Candidates Tournament 2013

[Christopher Kreuzer]

http://www.worldchess.com/candidates/index.html

I've just been looking around the website above, and thinking about some of the history here and the most recent times that the top players in the world met in an 8-player 14-round double-round round robin tournament. And following the progress of the players in Group A at the Tata Steel 2013 tournament (Wijk aan Zee) reminded me how tiring these long tournaments can be.

The last two times there was something equivalent to this upcoming Candidates Tournament was San Luis in September and October 2005, won by Topalov with 10/14 (gaining him the FIDE World Championship), and Mexico City in September 2007, won by Anand with 9/14. In between, of course, was the re-unification match ('Toiletgate') won by Kramnik in Elista in October 2006.

I wonder how the line-ups compare?

San Luis 2005

1. Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria) 2788 10/14
2. Viswanathan Anand (India) 2788 8.5
3. Peter Svidler (Russia) 2738 8.5
4. Alexander Morozevich (Russia) 2707 7
5. Peter Leko (Hungary) 2763 6.5
6. Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan) 2670 5.5
7. Michael Adams (England) 2719 5.5
8. Judit Polgar (Hungary) 2735 4.5

Mexico City 2007

1. Viswanathan Anand (India) 2792 9/14
2. Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 2769 8
3. Boris Gelfand (Israel) 2733 8
4. Peter Leko (Hungary) 2751 7
5. Peter Svidler (Russia) 2735 6½
6. Alexander Morozevich (Russia) 2758 6
7. Levon Aronian (Armenia) 2750 6
8. Alexander Grischuk (Russia) 2726 5½

London 2013

The following list uses January 2013 FIDE ratings.

Magnus Carlsen (Norway) 2861
Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 2810
Levon Aronian (Armenia) 2802
Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan) 2793
Alexander Grischuk (Russia) 2764
Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) 2758
Peter Svidler (Russia) 2747
Boris Gelfand (Israel) 2740

Looking at all three line-ups, the immediate things to note are that Kramnik was not present at San Luis, and both San Luis and Mexico City were tournaments to decide a form of the World Championship, whereas this tournament in London is to decide who challenges Anand in a match for the World Championship, so Anand is missing from the London line-up (obviously). The other thing to note is that the London line-up can be compared to the top 25 on the January 2013 FIDE rating list:

http://www.worldchess.com/candidates/players.html

The ones currently in the top 10 that didn't qualify for London are: Fabiano Caruana (Italy) 2781; Sergey Karjakin (Russia) 2780; Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria) 2771; Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 2769; and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) 2766. Other names in the top 25 include Morozevich, Kamsky, Leko, Ponomariov, Giri, and Adams.

Of the 15 players that played in, or qualified, for these tournaments (presuming the line-up for London 2013 doesn't change), the only player to be present at all three is Peter Svidler. Anand was present in the first two, but not London (as he is defending champion). Kramnik, Leko, Grischuk, Gelfand, Morezevich, and Aronian will have also played in two of the three tournaments.

The remaining seven will have only played in one of the tournaments: Topalov, Kasimdzhanov, Adams and Polgar only played in San Luis 2005; for Mexico City 2007, all participants there either played in 2005 or will play in 2013; and there are three 'newcomers' for 2013 in the shape of Carlsen, Radjabov, and Ivanchuk.

I was surprised that Svidler will have played in all three, that this is Ivanchuk's first time at this sort of level, and that Aronian was at Mexico City (I had thought he was about the same age as Carlsen, but he is slightly older and I can't remember where Carlsen was at that point). Comparing the average ratings for the three line-ups is interesting as well. London 2013 is clearly stronger, but it is around 6 years between Mexico City 2007 and London 2013 (well, 5.5 years). Two years between San Luis and Mexico City. I wonder who would have benefited most from or qualified for tournaments like this if they had been held in the 2009-2011 period?

The big question, looking at the line-up for London 2013, is who are the favourites? Can you look much beyond the top three? Will Kramnik or Carlsen show their class? Will Aronian bounce back from his recent dip in form? Will Radjabov step up to the next level? Can Ivanchuk roll back the years? Can Gelfand overcome his lowly seeding and set up a rematch?

[IM Jack Rudd]

It's not Ivanchuk's first time at this sort of level. He played in the 1992 Candidates, losing to Yusupov in the quarter-finals. (The first play-off game is particularly famous.)

[Matt Mackenzie]

Think that match was actually in 1991 - same round I also recall Anand going out to Karpov despite seeming to get winning positions in almost every game

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Well, I've booked my tickets now. Let's hope they put on a good show, and that this is the lull before the storm. Have any of those playing in this tournament been active recently, or are they all furiously preparing? What were their most recent results? Is there a convenient way to check this?

[Sean Hewitt]

Well, I've booked my tickets now. Let's hope they put on a good show, and that this is the lull before the storm. Have any of those playing in this tournament been active recently, or are they all furiously preparing? What were their most recent results? Is there a convenient way to check this?

The easiest way to check their recent results is via the Individual Calculations in their FIDE rating file. For example, this is Carlsen
http://ratings.fide.com/hist.phtml?event=1503014
clicking February Standard games you get
http://ratings.fide.com/individual_calc ... -02-01&t=0
Have fun!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Well, I've booked my tickets now. Let's hope they put on a good show, and that this is the lull before the storm. Have any of those playing in this tournament been active recently, or are they all furiously preparing? What were their most recent results? Is there a convenient way to check this?

The easiest way to check their recent results is via the Individual Calculations in their FIDE rating file. For example, this is Carlsen
http://ratings.fide.com/hist.phtml?event=1503014
clicking February Standard games you get
http://ratings.fide.com/individual_calc ... -02-01&t=0
Have fun!

Thanks. I also looked up http://www.2700chess.com, which has details of most recent events and upcoming events. I think Aronian in the Bundesliga and Kramnik and Gelfand in some Swiss event, are the only Candidates playing in any further events before the Candidates Tournament itself.

[John McKenna]

For details of the "Swiss event" that starts Saturday see -
http://www.zurich-cc.com

[Mick Norris]

Well, I've booked my tickets now. Let's hope they put on a good show, and that this is the lull before the storm. Have any of those playing in this tournament been active recently, or are they all furiously preparing? What were their most recent results? Is there a convenient way to check this?

The easiest way to check their recent results is via the Individual Calculations in their FIDE rating file. For example, this is Carlsen
http://ratings.fide.com/hist.phtml?event=1503014
clicking February Standard games you get
http://ratings.fide.com/individual_calc ... -02-01&t=0
Have fun!

Thanks. I also looked up http://www.2700chess.com, which has details of most recent events and upcoming events. I think Aronian in the Bundesliga and Kramnik and Gelfand in some Swiss event, are the only Candidates playing in any further events before the Candidates Tournament itself.

Radjabov has been preparing for ages, and some used Wijk as a final preparation

I think Kramnik and Gelfand decided they needed a warm up, and the Zurich event, like last year, was set up primarily for Kramnik's benefit

[John McKenna]

Funny that Vlad & Boris have Anand & Caruana as their sparring partners in Zurich.

[John Brewitt]

The £25 admission fee for one day seems a bit on the high side to me. Bear in mind it was £15 to get in the London Classic in December.

I'll still be going though.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The £25 admission fee for one day seems a bit on the high side to me. Bear in mind it was £15 to get in the London Classic in December.

I'll still be going though.

Anyone else going?

I recently found this blog with several interesting posts

http://worldchesschampionship.blogspot. ... cords.html
http://worldchesschampionship.blogspot. ... taine.html

[Brendan O'Gorman]

I'll be there for rounds 6 and 10.

[Andrew Camp]

Did I read rightly that there was going to be coverage of this on Sky Arts?

What is lined up for Internet coverage?

[Andrew Bak]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/989624 ... itain.html - This article confirms that the Candidates will be shown on Sky Arts.

[Nick Burrows]

Good Article.