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Post by Ozymandias on Oct 14, 2023 16:02:00 GMT
This is the moment when he realizes he's in deep shit: His opponent is a 23 year old who just acquired his GM title, hardly a rising star. So either he was cheating or Caissa (Fisher) possessed him. This is Carlsen biting his tongue after losing the Niemann affair: x.com/MagnusCarlsen/status/1712485361929093611?s=20 |
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Post by matejst on Oct 20, 2023 9:33:29 GMT
He plays really badly the whole tournament. He lost in a stunning fashion in game 7. Overall, I think he is overrated by these young guys who really do not know chess history and have never analyzed games from older players and put them in context. There is always the thing that, by elevating Carlsen, they elevate themselves indirectly.
For me, of the "modern" players, Fischer, Karpov were better. In general, I think that Karpov, in modern conditions where games have to be played without analyzing the whole night at move 40, was better than Kasparov. But the way of playing in the eighties played in favour of Kasparov, who, as we have seen later, was not a top player in late middlegame and endings. Karpov is underestimated grossly, for "ideological" reasons mainly, a narrative created by Kasparov.
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Post by matejst on Oct 20, 2023 9:38:07 GMT
There is a great Karpov's interview on Levitov chess world YT channel (with subtitles). A lot of anecdotes for us, older chess lovers. Some truths about Korchnoi too, congruent with Sosonko's writings. Some truths about Karpov too, if you listen carefully.
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Post by Ozymandias on Oct 20, 2023 13:10:47 GMT
I remember I press conference he attended to, when the match with Korchnoi. He came off as a cool SOB.
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Post by matejst on Oct 20, 2023 15:53:38 GMT
I remember I press conference he attended to, when the match with Korchnoi. He came off as a cool SOB. He probably was at that age, 26, and being world champion.
What bothers me are the false narratives: Korchnoi as a victim, Kasparov as a revolutionary, Karpov as the communist arch-vilain. Korchnoi threw the match against Petrosian in 1971 (Sosonko, who was his second, tells the story.) to avoid playing Fischer. He was a child of the system just like Kasparov, both more than Karpov. He left his family, his son, to play chess abroad and become world champion. Was it worth it? Otoh, Kasparov is the ultimate liar, a chess Baron Munchausen. While Karpov got a decent coach at the age of 20 (Furman), Kasparov had a whole team from the age of 14. And both, for reasons unrelated to chess, are venerated today.
The writings of Sosonko opened my eyes about Korchnoi, but also his match against Spassky in Belgrade, in 1978. Branislav Rakic wrote an excellent book about it, with the facts, the whole facts, and nothing but the facts. Korchnoi had to make an enemy of Boris Spassky to play in this match. Spassky, who was not motivated to win, even to play, almost managed to equalized being 5 points down. Unfortunately, his preparation was really bad, and he virtually had no seconds. Anyway, Korchnoi's behaviour was despicable.
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Post by matejst on Oct 20, 2023 19:05:52 GMT
About Carlsen: I saw him blunder several time in complicated, tactical positions. But he plays endings exceptionally well. Whatever they say, for me he is in the lineage of Karpov and Kramnik, a modernized, and physically fit Kramnik.
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Post by Ozymandias on Oct 20, 2023 19:18:46 GMT
Kramnik was ill, he did quite well despite that.
What you say about Carlsen rings true, which is curious, since endings are full of tactics.
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Post by matejst on Oct 20, 2023 20:20:28 GMT
Kramnik was ill, he did quite well despite that. What you say about Carlsen rings true, which is curious, since endings are full of tactics. Come on. His "not good" is way better that ours "great". At the World Cup, one of the tactics he missed I could see, but the other one was missed by both players, although commentators saw it. But he is not at the level of Morozevich, certainly, nor Nepomniachtchi. But he has good nerves, he is physically strong, and he has something really Karpovian in his game. I had last year (or two years ago) a debate with Milos about the comparative strength of modern players compared to the one in my youth, and since, I have analyzed a lot of games -- chess has changed, engines are a big component of the game today, but top players are not better than they were. Otoh, the average level has risen sharply. Opening preparation has become even more crucial, knowledge is more available, and the mastery of simple positions is more critical than ever.
There is finally a deflation in rating, started a few years ago, but I still believe that the inflation is about 150 Elos compared to the times before the end of the SU.
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Post by Ozymandias on Oct 20, 2023 21:22:16 GMT
You're talking about the inflation among the 2700s, I take it? If so, it was only a question of time. They live in partial isolation, but it's not complete, the moment they interact with lower rated players, they become affected by the illness which the rest of the pool has.
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Post by matejst on Oct 20, 2023 22:45:36 GMT
You're talking about the inflation among the 2700s, I take it? If so, it was only a question of time. They live in partial isolation, but it's not complete, the moment they interact with lower rated players, they become affected by the illness which the rest of the pool has. A 2700 player is approximately 2550 in 1980. But there seems to be a real deflation among players above 2700, of about 30-50 points. I think it has several causes: a higher theoretical level of "the rest of the pool". Then, they have to play more open tournaments, event players above 2750. And I think there is a new pool of players, from India and perhaps China, and young European players, now that one can earn some decent money in chess (Hikaru is worth 50M, e.g., through streaming mainly). |
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Post by matejst on Nov 2, 2023 17:26:01 GMT
Ok, I shall post it here, since I could not find an adequate thread or subforum. At the Grand Swiss, so far it seems that in the 8. round Caruana has a clear advantage, Esipenko should win. Perhaps Sarana, who is a pawn up. Predke has an advantage from a human standpoint, although the engine gives =. He will grab a pawn, but it will be difficult to convert.
Rapport blundered a pawn without counterplay against Sarana. Bacrot played a mess of an opening against Caruana, who perhaps could have played better. Esipenko played really creative chess once again.
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Post by Ozymandias on Nov 2, 2023 19:14:01 GMT
Apparently, he changed trainer.
BTW, you can just start a new thread, if there isn't one that fits.
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Post by matejst on Nov 2, 2023 19:59:36 GMT
Apparently, he changed trainer. BTW, you can just start a new thread, if there isn't one that fits. Esipenko? I was very impressed by his chess at this tournament. Yesterday he managed to draw a very difficult ending, the round before to pose problems to Nakamura. With a good coach, I will be able to make it to 2750 I think.
I follow Predke and Sarana who are Serbians now. Predke played a few nice games, winning against Shankland. Sarana progresses nicely.
BTW, Firouzja lost.
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Post by matejst on Nov 2, 2023 20:44:53 GMT
Bacrot lost with two bad moves...
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Post by Ozymandias on Nov 3, 2023 4:28:43 GMT
I don't see a single player with the conditions necessary to become a new #1. Which is unfortunate, because I don't like Carlsen.
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