Vladimir Kramnik is undoubtedly a great chess player, extremely well gifted, extremely well educated in chess and his best games are wonderful!

 However his fighting spirit is not at the level of the fighting spirit of Fischer, Kasparov, Karpov, Korchnoi or even Anand, Kamsky or Topalov... On the contrary he seems to me very conservative, seeking too much safety, using very much negotiations and procedures to gain advantages about his status... What excitement is in that?

Winning money is the greatest excitement.

 No doubt but not for the chess enthusiasts!... Without giving them some excitement, how much money will be in store for him? More than otherwise?

 Anand wins money too! And Topalov.

 Bring Kasparov to the arena(chessboard), I want more excitement!

People who don't see excitement in Kramnik's chess just don't understand what's going on there...

How can you say that the best match player seeks safety and do not have "high level" fighting spirit, common people.

He just don't feel well nowdays during his illness, he'll get better and he'll get to the top again, trust me.

PS If only think about money in anything you'll never be good at...

I know what you mean. Fischer and Kasparov seemed to want to kill the competition, and it made them very intimidating. Kramnik just seems so reserved.

I believe Kramnik achieved the best he can be. His style is different but very effective. Exciting chess or not, he became World Champion, the top of the chess world. What more can you ask of the Super GM?

Sad to say, but there's rather a long tradition in chess of using negotiations and procedures to gain advantages... Kramnik is far from the first world champion who has been accused of rigging things in his own favor... Lasker and Alekhine come to mind... and I don't know how you can include Fischer in the fighting spirit club when he abandoned chess for +20 years rather than defend his title even once. Kramnik is a _great_ player -- This is a guy whose rating hovers around the ridiculous 2800 level! He gets knocked for playing conservatively sometimes... and he does... but at the same time, as you admit, he plays some great games too! He's still in his prime. Give him his time.

Here's a game from boring conservative Kramnik -- never mind about the speculative piece sac at move 13 for nothing more than an active pawn center... hell, he can get away with stuff like that against his opponent... a mere +2700

super GM. 

His style more close to Petrosian and Capablanka!..

Not too bad!

But he is more active in the chess... 

Kramnik beat Kasparov, because as Chess Coach, he was more prepared for mach.

Now he got some health problems, and it is slow down him, but he has clear chess vision and good reactions.

 

It's no doubt that Kramnik is a great player, but their was an incident where he was accused of cheating because he took multiple bathroom breaks.

It is looks more like a funny and dirty rumor!..

  

 

Actually, what you said about Kramnik was also said about Karpov in his heyday:  that he lacked fighting spirit and was too safe and careful.

 

That said though, I must say that the match between Kasparov and Kramnik was the most boring one I've ever seen--worse even than Kasparov-Short, the previous record holder in my opinion (though for an entirely different reason), or all those snore-inducing Karpov-Korchnoi marathons. 

There is certainly no doubt Kramnik is one of the great players of all time. I do wish he would play for wins more often, but the genius of his play is certainly beautiful in its own right.

Here is by far my favorite Kramnik game, played at a faster time control against Kasparov...

Agree with the esteemed WGM above. It calls into question what one means by saying that someone is the "best player in the world". If a player consistently places highly in tournaments, but does not win them all, is that better or worse than someone who almost NEVER loses, but doesn't get nearly the same number of wins.

JG27Pyth wrote:

Sad to say, but there's rather a long tradition in chess of using negotiations and procedures to gain advantages... Kramnik is far from the first world champion who has been accused of rigging things in his own favor... Lasker and Alekhine come to mind... and I don't know how you can include Fischer in the fighting spirit club when he abandoned chess for +20 years rather than defend his title even once. Kramnik is a _great_ player -- This is a guy whose rating hovers around the ridiculous 2800 level! He gets knocked for playing conservatively sometimes... and he does... but at the same time, as you admit, he plays some great games too! He's still in his prime. Give him his time.

Here's a game from boring conservative Kramnik -- never mind about the speculative piece sac at move 13 for nothing more than an active pawn center... hell, he can get away with stuff like that against his opponent... a mere +2700 super GM. 

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Fischer is in the "fighting spirit" club for his approach to the game and his intense effort/desire to win every game, no matter what color he had and no matter who his opponent was. It is also one of the reasons Fischer was "feared" by his peers......they knew they were in for a fight to the end even if they had white and even if they might be higher rated. It seems you are not very familiar with Fischer's chess if you can ask such a question.

"I just feel that life is never simple, and a person can do good and bad things at different moments."  

 We can be different , and same as well..

 

     There is a style of play among the top professional's called "playing not to lose"

     Gata Kamsky is another player with this style besides Kramnik. 

      Alot of times beause you are always only looking for the move(s) that only equalize, your mind set(perspective) is such that you will not look for or miss the winning line(s).  Always striving for the initiative, without overreaching, is the mind set(perspective) of the hunter/killer it keeps you sharp, and keeps your opponent on his heels. It is difficult for your opponent to analyze calmly when there are always dangerous threats coming from you.  Eventually he begins to see ghosts in the position.  From that position your opponent is off balance.  Eventually all he/she needs is a little push.

The old saying in chess is, "The THREAT is worse than the execution."

The other old saying is, " The best defense is a good offense" 

The professional gunslinger walks into the bar keeping his back to the wall and his hands on his six shooters.  That is the style of play I am looking for in a world champion. 

Long live Bobby's style. 

 

People say he is boring, but he plays great logical chess.  He is boring to certain people, but his play is exciting to me.

BirdBrain wrote:

People say he is boring, but he plays great logical chess.  He is boring to certain people, but his play is exciting to me.

 A straightforward point. Taken of course!  

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 I am thinking that your favorite Kramnik's games of chess are basically Fischer-like or Kasparov-like! Poor Petrosian's masterpieces were Petrosian-like at least!