Candidates Tournament 2013

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Indeed it was Ivanchuk who got down to 1 minute for 13 moves (again!). Kramnik had plenty of time at that point (about 30 minutes), but when they were repeating moves he used up most of that time desperately trying to find a win. You could see on the video feed that he was shaking his head a lot - clearly he was really hoping to win that one.

He wasn't just shaking his head, he was muttering things to himself. I could see this quite clearly from where I was sitting. He was mouthing things for quite a long time as well. Sadly I can't lipread Russian, but he was really agitated. I thought he might have a nervous breakdown at the board! It was quite a shock, as he is normally so cool and calm. I think seeing Carlsen win relatively quickly against Svidler may have had an impact. I saw him look round at some point after Carlsen won - he noticed the result on the screen and then looked back to his game with what may have been a shrug or grimace. The pressure was on at that point for him to win. And it looks like the pressure told. I'll be interested to see if there was a win there that was missed.

[Matt Mackenzie]

He probably missed a win against Aronian, too. In fact finishing games off has never really been his forte - he even let Gazza escape a few times in 2000

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I have just looked at the game again on chessbomb and I can confirm that it does show the final times as 1m:02s for Kramnik and 5m:19s for Ivanchuk.

I wouldn't trust the clock times being transmitted at all. I've had the impression several times that the clock times displayed on the screen at the venue have been wrong, and this was clearly the case several times in round 6. The only clock times I would trust are the ones on the actual clocks, but those aren't visible from the audience.

At least twice in round 6, the clock times as shown on the big screen ran down to zero in someone's time trouble, and then somehow got refreshed and corrected, which is frustrating as spectators rely on those displays to get a feel for how short of time someone is. When Kramnik's time was shown as 'zero', one of the technical guys was seen to walk over to the board, discreetly look at the clock (without disturbing the players!), and then walk back to the technical area. The big screen was reset a few seconds later showing what was presumably the correct times. At the end of the game, it was indeed Ivanchuk with still that one minute and Kramnik now down to five minutes.

At the same time, the clock times in Radjabov-Aronian had frozen and stayed that way for at least 10-15 minutes (the times also did not add up to the right amount remaining for the time control of 2 hours each to reach move 40, the additional time showing was about 20 minutes, which is what you would expect if a 30-second increment had been programmed from move one). Not a major problem for the spectators, as it was clear they had reached the time control and Radjabov had sunk into deep thought again. But I do hope they get these technical problems sorted. It seems the transmission is wireless from the boards to the technical centre, and presumably this is what is causing the lags and hanging of positions and clock times. No idea if that carries over to the online transmission.

Some of the players do look at the big screen. Ivanchuk in particular I've noticed looking at the big screen in his time trouble with a puzzled look on his face and then looking back at the board and his clock. You would think super GMs would know better than to do that!

[Clive Blackburn]

I wouldn't trust the clock times being transmitted at all. I've had the impression several times that the clock times displayed on the screen at the venue have been wrong, and this was clearly the case several times in round 6. The only clock times I would trust are the ones on the actual clocks, but those aren't visible from the audience.

Yes they do need to sort this problem out. How hard can it be to get the times right?

I wonder what information the commentators are using? Presumably they just look at the big screen, as they are in a different room.

There is also a transmission delay of course but that's a different problem.

[David Sedgwick]

But I do hope they get these technical problems sorted. It seems the transmission is wireless from the boards to the technical centre, and presumably this is what is causing the lags and hanging of positions and clock times.

I don't know the cause, but it's not that. I checked with the technical team and the transmission is not wireless. I can see the hardwiring from my position.

I was recording Radjabov - Aronian in the run-up to move 40 and the technician you mentioned input the moves manually from my scorsesheet. That didn't help with the clock times, of course.

Overall, however, things have been much better in Rounds 4-6 than they were in Rounds 1-3. Don't let these issues put you off coming.

[Roger de Coverly]

I don't know the cause, but it's not that.

Although in some respects a mature technology, the DGT software and hardware has never shaken off a reputation for being temperamental and unreliable. Or am I being unfair and the software at least is Agon's own development?

Which approach is used for clock times? Is the extra time added when a clock hits zero or when the clock counter hits 40 or 60? I'd suspect the times on the transmissions are largely independent of what the DGTs at the boards are showing, since they stop when they hit zero. With many of the players having a long think at move 41, this can be an extended period.

As in the London Grand Prix tournament, the lighting makes it impossible to see the clock times on the video feed.

[David Sedgwick]

I don't know the cause, but it's not that.

Although in some respects a mature technology, the DGT software and hardware has never shaken off a reputation for being temperamental and unreliable. Or am I being unfair and the software at least is Agon's own development?

Which approach is used for clock times? Is the extra time added when a clock hits zero or when the clock counter hits 40 or 60? I'd suspect the times on the transmissions are largely independent of what the DGTs at the boards are showing, since they stop when they hit zero. With many of the players having a long think at move 41, this can be an extended period.

As in the London Grand Prix tournament, the lighting makes it impossible to see the clock times on the video feed.

I think that in this instance you are being unfair to DGT.

The extra time is added when the clock counter hits 40 or 60, so after White's 40th (or 60th) move there is the temporary oddity which you mentioned up thread.

The problem with the clocks on the screens hitting zero arises when a move does not register for some reason, so the computer thinks that White (say) is still on move when in fact he is not. The correct time is usually shown again when the computer catches up.

I may not have time to answer further questions during the event, but I'll try to do so when it's all over.

[Roger de Coverly]

The problem with the clocks on the screens hitting zero arises when a move does not register for some reason, so the computer thinks that White (say) is still on move when in fact he is not. The correct time is usually shown again when the computer catches up.

I've seen several times in the chess casting displays, the clock for White's move 41 count down to zero and then stop. This is when the video feed indicates clearly enough that it remains White's move. The time refresh is somehow slow in getting through to the software. The curious transmission delays have been commented on already. Even for remote viewers the video feed is ahead of the chess casting update.

[Colin S Crouch]

I have written up annotations and comments from rounds 1 to 6 of the Candidates'.

Now off the relax for the promotion battle for the 4NCL

https://sites.google.com/site/shakthink ... rld-s-best[/url]

[Roger de Coverly]

At the end of the commentary on Thursday, Nigel noted that he wouldn't be present at the weekend as he had a playing engagement. Presumably in the 4NCL at Hinckley.

Lawrence didn't immediately know who would be joining him, but according to the Twitter feed it will be times_chess himself.

[JustinHorton]

When's he on? And how many references to his Chessboxing engagement do we think he'll get in?

[Mick Norris]

"<Gran Prix in Lisbon also cancelled. AGON(Y) is about to finish. (https://twitter.com/SilvioDanailov/...)>"

Danailov goes up in my estimation for the "AGON(Y)" comment.

Moved from Lisbon to Switzerland
http://www.chessdom.com/fide-grand-prix ... itzerland/

Question mark definitely appropriate there but hopefully not quite all the wheels have come off this wagon just yet.

Announcement due soon about move to here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zug

[JustinHorton]

Move, Zug, very good

[Eoin Devane]

Livestream links (plural, as I've now discovered that there's actually a stream for each game!):

Commentary (at the moment Robert Fontaine + Lawrence Trent): http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1504 ... ts/1970150
Carlsen-Radjabov: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1504 ... ts/1968061
Aronian-Grischuk: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1504 ... ts/1970137
Gelfand-Kramnik: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1504 ... ts/1970141
Ivanchuk-Svidler: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1504 ... ts/1970145

[Jonathan Bryant]

about move to here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zug

Thanks Mick. AP mentioned it in the Chess Vibes interview yesterday (mentioned elsewhere).

Glad it's going ahead somewhere. The fact that it is/the way Paulsen answered the Vibers' questions about the move hasn't eased all my concerns though.