Anand v Gelfand

[Graham Borrowdale]

Acting unwell at work today, tomorrow call in sick

it is worth arranging some time off work to spectate tomorrow...

How many other people would take time off work to watch chess online? Not just this match but any other. I had enough trouble taking time off from gardening during the weekend matches.

Has anyone found a way to see the games later on without first seeing the results? PGN-files always have 1-0 or whatever in the header. I guess I need the equivalent of a chess-sky-box

[Adam Ashton]

The title of 'world champion' is not imo a title that should be treated lightly. To add your name to such an illustrious list it should be necessary to beat the current world champion in classical chess(not in a rapid play off). If the classical games end in a draw to my mind the match is drawn and any play off not involving further games of classical chess is devaluing the title. So yes I'm all for draw odds given that the days of indefinite matches seem to be long gone.

I would point you towards boxing for a more suitable comparison than football. It's an unwritten rule that you have to 'beat' the champion to win the title. Close fights are generally awarded to the current holder so in effect the holder does have draw odds.

[Paolo Casaschi]

Has anyone found a way to see the games later on without first seeing the results? PGN-files always have 1-0 or whatever in the header. I guess I need the equivalent of a chess-sky-box

By far, the best way to follow games is the broadcast from the official site, wonderful commentary, expect Svidler again tomorrow.
For even better enjoyment, connect the laptop to the TV and enjoy on the big screen from the couch

Replay available from here:
http://moscow2012.fide.com/en/vid-archive

If you want to watch the replay after the event without knowing the results you might have to ask a friend/wife to start the replay and switch to fullscreen mode. Obviously avoid all internet chess sites, forums, blogs, all TV news and evening newspapers

[John McKenna]

What Paolo writes at the end of his post above reminds me of an episode of The Likely Lads that was entitled No Hiding Place and in which the two 'lads' spent all day trying to avoid hearing or seeing the result of a football match because they wanted to watch it that night without knowing the final score. (See the link below for a general explanation of the series.)

www.en.wikipedia.com/wiki/The_Likely_Lads

[Matt Mackenzie]

Pedants Corner part 94:

The Likely Lads was the original 1960s black and white series.

The episode you refer to was part of its 1970s (colour) successor - Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads? Widely regarded as even better than the original

[Paul Cooksey]

Twitter:

Really looking forward to the tiebreak of #Anand-Gelfand tomorrow. It's like in football, even after a boring 0-0 draw you want to watch ET

Seriously though, I don't blame the players for agreeing to all those early draws, it's just appaling that the rules allow them to

[Roger de Coverly]

Twitter:

Really looking forward to the tiebreak of #Anand-Gelfand tomorrow. It's like in football, even after a boring 0-0 draw you want to watch ET

Seriously though, I don't blame the players for agreeing to all those early draws, it's just appaling that the rules allow them to

Not a new problem though. Take a look at the "other" semi final in 1971 between Korchnoi and Petrosian. That style of play was imitated in England as well, to the annoyance of commentators such as Ritson Morry. Fischer would never agree draws in that type of position, witness his destruction of Geller in the 1970 Interzonal. Domestically Tony Miles was more unwilling to take the early draw than Keene or Hartston.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Roger.

By coincidence I reprint in my column a Ritson Morry anti-draw rant from a Nov 1975 BCM
where he reports the spectators were actually booing the GM's for their dull play.

Anand v Gelfand (The Instructive bits.)

http://www.redhotpawn.com/blog/blogread ... postid=102

"in my column..." I'm not sure if it's a blog. We call it a blog but I get paid for it.

Also pics of two chess coasters. These things comes in fours.
I want the full set. Anybody....?

Fischer and draws.
Big Fischer fan but we have to admit he did draw his way to the title
after taking the lead from being in effect 3-0 down.
(One loss, one default and if the match was tied Spassky kept the title.)

I should have won an oscar for my feeling unwell act at work.
At one time I was offered to go home early.
"No, I'll soldier on, I'll see how I feel tomorrow."

Of course sods law states on Thursday I really will be ill.

[Roger de Coverly]

By coincidence I reprint in my column a Ritson Morry anti-draw rant from a Nov 1975 BCM
where he reports the spectators were actually booing the GM's for their dull play.

The Alexander Memorial featured notoriously dull play plus a Golombek - Huebner dispute. CHO'D preferred active play, perhaps a better memorial would have been to assemble all the players recruited for GCHQ both in 1939-45 and later. The Official Secrets Act might have been a constraint.

[John Hickman]

Chap with the chess pieces there, five rounds rapid.

[Matthew Turner]

Anyone know when the games start today - I think it is earlier?

[Ian Kingston]

Anyone know when the games start today - I think it is earlier?

ChessBase says 12:00 Moscow time, which is 09:00 in the UK.

[Matthew Turner]

That tallies with 4am NY time talked about on chessbomb. Many thanks

[Matthew Turner]

About to start

[Paul McKeown]

Slight initiative to Gelfand? d3 bishop better placed than d7 bishop, one extra developing move, making d5 pawn slightly more vulnerable than d4-pawn?