Kirsan: ‘Match to be continued’

De herenigingsmatch Kramnik-Topalov gaat door. Dit zei FIDE-president Kirsan Iljoemzjinov vanmorgen tegen journalisten in Elista. Beide spelers waren het erover eens dat de partij van vandaag moest worden uitgesteld. Het grootste probleem is nu of er met een stand van 3-1 of 3-2 verder wordt gespeeld. Dit meldt het Russische persbureau Interfax.The reunification match Kramnik-Topalov will continue. This is what FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov told journalists in Elista this morning. Both players agreed that today’s game had to be postponed. The biggest problem right now is whether to continue with a 3-1 or a 3-2 score. This news was brought by the Russian press agency Interfax.
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Who what where?

A new day, a new hope. Apart from Seirawan’s letter (see previous post) there are two more documents (at least) that are relevant:

• An open letter by Ilyumzhinov to Kramnik
• A second open letter by Kramnik

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Yasser the rescuer?

Foto: Chessbase
Eerlijk gezegd vrees ik het ergste. Het zou me verbazen als de heren Kramnik en Topalov nog tot elkaar te brengen zijn. Kirsan Iljoemzjinov is inmiddels op weg naar Elista (hij had een onderonsje met Poetin in Sochi) maar of hij bereid is de fout van de Commissie van Beroep terug te draaien, zoals Yasser Seirawan in een open brief van hem vraagt? Hm… Honestly, I fear the worst. It would surprise me if Mr. Kramnik and Mr. Topalov would be reunified to play for reunification again. In the meantime Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is on his way to Elista (he had a meeting with Putin in Sochi) but whether he’s prepared to take back the erroneous decision of the Appeals Committee, as Yasser Seirawan is asking him in an open letter… full story »

Breaking news: Kramnik loses on time

Na anderhalf uur in spanning te hebben gezeten, lijkt het dan toch officieel: Kramnik heeft de vijfde matchpartij verloren door tijdsoverschrijding. Terwijl Topalov achter de zwarte stukken zat te wachten, weigerde Kramnik de eerste zet te doen totdat de deur naar zijn rustruimte zou worden heropend.After one and a half hour of anxiety, it seems official: Kramnik has lost the fifth match game by overstepping the time. While Topalov was waiting behind the black pieces, Kramnik refused to play the first move until the door to his rest room would be reopened.

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New developments

De ontwikkelingen omtrent ‘Toiletgate’ (de naam is van ChessBase) volgen elkaar in razend tempo op. We proberen jullie zo goed mogelijk op de hoogte te houden, maar het is bijna niet bij te houden.

The developments around ‘Toiletgate’ (ChessBase) are going faster and faster. We will try to keep you updated as fast as we can, but we cannot promise anything.

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What the…

While the Russian media is full of stories with conspiracy theories about Topalov walking around with a chip in his head, with which he makes contact with a chess computer, now it’s his turn. The man who desperately tries to turn the match situation into his favour, is threatening to leave the reunificatio match. The number of times Kramnik visits the bathroom during games drives him crazy; of course this means Topalov accuses Kramnik of using technical aids. ‘He’s out of his mind!’ / Kramnik’s behaviour is suspicious indeed’ (make your own choice). full story »

Nice quote by Alex Yermolinsky

Yermo comments on Kramnik-Topalov, after game 4: 

“The last two games were marred by one particular problem. First Kramnik takes cxd5 (I see no reason to label exd5 risky), then today Topalov takes with a wrong piece on c4. I hope they get their recaptures right before the match is over.” (Reactie op Kramnik-Topalov g4, Daily Chess Dirt.)

Adjustment sidebar

Yesterday I adjusted my sidebar (the two columns on the right) a little. full story »

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Kramnik does not flinch

It was Topalov again who came with a theoretical novelty today, which indeed gave hem some opening advantage. But Kramnik slowly but surely equalised just by putting his pieces on optimal positions, while Topalov probably played a bit too conservatively today. full story »

Is the match already over?

Is it too pessimistic to declare that the reunification match between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik is already over? A friend of mine said to me that he considers it to be already decided, because two points behind is too much in such a short match. To this he added: “Topalov has shown very weak play in game 3. With such opening play even Loek van Wely can beat him in a match!” Indeed, if Kramnik would have played 17.Ne4 it would probably have been a devastating 3-0 (and Kramnik would finally have been compared to Fischer…).

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Topalov still hanging on

For a while it seemed that Kramnik would easily increase his lead in the match to an almost irreconcilable 3-0 score today. But Topalov, who had to endure so much already in just two games, defended skilfully and held the draw superbly. full story »

The word on the street

What a great match! The battle between Topalov and Kramnik started only Saturday, but already the chess world seems divided. full story »

Open letter by Boris Gelfand to the FIDE President

While the whole world is focussed on the match of the century (at least so far), it’s quite important to remember that besides this success of FIDE, the organisation has also been blundering the last few weeks (or months!?), just like Topalov. Boris Gelfand is the first player to raise questions about the candidates matches scheduled for October. full story »

Mr. Topalov, what are you doing?

Give this man a drink. And be quick. Cause if Veselin doesn’t need one, then I’ll do! The small tragedy we saw yesterday was nothing compared to what happened today in Elista. Topalov was playing one of the most attractive games played in a World championship match ever, building up a fantastic position… just to blow it by missing several killer moves. full story »

Big match starts with small tragedy

The big match finally started. Today Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov played the first game in their reunification match and they immediately showed good fighting spirit. Kramnik won but unfortunately this was because of a small tragedy on Topalov’s side. In a position with a pawn down but fantastic compensation he blundered away the game.  full story »

Gelfand demolishes Tivi’s Nimzo

Earlier this week I wrote about the Spanish team championship. Later my eye fell on the game Gelfand-Tiviakov, in which Black was demolished. A perfect example of how to play positions with ‘compensation for the sacrificed pawn’, where you have more active pieces than your opponent. full story »

NSI de Eenhoorn’s club games go live

PRESS RELEASE

It might be a scoop in the Dutch chess league. As from this season, chess club NSI de Eenhoorn (Hoorn) will broadcast its games live on the internet. full story »

Carlsen champ of Norway

Magnus Carlsen took the title in the Norwegian championship yesterday. He finally managed to beat his trainer champion for years Simen Agdestein, in the playoff rapidgames. full story »

Ilhumzhinov desires cooperation with Kok

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has asked Bessel Kok to reorganize professional chess, according to the Dutch daily newspaper Trouw. “Unbelievable,” reacted Kok. full story »

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