Comments on: World Cup tiebreaks round 1: more Chinese successes

By: Bootvis

Bootvis — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:31:20 +0000

I think Gelfand strategy is very useful strategy if you want to win such a long tournament. You give yourself some restdays and are better rested when it gets harder ratingwise. This extra rest and hiding of openingprep can never hurt.

The strategy can of course fail if you 1) have to play blitz 4 games 2) lose against a stronger opponent who is in the zone after winning a lot and 3) lose with white after quickly drawing with black.

By: Coco Loco

Coco Loco — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:52:40 +0000

Amonatov is no weakie. He just figured his chances of winning after 12 Petroff moves were no higher than the chances of losing… And if Gelfand feels pressured to win tomorrow, so much the better.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:07:49 +0000

One thing’s for sure, at least in hindsight: Ivanchuk’s “strategy” to avoid a perpetual check when he was down to 2 minutes (plus increment) for 17 moves didn’t work …. .
As far as Gelfand is concerned (repeating myself): I do not blame _him_ … . Of coures he still needs to get part II done, winning with white tomorrow. And he will probably play something else if he ever needs to win the second game with black – isn’t he also an expert on the Najdorf?

By: Muadhib

Muadhib — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:52:58 +0000

You can say that again. From top 10 seeds only Grischuk (8th seed), Jakovenko (9) and Wang Yue (10) managed to win. Four of them: Svidler (3), Morozevich (4), Radjabov (5) and Ivanchuk (6) lost, while others drew.

So maybe Gelfands strategy wasn’t so bad today huh?

By: Bootvis

Bootvis — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:48:35 +0000

Upset all around in 2.1

By: Muadhib

Muadhib — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:02:14 +0000

I think it’s an excellent strategy by Gelfand – as black he just sucks out the will power to play chess out of his opponent with his Petrov defence

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:36:22 +0000

Gelfand (or rather his opponent Amonatov) did it again: a 12-move draw in the Petroff. Does Amonatov plan to win with black tomorrow, to draw and enter tiebreaks, or does he just want to conserve rating points?

By: Onischuk fan

Onischuk fan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Kamsky, Onischuk, Shabalov, and Akobian all won.

By: Michel83

Michel83 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:55:34 +0000

I agree.
Laylo had an ABSOLUTELY won position against Navara in the second game, at some point I think even I would have won it. He then started doing all wrong moves possible and just got a draw. I suppose that was also tough psychologically.

And Hou Yifan…splendid third game after Naiditsch’s blunder, she was very precise during that timetrouble.
She was better in the 4th game too but went wrong with 41…h5, she probably just missed 42. Be8 while she was in timetrouble again. She might have won it otherwise, forcing the Blitz match. Pity.
I don’t know how you guys see it but her timetrouble and the blunder in the third game aside Hou Yifan seems to have a serious problem evaluating positions correctly. Her first game is not only a trainwreck, in this game like in many other games I’ve seen of her I have the feeling she doesn’t know when it’s better to attack and when it’s better to wait and/or to defend and does it respectively at the wrong time.
I love her attacking style, but she often seems chaotic- maybe she needs to change her type (not amount) of training.

By: Luis

Luis — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:09:57 +0000

As usual with these rapid and blitz games great entertainment and fighting chess, but also a few blunders!
Check Tregubov’s mate-allowing 43. Qd1 in his 8th blitz game with Akobian, but after so many pressure-packed hours at the board who can blame these guys for showing they’re only human …?