World championship

I was just looking through the details of the up coming candidates tournament and was rather surprised to see that the next World championship match will be this November (exactly a year since the last). Since when did that change? I thought it was meant to be a two year cycle??

Anyway, any predictions for the candidates? Aronian looks pretty irresistible at the moment but my money is on Kramnik. 🙂

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
I was just looking through the details of the up coming candidates tournament and was rather surprised to see that the next World championship match will be this November (exactly a year since the last). Since when did that change? I thought it was meant to be a two year cycle??

Anyway, any predictions for the candidates? Aronian looks pretty irresistible at the moment but my money is on Kramnik. 🙂

Doesn't the Winner always play the World Champion? So that is probably why it would be every year?

I read somewhere that this is just a one off, a two-yearly cycle is the intended format in the future.

Originally posted by Fat Lady
I read somewhere that this is just a one off, a two-yearly cycle is the intended format in the future.

Ah i see, it's that Fide fuzzy logic coming out again. Personally i'd welcome it being every year. Why not?

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
I was just looking through the details of the up coming candidates tournament and was rather surprised to see that the next World championship match will be this November (exactly a year since the last). Since when did that change? I thought it was meant to be a two year cycle??

Anyway, any predictions for the candidates? Aronian looks pretty irresistible at the moment but my money is on Kramnik. 🙂

Whoever wins! Aronian is no match for Carlsen and Kramnik is too old in chess years.

Originally posted by TheBigKat
Whoever wins! Aronian is no match for Carlsen and Kramnik is too old in chess years.

I don't know, Carlsen is leagues ahead of most of the top 100, that is true. But Aronian is no chump (and neither is Kramnik). Personally i love watching Carlsen v Kramnik. I don't think they have ever played a dull game. Kramnik seems to really raise his game against Carlsen. Carlsen is basically Kramnik with an added 200 points on his end game elo.

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
I don't know, Carlsen is leagues ahead of most of the top 100, that is true. But Aronian is no chump (and neither is Kramnik). Personally i love watching Carlsen v Kramnik. I don't think they have ever played a dull game. Kramnik seems to really raise his game against Carlsen. Carlsen is basically Kramnik with an added 200 points on his end game elo.

The 200 point is enough.

Please not a Kramnik - Carlsen match.

The important thing is winning the match, not entertaining the punters.
Kramnik will slip into dull mode like he did v Kasparov and bored the living
daylights out him (and us) so much so that Kapsaprov actually gave up playing chess.

I want Carlsen v Topalov.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Please not a Kramnik - Carlsen match.

The important thing is winning the match, not entertaining the punters.
Kramnik will slip into dull mode like he did v Kasparov and bored the living
daylights out him (and us) so much so that Kapsaprov actually gave up playing chess.

I want Carlsen v Topalov.

Oh come on GP, Kramnik did what he had to do to beat Kasparov. When you are playing against a player who plays a brilliancy almost every game, what are you supposed to do? I played through that match just a few weeks ago and really enjoyed seeing how Kramnik executed his strategy. Carlsen is a product of that match!

Kramnik v Kasparov Munich 1994 (This is Kramniks 4th game ever against Kaspa, having one loss already and two draws)



Kramniks entire style of chess is a response to the need to counter Kasparov. Kramniks game evolves slowly over the course of the 90's from a quite brilliant tactician, to an extremely patient positional grinder. There is only one reason for that. Take Kasparov out of the picture and Kramnik would most likely have ended up playing very much like Kasparov did himself!

As for Carlsen, he grew up watching all this. I think this game against Kramnik is really one of the finest games i have ever seen, hands down! He takes Kramniks style of "Come and get me" defense. This isn't the hedgehog defense, it's the scorpion defense!



What a game!! (Do you notice any similarity between these two games? The endings are surprisingly similar. One player takes on a massive amount of risk, one player removes a massive amount of risk. Same result.)

Carlsen v Topalov would be completely one sided. Carlsen is a much stronger player. Since 2009 Carlsen has 9 wins against Topalov without reply. Kramnik and Aroinian are the only two players who are anywhere near Carlsen. Yes he can lose a game here or there to any number of the top 20 or so, but in a match there are really only two contenders in my opinion.

Last wins against Carlsen from the top 5 FIDE rating list:
1) Carlsen 2872
2) Aronian 2826
* last win in 2009 (Linares)
3) Kramnik 2787
* last win in 2010 (Bilbao Masters)
4) Topalov 2785
* last win in 2008 (Bilbao Grand Slam Chess Final)
5) Caruana 2781
* last win in 2013 (Tal Memorial)

A world championship candidate will need to win from Carlsen, so I'd go for Caruana.

Edit: data comes from chessgames.com

Hi Marine.

"Oh come on GP, Kramnik did what he had to do to beat Kasparov."

And that is what he will do again, or try to do again v Carlsen.

Carlsen - Topalov and we will see some proper Chess. Real Chess.
Chess we can understand. We I see the name Kramnik my eye lids get heavy.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Marine.

"Oh come on GP, Kramnik did what he had to do to beat Kasparov."

And that is what he will do again, or try to do again v Carlsen.

Carlsen - Topalov and we will see some proper Chess. Real Chess.
Chess we can understand. We I see the name Kramnik my eye lids get heavy.

Look, i like a swashbuckling tactical firecracker game as much as the next guy, but anyone who tries that little puppy on Carlsen is going to get their butt cheeks spanked into a technicolor raincoat. The Kramnik of 2000 was pretty boring. When he won the title he turned into a boring drawish yawn, i agree. Winning the World title ruined him as a player. However, have you been bothering to follow him the last couple of years? He has changed his style. He takes much more risks these days. After his loss to Anand, he went away and changed things. Carlsen coming on the scene and out performing against the lower rated players has forced people to play for a win as the expect Carlsen to take his chances. I found Kramnik a hopeless bore after his match with Kasparov, but i don't any more! If nothing else, have a look at some of his games from the recent World cup, or the last Candidates for that matter. His play is anything but dull!

Originally posted by tvochess
Last wins against Carlsen from the top 5 FIDE rating list:
1) Carlsen 2872
2) Aronian 2826
* last win in [b]2009 (Linares)
3) Kramnik 2787
* last win in 2010 (Bilbao Masters)
4) Topalov 2785
* last win in 2008 (Bilbao Grand Slam Chess Final)
5) Caruana 2781
* last win in 2013 (Tal Memorial)

A world champions ...[text shortened]... te will need to win from Carlsen, so I'd go for Caruana.

Edit: data comes from chessgames.com[/b]

Caruana is coming, there is no doubt about it. He is capable of beating Aronian and Kramnik on his day. It's hard to call, i wouldn't be at all surprised if he did cause an upset. I still think Aronian is stronger though and i think Kramnik is as strong but vastly more experienced at dealing with the pressure at this level. After his near miss in the last candidates i think he is going to be a serious contender.

Hi Marink.

Kramnik may have produced the odd spark in a few recent games but
with the World title at stake we would see him doing what he does best. Kill games.

And as for...

"...but anyone who tries that little puppy on Carlsen is going to get their
butt cheeks spanked into a technicolor raincoat. "

The Nak had him recently and blew it. So did Anand.
Give the same postions Carlsen invites and Topalov will bust him.
This come and get me style he is using will get clobbered.

He will have to fight Topalov, not give him a winning position that
he will blunder in. If he does Topo will take him out.

I believe Carlsen can beat Topo but he will have to go for him.
This will make for a much better match.

Having said that I'm not too sure Topo will get through the candidates.
Too erratic for all these different players. But I'd like to see a Carlsen - Topalov match.

Right I'm off to bed, no trouble sleeping these days, all I have to do
is say the name Kramnik three times: "Kramnik, Kramnik, Kramniiii.........." 😴

I just love that we have several players that are in the discussion.

When candidate matches or qualifying tournaments are NOT foregone conclusions, the whole process and all of chess benefits.

Great thread!