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I doubt that the seconds are of much signifigance in these matches. For example: Fischer could have had Christine and me as seconds back in 1972* and, in my opinion, he would have still won convincingly. Maybe even by another point as we would have tried our hardest to get him to play that second game which he didn't show up for. Also, it is known that these days top level players use computers extensively. A player can always have seconds who are of the artificial intelligence nature. But the true value of a second seems to be to have some buddies to provide encouragement and support during the ordeal. Computers won't do that. ------------------------ *If she had been born by then, of course.
he is the hometown boy, why can't he play if they want, he doesn't mess up the tournament or anything, in 2004 linares i think it was, he drew both games with kramnik, and both games with topa! linares wouldn't be linares with vallejo!
For the record
Bareev #24 - 2683
Svidler #4 - 2750
Cheparinov #83 - 2632
Christine, I'm not picking on Vallejo. My impression is that he is one of the most gentlemanly of grandmasters, but if he wasn't a hometown boy, he probably would never get invited to Linares ever again. I would have thought that Ponomariev would have been a much more logical choice. After all, I believe they have the same manager (do they still?) and Topalov was a second for Ponomariov when he played Ivanchuk for FIDE world championship. But maybe Ponomariov was on Topalov's team too. He just didn't get mentioned in the news item I saw. I'd like to know more about this. Vallejo may be an opening whiz, but he sure seems to lose starting with the opening when he plays against the top ten.
Ponomariov #20 - 2703
Maybe you're right though. After all, you don't have to be the best player to be the best sparring partner.
Kasparov had Kramnik as a second at one time. Maybe that's why Kasparov ended up allowing Kramnik to be his Achilles Heel; the familiarity undermined him. What I wonder about Topalov is whether he chooses not to work with the best because he is afraid of divulging secret weapons. Topalov had to contemplate playing against Ponomariov soon in Mexico City after all! I wonder whether Topalov chose his own seconds or allowed his manager to select them for him. Perhaps Ponomariov was offered the chance but declined.
Perhaps you can tell me who on what message boards had the inside knowledge to be able to make the judgment that Vallejo helped with Topalov's successes in this match. Did Topalov himself perhaps convey such sentiments in any of his press conferences?
Jeremy, you say .... Why did Topalov have such relatively low grade seconds? Who would you rather have, Bareev and Svidler (Kramnik) or Cheparinov and Vallejo (Topalov)? well he is rated ... 34 Vallejo Pons, Francisco g ESP 2674 And, from what i've read on chess forums during the match just played, Vallejo did a great job, possibly the best of any of them. He is 34th in the world, been higher than that too i think, and played so often against the greats because at Linares .. plus he is a opening theory study guy. I think he did a great job. stop bagging Vallejo :))
Why did Topalov have such relatively low grade seconds? Who would you rather have, Bareev and Svidler (Kramnik) or Cheparinov and Vallejo (Topalov)? Cheparinov, maybe, with a youthful penchant for tactics but surely not Vallejo. How would studying with Vallejo help me defeat Kramnik?
Cheers to Kramnik, and it is a pleasure that Topalov/Danailov are disqualified from 2007 World Championship.
Susan Polgar Reports: 'Game over! Black hung a Rook! A shocking ending to the most bizzare match! Unification has been achieved! Congratulations to Kramnik! Well done!'
Mark Thompson I agree completely. But is the same for all sports. Is winner of world cup best team in the world with 95% confidence? No. All we can do is hold competition and declare winner as champion. More valid competition produces more legitimate champion. Chess still has many problems holding event that can produce most legitimate champion, more than most sport.
I'm not convinced that these tournaments really identify a 'best player in the world' (most of the time), or even that there is such a thing (most of the time). If you were to apply statistical theory to the results and calculate a confidence level, I doubt that the hypothesis that 'Kramnik is better than Topolov' would get anywhere near the 95% confidence that's considered standard for scientific purposes.
'If Anand is greatest, why isn't he the highest rated?'
Ratings do not always tell best player. Rating points are often earned in tournaments where many opponents are weaker. Tournament results do not always correlate with best player as well as match results. But match results have smaller effect on ratings.
I am not saying that Anand IS best player, only that he MAY be best player and that only match will determine.
Bravo. Well said. That's exactly what the 2007 tournament should be: A way to determine a challenger. Not a way to determine the world chess champion. Which is the way it is set up now. Right? Really, it doesn't make sense to call this a reunification match if the only 'reward' besides monetary is that it's just a candidates match to qualify for the 2007 world chess championship tournament. RIDICULOUS!!!! The loser of this tournament, if Topalov, should qualify to play in the 2007 round robin and the winner of that should then play Kramnik for the world chess champion title.
Why not use the 2007 championship tournament as a way to determine a challenger? It works better this way.
even if kram wins, when the 2007 wc comes around, he won't go in it, say he is 'classical' world champ, and we will get 2 world champs again.
Yes, also complicated by possibility that best player in world is neither Kramnik nor Topalov, but Anand!
- Sam
Just two more games left and in order to be accepted as legitimate world chess champion, Topalov will have to win both of them. Kramnik, on the other hand, can either draw both and win the rapids or win just one and draw one and he will be accepted as not only legitimate world chess champion, but also the champion preferred in the eyes of the professional chess community. Prior to the toilet scandal, Topalov would have been preferred.
Excellent point, Andy. To win and leave an unambiguous impression as champion, Topalov will still have to win at least three games.
It is good that match will continue, but not good about forfeit point. If Topalov now wins match 6.5-5.5, or 6-6 on tiebreaks, then world will still doubt who is true champion. Opinion of world's chessplayers now running very strong against Topalov.
Good news that Kramnik is willing to play even having forfeited the point.
They should give Kramnik back the forfeited point.
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Excellent points, Gary. As I recall, Fischer had William Lombardy and Larry Evans. I can remember seeing photos of Fischer looking like he was really enjoying himself with them, playing on a compact set floating in a swimming pool! If companionship were a primary consideration, who would you take? Polymathic grandmaster Jonathan Rowson or Kings Indian expert retired grandmaster Tal Shaked might be my choices.