Carlson on fire that what happens when Kasparov coaches you!

[Ian Lamb]

he beat the world number 1 toplov and leko in nanjing with 2 real nice games Here the carlsen v leko game a very nice game it’s the scotch which kasparov played with great success http://chess.maribelajar.com/chesspubli ... 1254146503 and the carlsen toplov game http://chess.maribelajar.com/chesspubli ... 1254230233 what your view on the games?

[Peter Brace]

What a terrific start for Magnus, I expect Garry will be proud of his young student. I remember when Magnus topped the live FIDE charts last year I wondered if he could be world champion one day? Now I'm starting to wonder if the question should be 'When' will he be world champion?

[Alex Holowczak]

Well, he won't be World Champion this time around, he pulled out of the cycle because he was (rightly) annoyed at FIDE changing the rules half way through.

Anand plays Topalov for the title in April 2010.

To win the 2011 title, Carlsen has to win the Candidates Tournament, which he of course has to qualify for. He can't get in through the Grand Prix (pulled out), or the World Cup (playing in London instead), so the only other way he can qualify for it is to be one of the "next two highest rated players in the world" or a tournament-organiser nominee. He'll surely qualify via the former route. In my opinion, that seems to make a bit of a mockery of the whole system if you can pull out of both qualifying routes and still participate (quite aside from the fact that I don't think rating should be a qualifier anyway).

Aronian has qualified from the Grand Prix, but goodness knows who else will be, given they can't find a venue for the sixth event of it (yet), and the dates chosen would have in any case clashed with the World Cup, and the event in London. The World Cup could be anyone, the time limits are far too short. I don't see why FIDE aren't abandoning their idea of a Grand Prix, and form a similar one based on all the Super GM tournaments that currently exist, e.g. Wijk aan See, Dortmund, Linares, London, Nanjing, etc. Rather than creating new tournaments that clash all the time.

Anyway, Carlsen would have to get in via the back door to the Candidates series for 2011, but he surely will. The matches in those are too short, but other than Anand or Topalov, I'd think Carlsen would walk through it.

[Peter Brace]

Thanks Alex, I had wondered how players qualified for the Candidates Tournament. It will be interesting to see how Magnus does in 2011.

[Mick Norris]

I don't see why FIDE aren't abandoning their idea of a Grand Prix, and form a similar one based on all the Super GM tournaments that currently exist, e.g. Wijk aan See, Dortmund, Linares, London, Nanjing, etc. Rather than creating new tournaments that clash all the time.

You can't use invitation tournaments as qualifiers - Dortmund won't invite Topalov, Sofia won't invite Kramnik - that's why you need separate qualifiers and a Zonal, Interzonal, Candidates system to ensure everyone has a theoretical chance of becoming world champion

The Grand Prix and World Cup need replacing with better ideas

[Alex Holowczak]

I don't see why FIDE aren't abandoning their idea of a Grand Prix, and form a similar one based on all the Super GM tournaments that currently exist, e.g. Wijk aan See, Dortmund, Linares, London, Nanjing, etc. Rather than creating new tournaments that clash all the time.

You can't use invitation tournaments as qualifiers - Dortmund won't invite Topalov, Sofia won't invite Kramnik - that's why you need separate qualifiers and a Zonal, Interzonal, Candidates system to ensure everyone has a theoretical chance of becoming world champion

The Grand Prix and World Cup need replacing with better ideas

Well, I would tweak it so that if there are 10 events in a calendar year, only your top 5 scores in them count towards the Grand Prix. It was used in Formula One until about 1990. I'd give 1st place 5 points, 2nd place 3 points, and 3rd place 1 point. Top 5 scores throughout the events give you your total points. Top x in that table qualifies for the Candidates. I wouldn't have it on its own, I'd have it allied to an Open qualifying system of some sorts. There are so many top-level events these days, that by organising a series of Zonals and Interzonals, all that'll happen is they'll struggle to find venues and a time that doesn't clash with pre-existing events. So why not use the already existing events as the qualifiers? When Formula One started its World Championship in 1950, it didn't go creating new events all over the world, it just used the pre-existing events as part of the system.

If you have 8 in the Candidates, I'd give the top 3 spots via the Grand Prix system above, the previous Challenger, and 4 via an Open qualifying series of some sorts (that also includes people who may or may not have qualified from the Grand Prix, but they should probably get byes through earlier rounds). It's asking a lot for top players to take part in the big events they do now (which they are bound to by contracts) as well as a series of Zonals/Interzonals. Particularly if the invitationals offer more prize money.

[Justin Hadi]

4.5/5 now! 25 move win vs Radjabov.

[Eoin Devane]

At the halfway stage his TPR is a sensational 3143! Other than Carlsen's four wins, all other games in the tournament have been drawn.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Initially I was reluctant to attribute his good start to Kasparov's coaching, but now it seems hopeless to deny the link. Astonishingly the Chinese player Wang Yue is now in sole second - not because he has won as much as a single game, but just because he managed to survive his own terrible looking position against Carlsen.

And with the possible exception of the Jakovenko game (where it seemed to me that White should have prepared his c4-c5 push by playing b4 first) the wins have been very clearly cut. Like Kasparov in his later heyday, he is mixing 1 e4 with 1 d4 with White too.

[J T Melsom]

If Carlsen is on fire as a result of Kasparov's efforts, it is no wonder Putin and friends regard Kasparov as an incendiary opponent.

[John Upham]

It would appear that there is a rational explanation for all of this : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/8290550.stm

[Eoin Devane]

Carlsen beat Jakovenko in the final round to finish with 8/10 and a TPR of 3002. He won the tournament by 2.5 points from Topalov - you don't get much more convincing than that at that level! This performance will take him above 2800 in the next rating list.

[Ian Lamb]

yes and now its emerged that carlsen and kasparov were swapping emails before his games so he having a big say . http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/