Candidates 2014

[Matthew Turner]

Thank you - that explains it.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Any sign of a website for this event yet? Also, on reading a recent book chapter about the 2013 Candidates Tournament, I was reminded that the author said that Kramnik must have regretted not querying the tie-breaks used. Will the same tie-break be used or have they changed that?

[Mick Norris]

Tiebreaks are the same

Website http://candidates2014.fide.com/

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Cripes. They've put the Birmingham Bullring in Siberia:

http://candidates2014.fide.com/venue/

(Actually the Ugra Chess Academy)

[Alex Holowczak]

Cripes. They've put the Birmingham Bullring in Siberia:

http://candidates2014.fide.com/venue/

(Actually the Ugra Chess Academy)

Having spent much time waiting outside the Bullring for buses, I can confirm that I am yet to hear any Russian tourists exclaim "Wow, that looks like that Ugra Chess Academy in Khanty-Mansiysk!"

[Kevin Thurlow]

Many people think the Bullring should be in Siberia...

[Mick Norris]

Karjakin's team revealed as Kasimdzhanov, Dokhoyan and Motylev

http://chess-news.ru/node/14813

[Mick Norris]

Views from Carlsen & Grischuk
https://chess24.com/en/read/news/carlse ... candidates

[Richard Bates]

I haven't been paying much attention - is the World Championship now a yearly event (Candidates & Title match every year)? So to hold the title as long as, say, Kasparov, Carlsen would have to win 14 matches in a row? Seems a bit much to me if so - a two year cycle would i think be better.

[Mick Norris]

No, this is a catch up and the next WC match after 2014 will be 2016

[Richard Bates]

No, this is a catch up and the next WC match after 2014 will be 2016

Oh OK, thanks. Good.

[Roger de Coverly]

I haven't been paying much attention - is the World Championship now a yearly event (Candidates & Title match every year)?

It is supposed to be a two year cycle, but there was some catching up to do. The 2013 World Cup and Grand Prix were qualifiers for the 2014 Candidates. The next World Cup is due in 2015, so the next Candidates after that is 2016. The London Candidates of 2013 had originally been pencilled in for 2012.

There is presumably an Agon related question mark over the next Grand Prix series.

[Colin S Crouch]

It's Sunday night, and for once I want to think about something other than the world crisis, and the presuned terrorist bombings against China, and the far from veiled threat by Russia, against Ukraine.

Time to relax. For the rest of the month, I would like to watch some really heavy high level chess at the Candidstes'. I know that I have predicted several months ago that Aronian would win the Candidates', and will provide a really tense opposition against Carlsen. This however is probability, not certainty.

Anyone care to suggest an alternative set of predictions?

[Stewart Reuben]

Colin >Anyone care to suggest an alternative set of predictions?<

I doubt Lev is as strong a favourite as even money.

Won't it be rather strange if we have two perfectly sensible people at the top of their game contesting the World Championship?

[Clive Blackburn]

Cripes. They've put the Birmingham Bullring in Siberia:

http://candidates2014.fide.com/venue/

(Actually the Ugra Chess Academy)

Having spent much time waiting outside the Bullring for buses, I can confirm that I am yet to hear any Russian tourists exclaim "Wow, that looks like that Ugra Chess Academy in Khanty-Mansiysk!"

Well, they would probably have said it in Russian Alex so you might have missed it