World Chess Championship Odds & Ends
Vladimir Kramnik won the unified title back in October; what has happened in world championship news since then? Here's a quick summary:
1. Topalov & Danailov (T & D) have continued making allegations, to which I respond as follows, until and unless something resembling real evidence arises: YAWN.
2. T & D have offered a rematch to be held in their home country of Bulgaria. (I had already reported on this back in October, all that has happened since is that the steps to make it official, or as official as it's going to be, have been followed.) According to the rules for the Mexico City world championship event, any other world championship event would have to finish 6 months earlier. In addition to the obvious and understandable disinclination Kramnik must have to facing T & D (especially in Bulgaria!), doing so would require him to break contracts for other events he's scheduled to play in. I think hell is likely to freeze over before Kramnik agrees to such a match.
3. Kramnik has agreed to play in Mexico City. T & D didn't seem to think that would happen, and Kasparov (in New in Chess magazine 2006/8, page 104) agrees, continuing in his tiresome-post 2000 way to critique Kramnik at every opportunity.
4. FIDE has proposed a world championship cycle that combines traditional and more recent elements. The champ gets to wait for a final match every two years, meeting a challenger who survives a gauntlet of qualifying tournaments and candidates matches. (More details here.) As a chess fan, I like it: the title becomes more regal (better for publicity, I think) and it's more enjoyable to see the title determined in a match. If I were a challenger, however, I'd be a little less thrilled - clearly it's a lot harder to become champion now than it is when the champion has to fight with the commoners in a k.o. or San Luis-style event.
5. FIDE has gone off the deep end, proposing to incorporate chess engines in the world championship. (From Chess Today-2244 (12/30/2006), citing this article. It's not all settled, but the thought is that computers will have their own Candidates event in Elista in May of 2007, and will eventually play the human champ for the absolute championship. (Will the manager of Hydra, Rybka or Fritz accuse its opponent of going to the bathroom to consult Topalov (who won't be in the next cycle)?)
1. Topalov & Danailov (T & D) have continued making allegations, to which I respond as follows, until and unless something resembling real evidence arises: YAWN.
2. T & D have offered a rematch to be held in their home country of Bulgaria. (I had already reported on this back in October, all that has happened since is that the steps to make it official, or as official as it's going to be, have been followed.) According to the rules for the Mexico City world championship event, any other world championship event would have to finish 6 months earlier. In addition to the obvious and understandable disinclination Kramnik must have to facing T & D (especially in Bulgaria!), doing so would require him to break contracts for other events he's scheduled to play in. I think hell is likely to freeze over before Kramnik agrees to such a match.
3. Kramnik has agreed to play in Mexico City. T & D didn't seem to think that would happen, and Kasparov (in New in Chess magazine 2006/8, page 104) agrees, continuing in his tiresome-post 2000 way to critique Kramnik at every opportunity.
4. FIDE has proposed a world championship cycle that combines traditional and more recent elements. The champ gets to wait for a final match every two years, meeting a challenger who survives a gauntlet of qualifying tournaments and candidates matches. (More details here.) As a chess fan, I like it: the title becomes more regal (better for publicity, I think) and it's more enjoyable to see the title determined in a match. If I were a challenger, however, I'd be a little less thrilled - clearly it's a lot harder to become champion now than it is when the champion has to fight with the commoners in a k.o. or San Luis-style event.
5. FIDE has gone off the deep end, proposing to incorporate chess engines in the world championship. (From Chess Today-2244 (12/30/2006), citing this article. It's not all settled, but the thought is that computers will have their own Candidates event in Elista in May of 2007, and will eventually play the human champ for the absolute championship. (Will the manager of Hydra, Rybka or Fritz accuse its opponent of going to the bathroom to consult Topalov (who won't be in the next cycle)?)