2018 FIDE Rapid & Blitz World Championships

[Richard Bates]

Carlsen fixed permanently on board 1 as a result of an agreement with Norwegian TV and not looking very happy about it.

And is going to lose in round 2...

[Brian Towers]

Seems the delay after the first round was a result of a player (Timur Gareyev) winning his game but being awarded a zero for wearing a funny hat. After appeal / second (sensible) thoughts this was reversed.

[Chris Rice]

Hmm Carlsen 0/2, kind of begs the question as to what might have happened if they had decided to play the tie breakers before the Classical games in the World Championship match? Though I doubt whether he would have started 1 e4 e5 2 Qh5 against Caruana.

[Chris Rice]

Miracle escape for the Minister of Defence, Karjakin in Round 4.

[Chris Rice]

After Day 1 of the Open, a 15 year old Iranian, Firouzja (2412) leads with Nepomniachtchi (RUS 2771) and Andreikin (RUS 2725) on 4.5/5, Carlsen recovered from his poor start and is on 3/5. Gawain had a difficult day and is on 2/5.

The Women's section is only 12 games not 15 so they only played four games today. Ju Wenjun (CHN 2584) leads with 4/4 and round 5 tomorrow will see her play the higher rated Anna Muzychuk (UKR 2595) who is on 3.5/4 together with Tan Zhongyi (CHN 2442), Mariya Muzychuk (UKR 2493), Dinara Saduakassova (KAZ 2381), Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL 2466) and Abdumalik Zhansaya (KAZ 2444). All of Sue's opponents have been rated at least 100+ points ahead of her so 1/4 is not a bad score at all.

[NickFaulks]

Carlsen seems to be getting floated up whenever possible, to give him the weakest opponent from the next group. Even this huge boost isn't doing him much good.

[David Robertson]

Carlsen has dropped another shedload of Elo to Zubov, and now stands 4/7 (73rd and -43.8 ). Lad looks tired, bored, ill at ease. He needs a rest. Gawain continues to struggle (3/7). Long way to go yet

[Roger de Coverly]

Carlsen seems to be getting floated up whenever possible

Isn't that how the pairing rules are specified, that the floater is the highest ranked player floated up and the lowest ranked floated down? Unlike hand crafted pairings using CAA rules, there isn't much of a restriction on multiple floats.

Looking at the chess-results pairings, I see he was floated up in rounds 2, 5 and 8.

[NickFaulks]

Isn't that how the pairing rules are specified?

Yes, I'm sure it is, but it gives a huge advantage in a long event to a top player who is doing badly and needs to be brought back into the contest. I have always found it quite unfair.

[Brian Towers]

Gawain continues to struggle (3/7).

I think if you'd told him a week ago that after 8 rounds he would be only one point behind Carlsen he'd have been happy. It is the World Championship. It's not supposed to be easy.

[David Sedgwick]

Carlsen seems to be getting floated up whenever possible

Isn't that how the pairing rules are specified, that the floater is the highest ranked player floated up and the lowest ranked floated down? Unlike hand crafted pairings using CAA rules, there isn't much of a restriction on multiple floats.

Looking at the chess-results pairings, I see he was floated up in rounds 2, 5 and 8.

The Regulations specify the you can only be upfloated in every third round. This is what has happened, as Roger indicates.

[David Sedgwick]

Yes, I'm sure it is, but it gives a huge advantage in a long event to a top player who is doing badly and needs to be brought back into the contest. I have always found it quite unfair.

In 2017 the Chess.com Isle of Man International experimented with random pairings in Round 1. At the prize giving 90% of those present supported the experiment, one of them being Magnus Carlsen himself.

The then Chairman of the FIDE Qualification Commission promptly decreed that nothing similar would be permitted again.

It remains to be seen whether the new Chairman of the Qualification Commission will take a different approach.

[NickFaulks]

The then Chairman of the FIDE Qualification Commission promptly decreed that nothing similar would be permitted again.

To be fair, this was done at the behest of Swiss Pairings, who considered that their pairing rules were the only ones acceptable for norm events.

I do intend to renew my input to the new Commission, to the effect that the rules which allow the top seed in this event to as many as five "leg-ups" as and when required are grotesquely biased. We shall see how this is received.

[LawrenceCooper]

Carlsen finishes the day half off the lead so all to play for on day 3.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Carlsen finishes the day half off the lead so all to play for on day 3.

Imagine how well he might do if he wasn't "tired and bored"......