Peter Doggers with a very lighthearted
report on Round 2. The featured game is Grischuk v Wesley So. Afterwards Grischuk said at the press conference after putting his rook on c5:
" I didn't really calculate anything, I said to myself, OK I have all pieces in attack, and Black defends with one bishop. If there is no mate, I just quit chess."
Grischuk finished it off it time trouble but looked nervous so he was asked about that and said:
"It''s bad to be calm, it's a usual question: 'Were you nervous?' And when people ask this, they sort of imply that being nervous is a bad thing. I think this is not the case at all. I mean it's actually very bad to not to be nervous. I mean, it's normal, if you have an important game, time trouble and you're not nervous, it means there is something wrong with you, definitely. It is very bad not to be nervous. For example, yesterday (in Round 1) I was not nervous at all."
Apparently the playing conditions have improved though there is only one working toilet in the building. I'm scheduled to be there for Rounds 12 & 13 so will report back on what conditions are like at the time. It does seem strange that as Agon have organised a number of events that they are still not getting the basics right. A lot of these things should have been checked or guarantees sought before they hired the building. Anyway fingers (and legs I guess) crossed that they get it right as the chess itself looks like its living up to its billing.
Leaderboard after round 2:
1-3 Kramnik, Mamedyarov, Caruana 1.5
4-6 Aronian, Ding,Liren, Grischuk 1
7 Karjakin 0.5
8 So 0
maybe St Pancras, Kings Cross or Waterloo would do it
