Grand Chess Tour events: Paris GCT and Leuven, Belgium

[JustinHorton]

I find it strange that in this type of event its quite often easier to play a lost position than a won one. When you're lost you just try and find a move that doesn't lose immediately, which you can often find in seconds, while your opponent has a range of winning moves but which need to be calculated accurately in order not to throw away the advantage. The time ticks down, the pressure builds as the winning side can't quite find that killer blow, messes it up and collapses in a heap.

This is pretty much the reason I stopped playing rapidplay.

[Roger de Coverly]

I would be curious to know the reasoning the Bronstein method was brought in for Leuven. Is it simply to try something new?

Is it perhaps an American influence over the Grand Chess Tour? It must make for some differences in time management, since running your time down to next to zero and regaining it with a few very quick moves or a repetition is no longer possible.

[Ian Thompson]

Article from FIDE International Arbiter Chris Bird on time controls. There are a couple of paragraphs explaining the difference between Time Delay and the Bronstein Method.

Unfortunately, not right though.

In the Bronstein section he says:

"For example, if we use the same scenario as above [60 minutes + 5 seconds delay] for the delay we will see this clock do different things but reach the same answers. The game is 60 minutes plus a 5 second Bronstein type delay per move. Black starts white’s clock which immediately starts counting down. However, white moves within the 5 seconds and after he presses his clock his time jumps back to 60 minutes."

It won't jump back to 60 minutes. At the start of the game it will show 60 minutes 5 seconds. If White moves within 5 seconds it will go back to showing 60 minutes 5 seconds when the clock is stopped.

[LawrenceCooper]

1 GM So, Wesley (14) 27891 - 0 GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703
2 GM Anand, V. (8) 27750 - 1 GM Carlsen, M. (11) 2851
3 GM Vachier-Lagr. (12) 27831 - 0 GM Aronian, L. (9) 2780
4 GM Kramnik, V. (9) 27891 - 0 GM Giri, Anish (10) 2764
5 GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 27570 - 1 GM Nepomniachtc. (9) 2766

[Chris Rice]

Ivanchuk seems to have resigned in a position of equal material, though he was clearly worse. Nepo said it was because Ivanchuk only had 20 seconds left and it was important to note it was Delay rather than the normal increment time control, though he went on to say he wouldn't have resigned if he had Ivanchuk's position. Not sure how accurate this is because Ivanchuk can be very eccentric but if it is then this is not a great advert for playing this time control.

Blitz round 2:

1 GM Aronian, L. (9) 2780 — GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 2757
2 GM Giri, Anish (10) 2764 — GM Vachier-Lagr. (13) 2783
3 GM So, Wesley (15) 2789 — GM Anand, V. (8) 2775
4 GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703 — GM Nepomniachtc. (10) 2766
5 GM Carlsen, M. (12) 2851 — GM Kramnik, V. (10) 2789

[Barry Sandercock]

Live camera on chessBomb website for this tournament.

[LawrenceCooper]

1 GM Aronian, L. (9) 27801 - 0 GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 2757
2 GM Giri, Anish (10) 2764½ - ½ GM Vachier-Lagr. (13) 2783
3 GM So, Wesley (15) 27891 - 0 GM Anand, V. (8) 2775
4 GM Jobava, B. (1) 27030 - 1 GM Nepomniachtc. (10) 2766
5 GM Carlsen, M. (12) 2851½ - ½ GM Kramnik, V. (10) 2789

[Chris Rice]

Blitz Rd 3:
1 GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 2757 — GM Giri, Anish (10½) 2764
2 GM Kramnik, V. (10½) 2789 — GM So, Wesley (16) 2789
3 GM Vachier-Lagr. (13½) 2783 — GM Carlsen, M. (12½) 2851
4 GM Anand, V. (8) 2775 — GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703
5 GM Nepomniachtc. (11) 2766 — GM Aronian, L. (10) 2780

[LawrenceCooper]

1 GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 2757 0 - 1 GM Giri, Anish (10½) 2764
2 GM Kramnik, V. (10½) 2789 ½ - ½ GM So, Wesley (16) 2789
3 GM Vachier-Lagr. (13½) 2783 0 - 1 GM Carlsen, M. (12½) 2851
4 GM Anand, V. (8) 2775 1 - 0 GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703
5 GM Nepomniachtc. (11) 2766 ½ - ½ GM Aronian, L. (10) 2780

[Chris Rice]

Blitz Rd 4:
1 GM Giri, Anish (11½) 2764 - GM Nepomniachtc. (11½) 2766
2 GM Anand, V. (9) 2775 — GM Kramnik, V. (11) 2789
3 GM So, Wesley (16½) 2789 — GM Vachier-Lagr. (13½) 2783
4 GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703 — GM Aronian, L. (10½) 2780
5 GM Carlsen, M. (13½) 2851 — GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 2757

If Seirawan says "let me just refresh my board" one more time......

[LawrenceCooper]

1 GM Giri, Anish (11½) 2764 ½ - ½ GM Nepomniachtc. (11½) 2766
2 GM Anand, V. (9) 2775 ½ - ½ GM Kramnik, V. (11) 2789
3 GM So, Wesley (16½) 2789 0 - 1 GM Vachier-Lagr. (13½) 2783
4 GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703 0 - 1 GM Aronian, L. (10½) 2780
5 GM Carlsen, M. (13½) 2851 1 - 0 GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 2757

So's loss from a great position gives the chasing pack some hope. Vishy will be wondering how he didn't win his game.

[Chris Rice]

Jobava and Ivanchuk lose their first four blitz games.

Blitz Rd 5:
1 GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 2757 — GM So, Wesley (16½) 2789
2 GM Vachier-Lagr. (14½) 2783 — GM Anand, V. (9½) 2775
3 GM Nepomniachtc. (12) 2766 — GM Carlsen, M. (14½) 2851
4 GM Kramnik, V. (11½) 2789 — GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703
5 GM Aronian, L. (11½) 2780 — GM Giri, Anish (12) 2764

[LawrenceCooper]

1 GM Ivanchuk, V. (7) 2757 ½ - ½ GM So, Wesley (16½) 2789
2 GM Vachier-Lagr. (14½) 2783 0 - 1 GM Anand, V. (9½) 2775
3 GM Nepomniachtc. (12) 2766 0 - 1 GM Carlsen, M. (14½) 2851
4 GM Kramnik, V. (11½) 2789 1 - 0 GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703
5 GM Aronian, L. (11½) 2780 1 - 0 GM Giri, Anish (12) 2764

[Chris Rice]

Anand clearly very unhappy with the way he is playing and the time control. He always seems particularly miserable after he has just won:

Blitz Rd 6:
1 GM So, Wesley (17) 2789 — GM Nepomniachtc. (12) 2766
2 GM Carlsen, M. (15½) 2851 — GM Aronian, L. (12½) 2780
3 GM Kramnik, V. (12½) 2789 — GM Vachier-Lagr. (14½) 2783
4 GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703 — GM Giri, Anish (12) 2764
5 GM Anand, V. (10½) 2775 — GM Ivanchuk, V. (7½) 2757

[LawrenceCooper]

1 GM So, Wesley (17) 2789 1 - 0 GM Nepomniachtc. (12) 2766
2 GM Carlsen, M. (15½) 2851 1 - 0 GM Aronian, L. (12½) 2780
3 GM Kramnik, V. (12½) 2789 1 - 0 GM Vachier-Lagr. (14½) 2783
4 GM Jobava, B. (1) 2703 0 - 1 GM Giri, Anish (12) 2764
5 GM Anand, V. (10½) 2775 ½ - ½ GM Ivanchuk, V. (7½) 2757