2017 World Cup 2-27 September, Tbilisi

[LawrenceCooper]

I was under the impression they spoke in Russian. Not sure. Have any of the reports made this clear?

From Anton Kovalyov's Facebook page today: " I forgot to mention one important fact, the conversation was in ENGLISH so I'm not translating anything."

[soheil_hooshdaran]

so why did Carlsen take part?

Why does he ever play in any competition?

World cup is not a random open. What'd happen if he won the event?

[NickFaulks]

What'd happen if he won the event?

He would have got a lot of money.

[JustinHorton]

I really can't believe they have to play two more rounds before there's a rest day. You'd have thought the poor bastards deserved a break by now. (Yes, I know not everybody has played every day. But even so.)

EDIT: Grischuk makes a similar point here at about 2:35 and following.

[Mick Norris]

Pete Doggers report has Nepomniachtchi checking out of the hotel 20 mins after losing

[JustinHorton]

Note that the report says "full report to follow soon" and concludes with the text xxxqqq, suggesting there is more to come...

[PeterFarr]

Illustration of the schedule: for So v Jobava, So has played 8 games of chess so far and had 2 rest days; Jobava has played 18 games over 9 days straight. Not just tiring, but also not very fair.

As Grischuk said, its possible for a player to get 15 consecutive saying days; by definition with a lot of stress / tension, and little time for relaxation and preparation.

It's exciting no doubt, but hardly conducive to the best chess.

[Mick Norris]

If you want "rest" days, you either go for quick draws in the classical games, as some players have done, or win over the 2 classical games, thus giving yourself a tiebreak day off; it rewards those who win at classical chess; overall, the format is too tough (changing to 64 players and having 4 classical games in the semis would be better in my view)

Chess Mind report with annotated games

[JustinHorton]

Well it kind of depends who the "you" is. If it's just the players, and we're doing whips and carrots, maybe: but what if "you" is the chess fans, and we want players to be able to give of their best, as far as the circumstances allow?

[Chris Rice]

Shortsgate rumbles on with Azmaiparashvili giving his side of the story on Susan Polgar's site. He's not backing down from his position:

...."It is not appropriate for a chess player to declare a day before that he intentionally came with only one shorts and that he is ready to leave, because he has other more important obligations."

...."This is a top level tournament with 1,6 million prize fund and it is part of the WC cycle. It is not a private or local tournament! It is not a youth event! Such attitude is harming the organization through media and is preventing any future sponsor to invest in chess. This is a big damage to chess and its funding."

....."I have to dispel the confusion and say that nobody had told the player that he should be forfeited or that he could not play the game. Mr. Kovalyov was instructed by the Сhief Arbiter as well as by the organizers, that according to the regulations he should have been dressed appropriately. But he was being ignorant. If he had just simply asked for our help, we would have sent a car to bring him some more clothes at our expense or even drive Mr. Kovalyov after the game to choose it by himself. What would be the problem in showing some respect to the organizers?"

....."If I said some words, during a minute of an emotional conversation which followed, that insulted Mr. Kovalyov, I am ready to apologize and I would do it here as well as, in front of him if he were here in his position, playing his games, as he was supposed to do. I have always been ready in my life to correct any mistake and I have no problem to do it in this case as well. But the truth is that nobody told that he should be forfeited, nobody told him that he could not play and nobody told him to leave the tournament. This was only his intention which he revealed one day earlier."

...."In spite of the fact, that Mr. Kovalyov’s attitude towards such a prestigious tournament was frivolous to begin with (changing the flight dates in a force majeure situation), nobody had even reprimanded him."

...."I am waiting for Mr. Kovalyov to also apologize for this disrespect towards the organizers and towards his colleagues for withdrawing from the tournament and affecting its results."

[JustinHorton]

"I have always been ready in my life to correct any mistake"

I believe that's what he said to Malakhov

[Chris Rice]

The new playing hall, for the remainder of the event, it's the Rustaveli hall on the 2nd floor of the Hualing Hotel, one floor up from the old one.

[LawrenceCooper]

Response from the ECU Secretary General:

Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou
1 min ·
I have seen a lot of trash and corruption in the chess structures that i try to improve where i am working, but to see today a "Union" of chess professionals (players, arbiters, organisers) to turn against one premium member of the Union to defend a non member, without contacting its member and asking explanations (!) or to publish the statement of its member, it is again a procedure that nobody can realise . How you defend or respect the rights of your members if you don't even ask them or publish their opinion before you make any decision? It is the right of every person or organisation to raise its hard critic or opinion for any matter. But when you turn against your members the minimum democratic principles or statutes define that you must give them, the chance to listen their view.

[Roger de Coverly]

Mr. Kovalyov was instructed by the Сhief Arbiter as well as by the organizers, that according to the regulations he should have been dressed appropriately.

Wasn't there a President of the ECF who threw a strop when asked to consider his attire?

[Roger de Coverly]

but to see today a "Union" of chess professionals (players, arbiters, organisers) to turn against one premium member of the Union to defend a non member, without contacting its member and asking explanations (!) or to publish the statement of its member, it is again a procedure that nobody can realise .

The impression I had of the ACP was that it existed in part to protect players against the excesses of organisers and arbiters. Evidently not in the view of the ECU Secretary General.

It's all very well having dress codes, but that leaves open the question as to who, how, when and where you apply them.