World Championship

[Jonathan Bryant]

Anyone?

[John Upham]

I predict either

Kramnik by one win with White and the rest drawn or

Anand following 12 draws and a then win in the blindfold five minutes game at the end or whatever tie break method is being used this month.

Hardly a proper match but thats where we are these days.

[Jonathan Bryant]

I was rather hopeful at the start of the match and thought it might get to 2-1 with 9 draws.

Didn't know which of them would get the 2 though.

[JustinHorton]

I'd like the tiebreak to be blindfold darts.

[John Upham]

I'd like the tiebreak to be blindfold darts.

Can we enhance this to being blindfold topless darts with proxy players?

Anand & Kramnik could nominate a darts proxy maybe choosing from one of these :

http://www.borderleague.org.uk/images/r ... okorna.jpg
http://www.borderleague.org.uk/images/ticia_gara.jpg
http://www.borderleague.org.uk/images/zhu_chen.jpg
http://www.borderleague.org.uk/images/m ... shvili.jpg

Enjoy!

[Jonathan Bryant]

If we're going to have a tie-break then we should get Jeux Sans Frontiers on their asses.

Tie them to a large post with bungie ropes and have them run up a steep slope trying to collect coloured water in their buckets (which have holes in them of course) while Topalov, Carlsen and Kamsky dressed up in oversize costumes try to hit them with enormous foam mallets.

Now, THAT, I would pay 10 euros to watch over the internet.

[William Metcalfe]

Kramnik has to come out swinging now after anand won today with the black pieces.It is probably the best thing that could have happened in the match as we will now probably get 9 really good games of exhiting chess

[David Robertson]

2057: "Why doesn't the BBC cover chess? I don't see a link for Anand vs kramnik on the sports homepage or for chess on the left hand side panel - it is even not covered in 'other sports' link. Anand is leading Kramnik in world chess championship 5-2 with 5 games to go."
jaa on 606
Join the debate on 606

I don't know mate. Do you want me to check it out?

Tonight, in the middle of text commentary on the UEFA Cup matches

David

[Martin Benjamin]

I was really disappointed by Kramnik's choice of opening in Game Seven, which reeked of caution. Is he just seeking respectability, damage limitation and preservation of ELO points from now on? I hope I am wrong and he gives it a proper whirl in the remaining five games. Better to lose fighting than drift quietly to defeat. Anand was able to play risk free chess and probe for a win with a draw always in hand. i can't believe Kramnik is still thinking he can win all 3 with White and draw the rest with Black. Anand has also demonstrated how deeply he has prepared the Slav for this match, so why not try something else? Kings Indian, Queens Gambit Accepted or Declined, more riskily Dutch, Benko, or if really willing to roll the dice, Blumenfeld Countergambit, Albin, a Hawk.... Anything to get Anand out of his impressive preparation and get an unbalanced position on the board. Kramnik is one of the best defensive players I have seen (e.g. holding off Kasparov with the Berlin) and has demonstrated (e.g. v Topalov) that he can mix it successfully in the most complex of tactical struggles. However, he seems to fall back to caution too soon - at least that's the view of this circa ELO 2000 patzer! I would really be interested to hear what a ELO 2500+ player would say.

[Matthew Turner]

I thought Kramnik put in a decent effort today and I thought for much of the game he was trying to get an advantage. The worrying thing is that he seems to be drifting in every game. A few years ago Kramnik was diagnosed with a form of arthritis and it looks to me that he is not physically up to this match.

[Ben Purton]

I agree with Matt, its a real shame to see this occuring, one of his games was really sad to see, the Nimzo game where he sacked a pawn and played it totally wrong(if im allowed to say that).

I do think Kramnik's reign and challange is now over.

I think Anand V Carlsen will be the "new" match. Possibly even Morozovich, either would see "less" draws and probaly more swingy results.

I want Kramnik to get a win, but I can see it being drawn out...

Ben

[John Upham]

Apparently, Kramnik has been seen consulting Schillers' epic tome "Unorthodox Chess Openings" hoping to find inspiration.

Tony Miles was a big fan of this book when he reviewed it for Kingpin.

Perhaps an Englund Gambit or maybe the Ryder Gambit (5.Df3 in the BDG) would unsettle Anand as he probably has spent less time preparing these lines than the Exchange Slav?

[JustinHorton]

I thought he had an edge in the second game, but went astray and had to fight for a draw. Then he got marmalised in game three with the White pieces and to all intents and purposes, that was that.

[David Robertson]

Somehow this doesn't feel like a World Championship to me. Something's missing; something's not quite right.

I've been struggling to put words to it, but I think the problem lies in the lack of tension. As others have said already in various places, the match simply isn't long enough. Anand's fabulous start has simply killed off the contest. Were the tournament, say, the first to six wins, Anand would still be short odds favorite by now, but at least Kramnik could regroup and come back, everything else being equal. And if Anand were still to triumph, he would have survived all the reigning matchplay champion could throw at him. But as things stand, however deserved his overall victory, Anand will never know whether he simply beat an out-of-form Kramnik.

That might still hold over an indefinite series of games of course. But Kramnik would arguably have a better chance of getting back into the match, like a fighting champion, if he could draw several games without jeopardy, giving himself time to adjust his preparation, and find some form. At least, we the spectators could retain the illusion that Kramnik might fight back, and hence retain some tension in the match.

OK, the practical problems are legion, expense being the biggest obstacle to any protracted struggle, but loss of general interest too. However, a 12-game match doesn't give me the Herculean test I seek for my World Champion - granting the force in the argument that walloping Kramnik in less than 12 games might be regarded as Herculean enough!

David

[Ian Kingston]

Somehow this doesn't feel like a World Championship to me. Something's missing; something's not quite right.

You're right - not a single threat to walk out, no allegations of excessive toilet use, no cables dangling from the ceiling, and not even a hint that either player might fancy a yoghurt after a couple of hours' play. What's the matter with these guys?