Very, very exciting stuff! I would love some opinions on the outcome, but if not, then I will like to publicly state my own. I did, afterall, choose the winner of the World Cup last year, as well as predicting Hou beating Humpy for the WWCC, something even Nostradamus failed to predict.

My choices are as follows:

Topalov will crush Kamsky in the first round, simply because Kamsky is an American citizen.

Gelfand will go to tiebreaks in beating Mamedyarov. Of course, I don't recall playing through any Mamedyarov games, so I don't really know much about him. But, Gelfand is very good!

Aronian will win in tiebreaks over Grischuk, because Grischuk is not scared of Aronian, and gives him headaches. It will be a very tough win for Aronian.

Radjabov will beat Kramnik, no tiebreaks. Because, Kramnik is through as a top ten chess player.

I'll post the semi-finals when the quarterfinals are over. I would post them now, but I'm not quite sure if officials will monitor Kramnik's "bathroom breaks".

Yay! She is back!

OK, my predictions: Gelfand, Aronian, Topalov, Kramnik for the first round.

Aronian & Topalov for the final.

Aronian for the WC challenge.

But my heart is with Kramnik as usual, and whoever comes in the way of Topalov!

Hello, philidor_position! If I recall correctly, you have great respect for Kramnik, and I'm surprised you don't have him beating Aronian? I see you chose Gelfand as well! That was my toughest choice, because I know nothing of Mamedyrov.

Hi trysts, welcome back.

Go Aronian! He's becoming a favourite of mine

Oh, I think I'm the only person on the planet that missed that face of yours, rooperi

I am definetly tracking this thread.

I agree with philidor on all but the finals: I think Topalov will come out victorious.

+1 for philidor_position's picks.

Yes, this is very exciting stuff! And whomever guesses all the matches correctly, will win an all-expense paid trip to the World Chess Championship Finals!!!!!

That is, if someone gets me a magic wand...

I would do something much more selfless with a magic wand, like solving the world's economic woes.

Or getting  a extra large pizza...

I would think a magic wand can be used both for a WCC trip, and an extra-large pizza. I refuse to use it on "the world's economic woes", for it would only allow for the useless system to be further exploited. Though I would make more walnut trees for the squirrels

While you were gone some impostor appeared and appropriated rooperi's picture. Thankfully the scoundrel seems to have disappeared

Topalov, Kramnik, Aronian, Gelfand

then Topalov Kramnik

then Topalov, losing to Vishy next year, again.

My economics professor would compare everything to pizza. I'm sure that he could use one to solve our problems.

I like Spain in the final...wait.

Topalov, Mamedyarov, Grischuk, Kramnik.

Odd picks?  Trust your Lisa Jedi mind tricks.  :)

Bout time you came back! 

  I think Aronian is as good as anybody at the top right now and in his prime, so I predict he'll go on to become the next World Champion.  That would still be my prediction, even if Carlsen was in it.

I use my magic wand for selfish purposes.

You are an obvious imposter.  There is no way the true Tryst(s) would choose Walnut trees to provide food for squirrels.  Black Walnut creates a toxic environment for competing trees, thus, is a killer.

I think the real Tryst(s) would use that wand to make more Hickory trees.  Plus, hickory is prettier and exploited far less by the capitalistic fat cats who are destroying the Earth's ecosystem.

Wow, the real "tryst(s)" makes an excellent point! I didn't know Black Walnut trees use chemical warfare to win tree competitions? Could be tree segregation, because some trees don't mind hanging out with Black Walnut trees. And Black Walnuts have those round, green casings, which smells wonderful in the fall, while the squirrels gather them

I'm not positive, but I think that aroma which you find wonderful is a byproduct of the Walnut's chemical weapon.

It probably is some kind of elitist tree, because the Walnut commonly grows with other beauties like White Ash and Beech, while disdaining the company of lesser trees like Birch and Willow.

The more I think about it, the more I think you should use your wand for planting Butternut--the White Walnut.  I don't see them around here too often anymore.  I think they're even protected in Canada.

You are quite the dendrologist, bigpoison!