The Chess Mind
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en-us2008-08-02T06:08+00:00Some reflections on the world championship
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1191294973.shtml
Having spent a weekend in Mexico City, I'm in some ways less qualified to offer observations than those who watched the event from the comfort of their own homes, browsing every...Dennis Monokroussos2007-10-02T03:10+00:00less qualified to offer observations than those who watched the event from the comfort of their own homes, browsing every website and watching the games with the benefit of computer and kibitzing grandmaster commentary. There was comparatively little commentary at the site, and I almost always avoided it so I could think for myself. Still, I'll offer a few thoughts, some of which were colored by the in-person experience.
The first thing that struck me when I got to the site was the mausoleum-like quality of the playing hall. Unlike the two previous world championship contests I had attended (Kasparov-Anand in 1995 and Las Vegas in 1999), the lighting in the room was rather dim, except for the overhead spotlights on the players' boards. The point, I presume, was to discourage signaling from audience members or to encourage silence, but the effect was to produce somnolence in the viewers - at least this viewer. It took me a while to get used to watching without getting sleeeeeeeepy. The players - and not just Kramnik - almost always dashed into a side room - a well-lit side room! - immediately after making a move, and I suspect this was at least in part due to the depressing atmosphere of the stage.
The site on the whole was nice enough: the area around the hotel reminded me of Michigan Avenue across from Chicago's Grant Park, and the floor of the Sheraton where the tournament took place was serviceable, divided into a small organizers' room, a press room (with no chess boards!), an interview room, a commentary room, the off-limits hall that served as backstage for the players, and the tournament hall itself.
About the commentary: FM Leontxo Garcia was the "color commentator", to use a term from televised sports broadcasting in the U.S., with GMs Zurab Azmaiparashvili and Susan Polgar (and Zappa) taking turns offering analysis. As I mentioned, I spent very little time there, but when I did there didn't seem to be much by way of actual analysis: there would be a few brief comments by a GM, and then Garcia would ask them about other matters entirely. So if any of you think I may have enjoyed special insights from having been there, you're wrong! - you'll have received a far broader and deeper education into the games from watching live on ICC or Playchess.
The press conferences, which many of you probably watched online (e.g. at ChessVibes), were often quite entertaining. Grischuk was always quite willing to be honestly self-deprecating, as were Aronian and Morozevich; Anand's comments were often illuminating, and he impressed by answering in English and often doing the Spanish translation as well. After a short draw, Gelfand was a favorite target of bloodthirsty journalists (see the Svidler-Gelfand post-mortem), as was Kramnik after his quick Petroff draw against Grischuk in a late round. (One questioner asked Kramnik why he played the Petroff when he needed to gain ground with so few rounds to go, and before he could answer Grischuk picked up the mic and said he wanted to know the answer to that question, too!) Watching this spectacle day after day I had, perhaps perversely, an increased respect for the players: if they were willing to put up with this all the time, their draws were probably more reasonable than many chess fans are willing to acknowledge. (Another point on the press conferences: some of the questions were unbelievably dumb and occasionally rude. At least no one asked the players what kind of tree they'd be.)
The players rarely conducted post-mortems (aside from whispering to each other during the press conferences while the translator relayed their responses in Spanish), but I did see two very impressive ones by Kramnik: from his game with Svidler (round 8) and then with Anand (round 10). The former was almost savage - not in their interactions but in the ferocity with which they devoured variations. It was a very impressive sight, and one I'd like to see more often. (As I've told some people, my favorite ChessBase Magazine video was an extended post-mortem between Kasparov and Judit Polgar from their last round game from Wijk aan Zee in 2000. Variations in chess periodicals are usually brief, correct, and tidied up by computers, but in post-mortems you get to see a lot more, including pure flights of fancy that usually don't survive the self-editorializing process.)
About the players themselves, they generally managed to disappear quite effectively between rounds (except for Aronian), but they were all quite impressive in their own ways. Each had a real presence about them that could probably prove intimidating to lesser opponents (helped along by the fact that all of them but Aronian are over 6 feet tall, most of them well over 6 feet). Despite this, their clear self-confidence and their immense strength as chess players, none of them seemed at all arrogant. A good thing, I think!
Now about their play and their performance. First and foremost, it was a terrific result for Anand, who was a most deserving winner. His preparation was good, his play was solid, he fought well, and he simply played the best chess throughout. He had a scare in the penultimate round against Grischuk, but anyone wanting to claim he was lucky there should promptly return the half point for his blown win against Morozevich from round 4.
Kramnik probably had the best theoretical preparation in the tournament, but I wonder if this did him a slight disservice. The positions he achieved from his openings were so good (albeit, with Black, in a flat way) that he didn't have to solve as many problems as a player. After failing to defeat Grischuk in round 4 he seemed to lose some steam, and then when he showed some ambition against Morozevich in round 9 he overpressed and lost badly. Round 10 with Anand was the big game, but Anand played very well and was even better by the end. Only at the very end of the tournament did Kramnik find his stride, winning two of his last three games, but by then it was (way) too late.
Gelfand had one of the best tournaments of his life, successfully combining excellent opening preparation with solid play. Like Kramnik, he suffered a painful loss in round 9 (to tail-ender Grischuk), but otherwise everything went well, and he played strong, interesting chess - at least when he wasn't drawing quickly. (See rounds 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 11 and 13. It's not that at least some of these draws were justified - they were - but overall one at least gets the impression that he's too persuaded that his opponents will play like robots rather than humans.)
After these three...well, the remaining players didn't really factor in. Leko took clear fourth in his usual quiet, under-the-radar way. He scored 50%, appropriately given his reputation as a drawish player, but that reputation is somewhat unfair. He had a number of short draws in Mexico City, but he also had many of the longest games, too, including two 60-move efforts and a 100-move marathon against Gelfand in round 3.
Svidler was another half point back, and his tournament was especially uninspiring: two losses in the first cycle, a bunch of short draws, and his only win the result of preparation in the last round against a slumping Grischuk. A disappointing result for a great player.
Next came Morozevich and Aronian at minus-two. Aronian might have been in poor health early on, and both players' opening preparation proved suspect. Both players do deserve credit for their fighting spirit, with 8 and 6 decisive results, respectively.
In clear last place was Grischuk, who was tied for third as late as round 5 or 6, but who then completely collapsed, losing five consecutive games with the Black pieces.
By way of lessons from this tournament, at least two come to mind. First, experience beats youth: the first three places, possessed by the only three players who contended for the title, were taken by the (by far) oldest players in the event. Second, insanely deep opening preparation was absolutely critical. The big three were clearly the best prepared, and the results on down the table very closely followed the extent of the competitors' prep. We as amateurs don't have to work out our openings to move 28 (referring to Anand-Kramnik from the first cycle) and beyond, but it's not such a bad idea if you wish to contend for the world championship!
Anand is of course the big winner, but not the only one. For Gelfand, this should get him a fresh round of invites to the big tournaments (at least until he short draws his way onto their "don't call us, we'll call you" list). For Kramnik, it's not a bad result, and it does have the very big positive that he doesn't have to deal with Topalov and Danailov next year. He gets the prestige match with Anand, which should bring him a lot of money and the chance for ultimate post-Kasparov bragging rights. It should be a great match!]]>Mexico City, Round 13: Anand survives, maintains a one-point lead
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1191024567.shtml
Anand's game, and the round, is now over: he survived the ending by a single tempo and is poised to become the 15th real world champion (sorry, lovers of the FIDE...Dennis Monokroussos2007-09-29T00:09+00:00
So: here are my thoughts on today's two main games, in all their unvarnished glory, folly, or something in between.
N.B. I won't be around tomorrow, so look for more blog action on Monday, maybe Sunday night if the mood strikes.]]>Mexico City, Round 13, Live Update #3
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1191022400.shtml
The third game - Aronian-Svidler - has finished: a draw. The game was an unusual English (1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bc5 5.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 6.Kxf2 Nxe5 7.e4 etc.) in...Dennis Monokroussos2007-09-28T23:09+00:00
Meanwhile, in The Game That Counts, Grischuk has let the win, or at least the serious winning chances he enjoyed, slip away, and the game is almost surely winding down to a draw in a very few moves. If so, it's a very close escape for Anand, and one that just about guarantees him the title.]]>Mexico City, Round 13, Live Update #2
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1191019680.shtml
The second game to finish was Leko-Morozevich, and although it's not of any direct importance to the race for the title, it may have some indirect significance. Leko won pretty convincingly,...Dennis Monokroussos2007-09-28T22:09+00:00
So what's the significance? Just this: Leko should get a little confidence boost from the win, and that could make him a tougher opponent for Anand tomorrow. And speaking of Anand, his game with Grischuk continues. It's move 50 in a rook ending that's probably winning for the Russian, but the route to success is not yet trivial. Here's the position with White to move:
More news as it happens.]]>Mexico City, Round 13, Live Update
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1191013849.shtml
In one of the two games with relevance to first place, Gelfand and Kramnik agreed to a draw after 26 moves. (Appropriately, I should add - the final position posed no...Dennis Monokroussos2007-09-28T21:09+00:00
The other game that matters, Grischuk-Anand, is still going, but Anand is frankly in trouble, about to be down a pawn for nothing in a rook and knight ending. The material is reduced, so maybe he'll be able to save a draw, but my impression is that this is an endgame White should win.
Should Grischuk win this game, Anand's lead over Gelfand will be cut to half a point going into the last round, with Kramnik another half a point behind. These are the relevant last round pairings:
Of course, Grischuk hasn't won the game yet, but if he does we could be in for a fantastic (and potentially tragic) finish.]]>Mexico City, Round 5: A bumper crop of white wins (Updated)
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1190161638.shtml
UPDATE: The games (with my comments) are here....Dennis Monokroussos2007-09-19T00:09+00:00here.
Leko-Kramnik finished first, and highlighted the frustration 1.e4 players are experiencing in light of the Petroff Defense. Leko used the Bishop's Opening move order to get to the Giuoco Piano. The goal there is to reach a Ruy-style position, and Leko succeeded in that aim. That was his only success, however, as his attempt to build a kingside attack was skillfully neutralized by Kramnik, and the game was drawn in 24 moves.
Anand-Svidler was a ray of hope for White, however. Svidler threatened the Marshall Gambit, and for the second time in the event (the first was Svidler-Leko in round 2), White called the bluff and captured the pawn. On this occasion, White was able to stop Black's progress, and although he wasn't winning after 27.a4, that move marked the beginning of White's play. Svidler didn't react successfully, and Anand rolled him up in another dozen moves, taking the tournament lead by himself.
Grischuk-Morozevich was a Ragozin Queen's Gambit, a line more commonly seen in Aronian's opening repertoire than Morozevich's. This showed in that the moment when they left theory on move 16, Morozevich had used up more than 3/4 of his time. Had this resulted in a great position, it might have been a good investment, but that wasn't the case. Morozevich's position was precarious, and his position was lost or nearly lost in another 10 moves. Eventually Grischuk won, and now from the possibility of last place before pulling out the draw against Kramnik he's now tied for second, half a point out of first.
Gelfand is part of that tie, defeating Aronian on the white side of a Modern Benoni sideline. Black always looked a bit worse, and when the tricks didn't work Gelfand collected the material and crushed him on the kingside.
Standings after Round 5:
1. Anand 3.5
2-4. Kramnik, Gelfand, Grischuk 3
5-7. Leko, Morozevich, Aronian 2
8. Svidler 1.5]]>Mexico City, Round 4: A matter of technique?
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1189995987.shtml
A great deal happened after my "Round 4 in progress" post, much of it shocking. Svidler-Gelfand had already been drawn, but the other three games were in progress....Dennis Monokroussos2007-09-17T02:09+00:00Round 4 in progress" post, much of it shocking. Svidler-Gelfand had already been drawn, but the other three games were in progress.
Aronian-Leko was a Hedgehog of sorts, and Aronian enjoyed the typical space advantage but nothing clear. That changed immediately after Leko's 27...Bd8, allowing the simple shot 28.e5, winning material. Leko would have some compensation after 28...Bc7 29.Qd2 dxe5 30.Qxd7 Nxf4, but when he chose 29...dxe5 instead Aronian was winning easily.
And won, I should add, because both Kramnik and Anand were just as "winning" as Aronian, but both drew. In Anand's case, Morozevich put up very strong resistance, and Anand failed to find the winning moves when they presented themselves. Kramnik-Grischuk, on the other hand, was another story altogether. Grischuk didn't have to do anything at all; Kramnik was generous all by himself - see the game link, below.
I suspect both of them are either nauseous, angry with themselves, or both - rightly so. The question is whether the free day will let them work it out of their system or if it will fester into something self-destructive. We shall see, but for now, they continue to lead:
Remember, tomorrow is a rest day, so get your chess fix by watching my ChessBase show!]]>Mexico City, Round 4 in progress
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1189979907.shtml
We're between two and a half and three hours in, and of the four games...Dennis Monokroussos2007-09-16T21:09+00:00
Svidler - Gelfand
Aronian - Leko
Morozevich - Anand
Kramnik - Grischuk
one game is finished and at least one more is nearly decided. Svidler joined Anand and Leko in anti-Petroff futility, again testing Gelfand in the 5.Nc3 line. After 5...Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 he varied with 7.Bf4, but Gelfand passed the test and drew in 24 moves. It is my sincere hope that Gelfand smashes all three of these players in the second cycle for their impudence, but maybe those three really have no faith in White's chances for an advantage in the main line.
Aronian-Leko has been a Hedgehog of sorts, and is still in the dull phase. If Black goes for d5 or b5, it can sharpen up, so I'll try to stay awake until it's finished.
Morozevich-Anand has been a disaster for Morozevich, who quickly found himself with a lost position in the Reynolds Variation* of the Meran Semi-Slav. Black's up a pawn - a strong passer at that - with a better position, so while it's almost never too late to lose a game, realistically speaking it's 0-1.
Finally, Kramnik continued his run this tournament of completely outpreparing his opponents. Kramnik, with White, has achieved a nice edge and a huge lead on the clock, but Grischuk has played well enough that the game is still closer to a draw than a White win.
*Thanks to IM Dave Vigorito for the correction.]]>