22 Jan 10
1 edit
Originally posted by NowakowskiThis was the easier part of the tournament for him, OK Leko can be tough stuff but the rest... Smeets & Van Wely have collected 8 losses in rounds 2-5.
I love how his performance in such a tournament can be downgraded...
gotta love RHP.
It's good but "amazing" is newsreporter-like exaggeration - this kind of stuff and winning streaks WILL happen when you organise competitions
22 Jan 10
1 edit
Originally posted by heinzkatTrue enough. Leko "can be tough"... I'd give him more than that.
This was the easier part of the tournament for him, OK Leko can be tough stuff but the rest... Smeets & Van Wely have collected 8 losses in rounds 2-5.
It's good but "amazing" is newsreporter-like exaggeration - this kind of stuff and winning streaks WILL happen when you organise competitions
As far as the winning streaks, your completely accurate.
Either way, it doesn't make the accomplishment any less admirable.
He's still playing chess in a tournament full of some of the highest competition; in no
way will any opponent be forgiving of a collapse of concentration.
-GIN
22 Jan 10
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What I like about his play are the risks he takes and that they are paying off, it's nice to see chess is alive again at that level! It seems like the era of short draws we used to see is over!
Also, it's normal for anyone to make mistakes vs the style of play he uses. It's like taking away from every sacrificial Tal win. Tal teached Shirov for awhile actually 🙂
5 for 5 at the start of Corus is AMAZING. period 😉
22 Jan 10
Hi Max
"...era of short draws we used to see is over!..."
I hope so but fear not. It's been the bane of chess since the 60's.
5/5 at that level is brillo and yes any style that creates OTB problems for
their opponent is bound to have a fair rate of success.
I'm clutching now, but did Tal not say:
"I win the games but lose the analysis" or words to that effetct?
22 Jan 10
Originally posted by greenpawn34i read that it was something to do with his style of play, perhaps like Moro his play is uncompromising and tends to lead to wins or losses, rather than draws. I think Moro or perhaps Ivanchuk has the least amount of draws per ratio of any grandmaster and therefore it is not surprising that they are popular players.
Hi Max
"...era of short draws we used to see is over!..."
I hope so but fear not. It's been the bane of chess since the 60's.
5/5 at that level is brillo and yes any style that creates OTB problems for
their opponent is bound to have a fair rate of success.
I'm clutching now, but did Tal not say:
"I win the games but lose the analysis" or words to that effetct?
22 Jan 10
Originally posted by heinzkatdidn't you say before the tournament that the dutchies will surprise everyone and win? 🙂
Amazing?
He's had Leko who didn't look too bright, Caruana who messed up an endgame with opposite Bishops, and three Dutchies (against whom the rest will score 3/3 too 😛)
22 Jan 10
2 edits
Originally posted by heinzkatI don't think "amazing" is off, it's very much OK. The top guns (Carlsen, Kramnik & Anand) could only dream of pulling a whole 5 out of the lower guns like he did, and leko is hardly a lower gun, he just doesn't beat you that's all 🙂.
This was the easier part of the tournament for him, OK Leko can be tough stuff but the rest... Smeets & Van Wely have collected 8 losses in rounds 2-5.
It's good but "amazing" is newsreporter-like exaggeration - this kind of stuff and winning streaks WILL happen when you organise competitions
It's what you can only hope to do in a tournament: Beat the lower rated guys, and hold your own against the higher/equal rated guys, while stealing some occasional wins from them. It doesn't get any better than what Shirov did so far.
22 Jan 10
Originally posted by wormwoodOK without joking I really thought Smeets would do better, I really don't know much about him but he performed well at the top board at the European team championships (for countries) and I remember a quote of his from last year's Corus "it's not like they [the super-GMs] play chess from a different planet"
didn't you say before the tournament that the dutchies will surprise everyone and win? 🙂
Van Wely, it was to be expected he was up for a negative score, ...but four such rather sad losses in a row is pushing it.
Defending champion Karjakin seems to have a completely anonymous tournament so far by the way.......
22 Jan 10
Originally posted by heinzkatkarjakin and anand both... smeets & short were my bets for the tournament punchbags, so pretty much everything seems to go along the plan. shirov is really my only surprise so far. well I did expect more from caruana.
OK without joking I really thought Smeets would do better, I really don't know much about him but he performed well at the top board at the European team championships (for countries) and I remember a quote of his from last year's Corus "it's not like they [the super-GMs] play chess from a different planet"
Van Wely, it was to be expected he was up for a ...[text shortened]... champion Karjakin seems to have a completely anonymous tournament so far by the way.......