Candidates Matches 3rd - 27th May 2011

[Alex McFarlane]

David Sedgwick suggested that I should be posting my thoughts on Kazan here. But why should I bore you when there are so many other topics on here to do that

If you do want to read a sort of diary then go here
http://scotchess.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopi ... hess#14196

You have been warned.

[David Sedgwick]

David Sedgwick suggested that I should be posting my thoughts on Kazan here. But why should I bore you when there are so many other topics on here to do that

If you do want to read a sort of diary then go here
http://scotchess.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopi ... hess#14196

You have been warned.

I made the suggestion because the following response from Alex to some of the points raised here.

"I noticed on a Forum* someone stating that the playing area looked like a small room. This illusion is caused by plastic mirrored panels being suspended between the players and the spectators. On either side of this are two screens. One showing the four game positions and the other the pictures from the four cameras filming proceedings.

Whilst the chess went smoothly on day one there have been one or two teething problems. The phone jamming does not seem to have worked if it is in place as we were told. There were several spectator phones going off in the early stages and occasionally thereafter. I wonder if the blocking of phone signals was not possible because of the commentary. Spectators can get earphones which allows them to hear the live commentary. This also caused a problem as the volume from them was so loud that they could be heard, indistinctly, at the boards. The sound levels had to be turned down several times before an acceptable level was reached.
We will have plenty of signs in place for the start of round 2.

The mirrored screen also creates problems. The spectators have the impression of being in a separate room so noise levels can build up. The frustration to the arbiters is that we cannot see who is talking until we move to the other side of the screen. It is therefore often impossible to know who the culprit was."

* "a Forum" - sic, but obviously Alex meant "the Forum".

[Matthew Turner]

There hasn't been too much excitement to date, but Kamsky looks a totally different class to Topalov. I cannot decide whether Kamsky is playing awesomely well, or Topalov is off his game (I think I am veering towards the latter).
I have heard that Mickey Adams is acting as a second to one of the players. I don't know if this sort of thing is a secret, anybody know?
Finally, I think cinemas have run into human rights regulations when seeking to block mobile phone signals, perhaps the chess is the same.

[Mick Norris]

Chessvibes reported:

- it became clear immediately who were the seconds working with the big guns:
Mamedyarov: Elizbar Ubilava, Rauf Mamedov
Gelfand: Alexander Huzman and Maxim Rodshtein
Kamsky: Emil Sutovsky and Andrei Volokitin
Grischuk: Alexander Riazantsev and Denis Khismatullin
Kramnik: Sergey Karjakin and Zahar Efimenko
Topalov: Ivan Cheparinov and Erwin l’Ami
Aronian: Gabriel Sargissian and Sergei Movsesian

Teimour Radjabov is the only player who didn’t bring a second to Kazan – he brought his father Boris. At the press conference after the first game, Radjabov said that in these short matches, he didn’t see the point. “In longer matches it’s probably a good idea to have someone in the hotel room looking at openings, but here other factors are more important.”

[LozCooper]

Game 3 of the four matches are underway today here: http://kazan2011.fide.com/live-games.html and the first result is a draw between Radjabov & Kramnik which leaves them level at 1.5-1.5 with Kramnik having white in game 4. The other three are still in progress with Kamsky 1.5-0.5 ahead of Topolov and the other two level at 1-1.

[LozCooper]

Gata Kamsky and Veselin Topolov have now drawn so Kamsky leads 2-1 with Topolov needing to win with white tomorrow to force a tie-break.

[LozCooper]

Gelfand currently has 6 pawns for a rook in a crazy game against Mamedjarov. Aronian is a pawn up against Grischuk in a rook ending.

[Jonathan Rogers]

I'm no Keith, but I believe that Aronian should win. Having the pawn on f4 already helps - he can aim for the formation with pawns on g3, f4 and h4, where the rook on b3 protects the pawn on g3, and his king can stroll over the to the queenside. The significance of the pawn formation f4-g3-h4 is that Black cannot get an extra pawn on that side of the board, even when White's king has wandered off.

I think. It's a starting point if nothing more.

[Mick Norris]

Gelfand has won

[LozCooper]

I'm no Keith, but I believe that Aronian should win. Having the pawn on f4 already helps - he can aim for the formation with pawns on g3, f4 and h4, where the rook on b3 protects the pawn on g3, and his king can stroll over the to the queenside. The significance of the pawn formation f4-g3-h4 is that Black cannot get an extra pawn on that side of the board, even when White's king has wandered off.

I think. It's a starting point if nothing more.

Yes I thought Grischuk would need to play g5 to stop f4 (or h4). Still, strange things can happen, as game 1 proved.

[Mick Norris]

Excellent video coverage here
http://video.russiachess.org/view/273

Press conferences are interesting (for the body language, for those of us who don't speak Russian)

[LozCooper]

Gelfand has won

Gelfand leads 2-1 and has white in the last game.

[Mick Norris]

I'm no Keith, but I believe that Aronian should win. Having the pawn on f4 already helps - he can aim for the formation with pawns on g3, f4 and h4, where the rook on b3 protects the pawn on g3, and his king can stroll over the to the queenside. The significance of the pawn formation f4-g3-h4 is that Black cannot get an extra pawn on that side of the board, even when White's king has wandered off.

I think. It's a starting point if nothing more.

Yes I thought Grischuk would need to play g5 to stop f4 (or h4). Still, strange things can happen, as game 1 proved.

White must win a game soon, 5 draws and 2 black wins in the 7 completed games so far

[LozCooper]

I'm no Keith, but I believe that Aronian should win. Having the pawn on f4 already helps - he can aim for the formation with pawns on g3, f4 and h4, where the rook on b3 protects the pawn on g3, and his king can stroll over the to the queenside. The significance of the pawn formation f4-g3-h4 is that Black cannot get an extra pawn on that side of the board, even when White's king has wandered off.

I think. It's a starting point if nothing more.

Yes I thought Grischuk would need to play g5 to stop f4 (or h4). Still, strange things can happen, as game 1 proved.

White must win a game soon, 5 draws and 2 black wins in the 7 completed games so far

Well Aronian should have won game 1 and may still today. Isn't it actually 9 draws so far?

[Jonathan Rogers]

I wonder if it may be drawn after all - when White's king starts to wander off to the queenside, Black may be able to get his king to g4 very quickly, and when White's king is on the d-file, he may be able to play Rg2 threatening Rxg3. White would have to answer ...Rg2 with a4, so as to win the pawn race after Rxg3 Rxg3 followed by a5 - but as soon as a4 is played, the Black rook returns to a2, and White will be not be able to defend it satisfactorily.

I think (2)