Morelia/Linares halverwege
26 februari 2008 22:55 | Laatste bewerking: 8:15
Als we halverwege Morelia/Linares de balans opmaken, dan mogen we als schaakfans onze handen dichtknijpen. Oké, er werden meer fouten gemaakt dan gebruikelijk, maar dat maakte het toernooi des te boeiender.
Tot nu toe zijn er meer beslissende partijen geweest dan remises, wat vrij uitzonderlijk is. Dit heeft waarschijnlijk vooral te maken met het deelnemersveld: bijna louter vechters, die geen Russische Verdediging spelen! Goed, Peter Leko doet wel mee, en ook hij staat niet bekend als een erg ondernemende speler, maar om nou te zeggen dat hij saai spel heeft laten zien in Morelia? Zeer onfortuinlijk, dat wel, zodat hij nu de laatste plaats bezet halfverwege.
Anand staat aan de goede kant van de lijst: bovenaan, met 4,5 uit 7. Goede kansen dus voor prolongatie van de titel. Vishy lijkt bovendien lekker vaak op winst te spelen, ook met zwart, en dat is niet slecht gegaan tot nu toe. Shirov, die vele malen (gedeeld) laatste eindigde in Linares, is al een paar maanden in goeden doen en staat netjes tweede, samen met Topalov. De Bulgaar heeft zeer wisselend spel laten zien: soms flarden van zijn topvorm in 2005, en soms zetten op 2400-niveau.
Ook Aronian en Carlsen delen een plek: beiden 3,5 punt (50%). Eerstgenoemde begon opmerkelijk door eerst hard van het bord gezet te worden door Topalov, om vervolgens Anand met een mooie aanvalspartij te verslaan. Toch kan zijn spel wel wat overtuigender, want de enige andere overwinning kwam met het nodige geluk tot stand tegen Ivanchuk. Carlsen hoeft niet ontevreden te zijn: tegenover twee mooie overwinningen op Topalov en Aronian staan een verdiende nederlaag tegen Anand maar een onnodige nul tegen Radjabov.
Diezelfde Radjabov heeft meer reden tot klagen. Behalve dat punt tegen Carlsen heeft hij nog weinig potten kunnen breken. Evenveel punten (3) heeft Ivanchuk, maar diens spel ziet er toch wat minder shaky uit, behalve dat ene drama natuurlijk. En zo keren we terug bij Leko, die wellicht inspiratie haalt uit de prestatie van Morozevich in 2007. Vanuit 2 uit 7 (nog een halfje minder dus) eindigde de Rus na een wederopstanding in Linares uiteindelijk nog tweede.
Donderdagmiddag wordt de achtste ronde gehouden; ikzelf vlieg morgenochtend naar Madrid en pak ik vervolgens een trein naar Linares. Daar zal ik tot en met de laatste ronde zorgen voor zo veel mogelijk video’s. Hopelijk lukt het om elke speler minstens eenmaal wat vragen te stellen voor de camera.
Wat me wel een leuk idee lijkt, is dat jullie wat vragen achterlaten in de reacties. Wat willen jullie weten van de spelers? Ik kijk ernaar uit om al wat goede vragen onder dit artikel te zien als ik morgenochtend mijn computer aansluit op het internet in hotel Anibal!
-Would you ask the player if they don’t miss their pal Vlad Kramnik?
-Do they see the point of changing venue?
That are my 2 questions!
How many of the players speak spanish?
again, interviews with seconds are very interesting, so more of those!
opinions on the quality of the play so far.
how does such a long break, 4 days, from playing affect the tournament? for leko for example, is it a good or a bad thing?
Who is afraid of Magnus?
What Magnus is afraid of?
ask your interviewpartners about a specific position:
would they prefer to be white or black in the position after Nxf7 in the anti-moscow variation? or in other words: will they allow this move when playing black?
or just ask, if we will see some games with this opening..
it’s a special question, but some are interested..
Ask the players if they see themselves playing chess until old age (like Korchnoi) or if they plan to retire from competitive chess earlier.
Ask the players if they think classical chess will be dead in 10 years due to opening preparation and whether they think Fischer-random chess would be a potential solution to this situation.
Number of (rather simple…) blunders is rather unusual for such a tournament, isn’t it? Maybe players can give some explanation for that disappointing observation?
What active chess player do you fear the most and why? (I’m sure they would skirt around this question but it’s worth a shot.)
Or a more subtle question could be, which opponent (or opponents) poses the biggest challenge for you when playing them (or preparing for them)? (Again, they can skirt around this too and since they’re professionals I don’t think they’d be too candid about who they fear, but it’s interesting nonetheless)
I’d like to know what Magnus (and really all the participants) think of Chess960. Do they play it? What do they think the future holds? Aronian and Leko, of course, but I wonder how they really think of the game. Is it on par with classical chess or just a fun diversion from time to time.
Hallo Peter,
ik heb interview vragen aan Viswanathan Anand.
Anand is known because of his fast play (making moves fast).
I wonder if this fast play is a skill or a habit.
When he reacts with an answer like “it came naturally to me”
Then I would like to know when he realized that fast moving was actually a competence, and what did he do to capitalize this competence?
And did he use it as a hidden technique or as a method?
Not really a Linares question per se, but about one of the players. How is Topalov pronounced?
mañana nos quitamos el mono de partidas que tenemos.
Con este supertorneo tenemos suerte, aver que tal en Linares.
Will they play at the World Cup? And if they will, how do they evaluate their chances?
Are professional chess and family life compatible? What are their wifes doing during preparations and tournaments?
The “old men” in this tournament are the “‘69ers” (Mig’s turn of phrase, not mine). That’s young! They should, neurologically speaking, be at the hight of power, with better still to come. What are the main things that make youth such a commodity in the game today? That’s always confused, and admittedly, depressed me.
My guestions are:
1) Do they still play chess with family?, or is that just not fun anymore.
2) Do they still sit down and analyze games from old masters?
3) How do they know how to speak english so well?
4) Do they have other education?
Peter
Follwoing your invitation to suggest questions to the 8 players, here are two.
I noticed that Carlsen played the Alekhine and won the game against Topalov.
Being a fanatic of the Alekhine myself,
Could you ask the players whether:
i) they feel the Alekhine is not a all correct opening and the only chance to appear
here was to catch someone unawares? Or is it a matter of taste?
ii) When a grand master replies agains the Alekhine he usually
plays 4.Nf3. He does that because he thinks that is better?
For instance, I noticed someione saying that the only reason the
four pawns attack is not played it is because he needs to memorize too many
answeres from Black. I think this also happens with 4.Nf3.
Thanks
Q: Isn’t every opening playable, even at top-level? (see the Alekhine of Carlsen)
Andy
my term “not all correct opening” is not mine. it is used by Korchnoy and quoted
on my great predecessors V
questions to a second:
-how is your relation with the player you are “seconding”, employee or more friend-like? (I dont mean if they call the player “sir”, but if their is a clear hierarchy or not).
-whats your and your players relation to novelties you come up with, after the tournament is finished? can you use them, and if you do might it be a problem for future employments as second? (I remember Loek van Wely was a bit vague on this point in the interview about him being second to Kramnik, he said he could use them but I also got the feeling that it might not be that great to do it…)
-if you have had a novelty lying for a pretty long time, are you supposed to reveale it? or in other words, is there any limit at all to what of your opening preperations you are (morally?) allowed to keep for yourself?
-is your payment based on a fee, or on the success of the player in the tournament? or both?
-does it help you improve as a chess player to work as second, or is it rather a small hinder (since it takes time away from your own game, and possibly hinders your opening preperation), or not a matter at all? (by contrast, I have read many times that teaching is a hinder for your own game because it takes time away from it).
questions to players
-how much time to you normally spend preparing for your games during a tournament? how much before the tournament?
-at what time of the day do you rather play?
How did Anand learn english?
Be the way, just wanted to say that the videos are great. I really like watching them. Thank you.
Sorry the question should be
How did Anand learn spanish.
2 questions:
1) feel the players a rather combative line-up of players as the one is playing right now in Linares is more beneficial for the chess presented to the fans or more conservative/defensive players must be allowed?
2) for Leko, has he envisioned the possibility of a new way of training, to try a different second for instance?
I congratulate all the particiants for giving their best in every single game they play. I wish for Ivanchuk to play better in Linares. I’ll be eager to anticipate the game between anand and topalov. I do consider Linares and Morelia to be the strongest tournament each year. I hope that Kramnik will soon participate in this future event.
my question addressed to each player:
1. who do you consider to be the toughest and strongest player that you had played with and why?
Do you wish that Kasparov would unretire from chess?
i really wonder that vishy always playing faster than his opponents, and his calculations are very fast when he playing chess., and here i would like to know the answer for this questions from other chess lovers., IS ANAND LOST IN TIME OF CONTROL IN ANY GAMES ( even he got winning positions)?
Hi,
Please ask any of the players the following:
1.What is your opinion on chess computers?
2.Do you think class C players benefit from playing them?
thanks
Could you ask Magnus where he got the jacket he wore against Ivanchuk in Linares, because I think its awesome. Thanks