmd I put some thoughts about it there - I don't doubt there's some ulterior motive behind the lengths Dvorkovich and co. were willing to go to support Ilyumzhinov, but I'm not convinced by Belkovsky's explanation.
The article was also eventually posted on Karpov's website: http://www.karpov2010.org/2010/06/ilyumzhinovs-game-for-the-benefit-of-the-elites/
Aww, widdle Ovidiu is "disgusted" again? Playing the cynical, world-weary tough guy again?
"Bwaaa! Everyone's an idiot except me. Kramnik might be rated 1800 points higher than me, but it's all inflation. I may not be the president of FIDE, but they stacked the deck against me because they feared me. Mig thinks he so clever and funny, but his readers need to be told the objective truths. Look at me! I'm the real king! Bow to Ovidiu... Hail Ovidiu! nonono don't touch that dial. bow, you pathethic mortals.. waaaa!"
It was cute when you were 7, but now we're just all waiting for you to grow out of your diapers.
at that time (26/May) when Mig mentioned it and you replied the article was only Russian.
"Bwaaa! .. waaaa!"..It was cute when you were 7"
yes but try to get over it, nvidia
Sure, I wasn't criticising mentioning it, I just didn't want to repeat myself.
On Kramnik - I'd personally prefer he stayed neutral on the Russian Chess Federation situation, but he gets on well with Dvorkovich and has been consistent. Apart from the dubious conduct around the nominations it's perfectly possible that Dvorkovich/Levitov will ultimately be good for Russian chess. Bakh also had no shortage of critics.
Just my polite way of saying it's time you created a blog of your own. Since you're so knowledeable and interesting and have done so many fantastic things for chess, I'm sure it will attract a huge following. Your fanbase will easily be bigger than Mig's, and then you can sit and there and bask in your glory.
As of now, though, you're just an irrelevant nubjob whose craving for attention would leave even Miley Cyrus blushing.
@Apart from the dubious conduct around the nominations it's perfectly possible that Dvorkovich/Levitov will ultimately be good for Russian chess...
It is good to be hopeful but with such a conduct (with FIDE in the hands of such people who make short shrift of rules, agreements, and the process of law) the chances that things will ultimately turn good are small.
And it's nothing new in fact, what was a purposeful, dignified organization under Euwe and Olafsson has become under Campomanes and Ilyumzhinovhow a travesty.
It strikes me how dominant Kreml is as a sponsor of chess. If you sum up all the international tournaments during the year, no other sponsor in the world is close to official Russia. Kalmykia is a Russian Republic too. Kirsan is appointed by Kreml on a (bi?)annual basis. I don't think Kreml let him - and I don't think he dares - to use Kalmykias money as his own. There must be some kind of "understanding" or accept from Kreml regarding his spendings on his chess-Disneyland in Elista. Successful or not.
Generally speaking, the private firms showing as sponsors on websites for Russian chess tournaments are probably larger companies, with business relations (gas, construction, etc) to the official Russia, nationwide or locally. Similar to how Bulgarian authorities managed to come up with private sponsors for the WC match this year. (“Someone has been talking”).
My point is that, the future president of FIDE really needs to be on good speaking terms with the president of the Russian chess federation, because he is fronting the main money source. Karpov knows this better than any, of course. Hopefully he has strong relations inside Kreml. Otherwise he better have an Arabic prince or another billionaire who can come up with some major fundings.
@Hopefully he has strong relations inside Kremlin.
If he had such thing the Dvorkovich/Levitov "strong tactics" would have not happened.
Karpov plays "against the system", plays the western countries card and that of the "other-Russia".
The whole thing is very unusal for Karpov, it looks as if Kasparov has convinced (or dragged) him into this battle against the wind-mills.
I like Krapov and will vote for him I hope. He has lots of stamps and big smile. I had lots of stamps one time too but nto no more. He shake lots of hands and big smile. I think exselency Krisan is nice guy too but mabe he must go on space shio and off some were. Who has biggst smile and shaken more hands. Who can say.
@Russia is the biggest chess sponsor
-------------------------------------
I don't think that is an accurate assessment. Going by the major tournaments we have had so far:
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/List_of_strong_chess_tournaments
the majority have been held outside Russia.
Chess will never improve unless those running the show start thinking beyond Russia/former USSR. Chess is global and if you want to spread the gospel, seek new pastures...marketing chess globally is what is needed.
A lot of people think chess makes curling look like the special forces and unless there is a more comprehensive approach to winning "the mob", nothing will improve. There is a problem of perception and it can only be fixed by having some kind of grassroots approach.
I have not been following this FIDE saga very actively..so do either Karpov/Other guy have a concrete plan of action or is it the same blah blah blah...?
From your link, I counted 5 Russian (out of 17):
2009 Reggio Emilia
2009 Wijk aan Zee
2009 Linares
2009 Nalchik - RUSSIA
2009 Sofia
2009 Poikovsky - RUSSIA
2009 Bazna
2009 Dortmund
2009 San Sebastian
2009 Biel
2009 Jermuk
2009 Bilbao
2009 Nanjing
2009 Tal Memorial, Moscow – RUSSIA
2009 World Blitz Moscow - RUSSIA
2009 Chess World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk - RUSSIA
2009 London
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"I have not been following this FIDE saga very actively..so do either Karpov/Other guy have a concrete plan of action or is it the same blah blah blah...?"
-Yes, lot's of blah, blah till now. As far as I can see. (My knowledge hereabout is not deep).
-------
"A lot of people think chess makes curling look like the special forces and unless there is a more comprehensive approach to winning "the mob", nothing will improve."
-You mean new approach like this?:
http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6483 (yesterdays teaser)
http://www.g-star.com (click on the World Challenge button upper right).
http://www.vg.no/sport/artikkel.php?artid=10002973 (link Norwegian paper)
GM Polgars Blogg is favouring Kirsan. Today she posted picture and information concerning Kirsans travel to Zambia. She has hardly paid any attention to the travellings of the other candidate for FIDE president, GM Karpov. What she did post however, was the critical letter of GM Bareev where he is very harsh towards Karpov and one of his "assistant" in the FIDE campaign, GM Kasparov.
Polgar calls her blog "Daily news and Information". Omitting Karpov, i.e. not inform the readers about his travelling, tends to doing des-information.
"From your link, I counted 5 Russian (out of 17):"
-------------------------------------------------
Maybe big Open tournaments should be counted as well. I remember 2-3 in India, a couple in the Philippines, one in China...so while Russia is important, it does not overshadow every other country.
-----------------------------------------------
Goofy Carlsen photo-shoots:
Not bad actually! At least they are trying something instead of doing nothing. It may be tacky, but so what?
-----------------------------------------------
@ GM Polgars Blogg is favouring Kirsan
her better sister may differ :
Judith Polgar: “It’s very difficult to keep chess alive professionally these days and I don’t see the people who can get this organized. Some say it’s a money problem, but I don’t think this is so … When Ilyumzhinov came on the scene, we thought that at least he had the money, but this was just for survival, it didn’t solve anything.”
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review536.pdf
CARLSEN & G-STAR:
-More information has just been released this afternoon. The chess focus is the essence of the deal. G-Star hired Carlsen because he is “the world #1 chess player”. They will use chess as a theme in the marketing campaign. They made a cool video featuring a chess game.
If you look at G-Stars homepage, upper right, you find the “The RAW World Chess Challenge”. They are setting up a chess show in NYC, which will attract a large crowd.
On September 10th at Cooper Square Hotel in New York, Magnus Carlsen will play a game against “the world”.
Hikaru Nakamura, Judit Polgár and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave have been hired to suggest a move each. Which move to be played, will be chosen by Internet votes from spectators worldwide.
This cooperation between Carlsen and G-Star will probably generate more chess PR than FIDE does in a year. Or what?
Source & Video: http://www.vg.no/sport/artikkel.php?artid=10003021
From Bobby Fiske's link (my translation):
- This sounds like a real mismatch?
- Indeed, I agree that the world doesn't stand a chance, [Carlsen] says, smiling.
:-)
@will probably generate more chess PR than FIDE does in a year.
Not that much for chess but for being young, attractive, and physically fit (due to a lot of chess playing perhaps). In fact in your video-link Magnus looks and demeanour (moving) are contrasted with that of an old retired man who actually plays chess (sitting).
Anyway it is for sure better than nothing as FIDE does.
-Susan has clearly stated several times lately, that she threats both candidates equally. That is, she prints what they provide her. I have read several Karpov articles on her blog during the last 2 months. Your suspiciousness holds true only if you can point to a Karpov story printed elsewhere, but not on her blog. Do you know about such an example?
More stories from Kirsan & Co are probably because they feed her more stories. I suspect they are very active on her blog, because recently all Kirsan stories are followed by lots of Kirsan fanboy comments. LOL. Perhaps someone inside camp Karpov should wake up? (Although they are fighting over the votes from the national delegates, who probably don’t change their mind because of Susan’s daily blog).
As a funny sidenote, you can read about Karpov's trip to Caribbean (photographed together with Mig!) on the homepage of................ FIDE! http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/4616-the-caribbean-chess-sub-zonal-2010-.html
Funny looking picters. I laugh and laugh.
Several coverage of Karpov? Fine, but has Polgar published something as harsh from the pro-Karpov side as that looong "article" of Bareev?
@Susan Polgar bias:
-------------------
I don't know about that, she kept it fairly balanced during the Anand-Topalov match. Lots of publicity oriented stuff about her chess endeavors, but beyond that I don't see a bias.
Chessdom is a Danilov news magazine, but they don't do any commentary, so I don't think you can call them biased.
Chessvibes seems anti-Illuminati...so...:)
Chessbase are reasonable but would also be anti-Illuminati.
This does not make them pro-Karpov though...Of the lot, I don't think either of the above sources/channels are crap. Not like Fox v/s CNN (both are crap...der Speigel FTW).
"...but has Polgar published something as harsh from the pro-Karpov side as that looong "article" of Bareev?"
Yes I remember that Bareev trashing letter. Very foul language. I guess it says more about the author than the subject of the letter.
--------
There are many kinds of chess sites and blogs. Mig writes 2 articles a week, about topics which interest him. The page is minimalistic without puzzles, youtube links, polls or (almost no) photos.
Susan's blog is completely different and has much more content. She gathers small and big stories from all over the world. I guess people are sending her tons of links. By etiquette, she quotes a snippet of the text and tells you to read the full story at the source. She also writes her own stuff, but that is mainly about her chess school projects in the US, where she seems to do a unique job in the name of chess.
Susan’s blog is more mass market, without the edge and depth of Mig and others. I am a happy visitor of both kinds. All the “fan club” stuff in the right column is perhaps a little too much. (It seems she has adopted The American Way to a large degree). But you got to give her credit for the focus on chess learning, kid programs, young players and female players. That is unique.
Jon, you are right. Polgar's blog almost certainly does favour Kirsan.
I have had several pro-Karpov/anti-Ilyumzhinov postings censored (She does let some of the more "harmless" ones through, probably so that her comments section won't look too unbalanced in favour of Ilyumzhinov). I can see no reason why a neutral person would have censored them. I wonder how many others have experienced the same thing.
@ Ovidiu: That Judit Polgar quote was from 2003. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then.
If Susan is publishing all material provided by both parties [she sure is from the Ilyumzhinov side], then the Karpov camp cannot be sending her much, if anything. Would this be because of contempt for her, or her blog? If so, this may not be a wise policy.
Re Kirsan fanboy comments on her blog: Some of these are so inane, I suspect they might have been posted by Truong (Mr Fake Sam Sloan).
Hard to know why any decent person without a vested interest would support Ilyumzhinov.
Perhaps out of spite, Polgar is anti any policy decision the USCF makes - the USCF supports Karpov. However, I would have thought this might have been counterbalanced by her former bitter enemy Beatriz Marinello being on the Ilyumzhinov ticket. So perhaps there is more to it?
Maybe she is banking on an Ilyumzhinov victory and hopes to be in his good books if this happens - a weapon in the fight against the USCF.
However, I also wonder where she got the money from to fight her lawsuits against the USCF. My understanding is that final result of these lawsuits was a draw, but that the USCF would almost certainly have won if they had not run out of money to pursue them to the end. So where did Polgar get her seemingly unlimited funds from? Paul Truong was supposed to be a bankrupt. Perhaps Texas Tech? But if not...
Anybody know for sure?
Polgar picke on all over. She can not be so bad as every one say. She can not be all rotten. Mabe she good in side and rotten outside. Who can say. Mabe she all fake and rotten. Little childrens like her so is that bad. Little children not rotten peoples not yet.
See? I'm almost as good as an octopus.
The Najdorf is rather strong, so look for Poland & Argentina in the 2014 finals.
I agree with Bill that he is almost as best of octopus. I almost say octipus but I correct spelling like many peoples told me.
One could say to Kramnik (regarding to his latest comments about his match strength) that he can surely talk the talk but can he walk the walk...
Is this Carlsen fanboyism (given the thread you chose to post) and/or Kramnik detractorism?
1) A single loss, even a drastic one, doesn't suddenly change everything.
2) Match strength is also about "winning on demand" and coming back from behind in the match - as Kramnik did against both Leko and Topalov. He now has something to show and prove in Dortmund - but if he wakes up and eventually beats Ponomariov in their second game, mission #10 is still possible.
3) In any case, Kramnik's chances in a match against Carlsen should be assessed based on their recent games. Methinks they are intact, though maybe he should avoid a blitz tiebreak.
Mr. Thomas go pick pick pick one more time. So much snicky picky.
A pity that the Karpov campaign will never succeed.
Kirsan will outsmart them all.
He has been in politics all his life.
A very sly player.
Karpov was never there - in ruthless business.
The money will decide it.
The Karpovians have understood it and are sporting dollars now.
But Kirsan knows much more about effective use of money in a campaign.
Afraid that the rookies will get the revolving door in their back head.
Again.
A walk in the park for Kirsan.
Well, I just think it's pretty cheap from Kramnik to use phrases like "me and Anand". I think Kramnik just lost to Anand in a match, like Topalov did. But Topalov - Kramnik and Kramnik - Leko were pretty close.
If Vladimir would say somethink like "me and Topalov" or "me and Leko" then it would be understandable in a match context.
And then there is the youth -aspect. However strong in a single game, I think that not Kramnik, Topalov or Leko would be a longer match for Carlsen in his current shape, simply because they are too old. In many of the great matches, the younger player has been underdog and still had great chances, like Kasparov - Karpov or Kramnik - Kasparov later on.
After a couple of days off I'm back trying to translate Sergey Shipov's commentary on Kramnik - Naiditsch. It'll be live here in about an hour: http://www.chessintranslation.com/live-game/
Kramnik could really do with a win to get back to 50% at the half-way stage! The only rest day is tomorrow.
The "pretty cheap" phrase seems to be "if we talk about matches against, say, Anand or myself, I’m not sure that Carlsen will be the favourite." - rather innocent and descriptive IMO. Given their direct results against each other, Carlsen would probably be favorite againt Topalov - but no such claims could be made regarding matches against Kramnik or Anand.
The "youth aspect" might play a role, at least to compensate for lack of match experience. But there are also examples of old players (older than Kramnik and Anand) doing well in matches, admittedly one has to go a bit further back in time. Specifically I am thinking about Korchnoi and also Smyslov, who last reached the candidates final against Kasparov at the age of 62.
Kasparov older than Short. Older than Anand. Anand older than Topalov Kramnik older than Leko.
What is the big point. Is this all just more ecuse for talk talk and pick pick.
I like the I M Stopid point of view, looks like a valid point. But who can say.
About the innocence of the Vladimir, well he surely can speak softly and would do well in politics. I mean really. Who else of the current chess players looks most like a leader of international chess organization? If FIDE wants to have a credible personality, I'd vote for Kramnik. Anand is a bit too nerdish, Vladimir surely has the vodka -stomatch required for long negotiations ;)
It is good to have tall people be president instead of short ones. Many people look up to tall ones. But I do not like tall Kramnik to be president except for his own self. Who should I vote for I do not know. No body has yet sent money to me.
This (or something similar) was possibly posted at the time Carlsen became official #1 in January this year, but I just reviewed Mig's "When will Carlsen become #1" poll from May 2008 [ http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/2008/05/underdogs-bite-in-baku.htm ]
From roughly 30 different guesses, I counted
2 rights (Russianbear and kgd)
9 wrongs on the optimistic side
20 wrongs on the pessimistic side (April 2010 or later or similar)
Some of the quotes read (roughly)
- might scratch Anand for a few months, will never be as successful
- will not become #1 before Aronian
- not consistently #1 for another 5-6 years
- never
Quely guessed October 2008 and later apologised for being so pessimistic! :o)
Personally I was somewhat worried about the entire business of such polls (and possible "build up and tear down" effects), so I was (hopefully) wrong too ... ;o)
People in the world receive the loan from different creditors, just because that's simple.