Is Carlsen a squeezer?

Hallo!

It's about Candidates 2013 Tournament and Carlsen in particular.

I watch games in this tournament. Tommorow will be last round (most likely). I watched very close Carlsen's performance as highest rated chessplayer. I hoped he would amaze me with his chess abilities. Now i feel like he failed in doing that.

Even more. His strategy in gaining wins seem to me quite brutal - he acts as thug, who pressures weakest to the limits to get his share. It's effective but quite ugly in my eyes - maybe because he uses tiredness and time rules to his advantage. I think that i would even overlooked that if he played better in pure chess. But imho he squeezes so much, that he forget in process to play beauty chess.

What do you think?

its a results business , even if you have to win ugly, a win is a win

He isn't playing to entertain the public. He's playing to win the World Chess Championship.

Yeah, he just keeps playing these 2750-2800 weaklings until they blunder like the patzers they are.

It's not that simple. For me as a spectator it's not only about winning, it's also about 'chessquality'.

Go watch some Kasparov highlight reels then.

@blueemu In fact he is playing to entertain the public. He is the best by rating, so he do not need WCC.

Look at his games against lower rated players.  The thing is, at the level they are playing, there simply aren't openings for "beautiful" chess.  You need to look at the background behind his moves -- he has definitely been setting traps against the other players, but they are good enough to realize it and not fall for the traps.  Perhaps the most entertaining game of the tournament was played between Svidler and Grischuck in round 9 -- Svidler traded his queen for 3 minor pieces.  But in the end, it was only a draw.  That is the nature of chess at the highest level.  "Beautiful" games played by guys like Morphy simply don't exist anymore, because now players are good enough to not allow it.  

"time rules to his advantage" in what way, if your opponent is in time trouble thats on him

Have you explained to Carlsen that he doesn't need the World Chess Championship title?

Having the best rating means little without the WCC.

@pfren You can play drawish endgame possition like Carlsen through 2 or 3 houres, till your opponent slips because you tired him to death. But for me it is not chess.

+1

Because you're too worried about the objective evaluation. The opponent has to get there.

"Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it’s OK to lose. I don’t. You have to be merciless."

Carlsen's words, I think they sum up his feelings on the issue.

What's interesting is that his opponents know Carlsen is a "squeezer." They know what's coming and usually can't do anything about it.

@BloodyJack He is merciless. Maybe i just don't like to watch merciless games.

@MyCowsCanFly Well, it seems Ivanchuk is fast learner.

I ahve to wonder what kind of slash-bang, positional queen sacs you are expecting in games between the worlds elite who have all spent thousands of hours studying and playing at the highest level. it sometimes amazes me anyone loses at all.

I am not sure what is wrong with this kind of chess, it seems quite logical. The objective of chess is to win, no one really cares how you do it, as long as you do it. If you dont like it, then dont watch.