The Candidates!

Well, that was weird!? I guess Grischuk went into "four-game-mode"

Oh, well, strike my last comment.  These guys decided to take a day off.  I don't criticize either player here.  The previous games were hard-fought, so they have earned this one.  I won't post any negative comments about it.  Rest, reload, and come back fighting tomorrow.

Grischuk may be so great, that he's going to win both the Classical and the Blitz World Championship at the same time!

@trysts--I think you've figured him out!  Now we know what his plan is!  Good spot.

  I was not too nice in the final paragraph in my blog about this game. I'm sorry everyone, I just don't see a rest day as an excuse for a quick draw, despite the last two games that they played. They are professionals and finalists in this tournament and one of them will be facing Anand for the title. But if they play like this against him, that match is going to be a joke.

   Now I know I will get ripped for this and my blog as well, but prove to the chess community that they belong in the position that they are in. Stop being so casual and do a little butt-kicking. They won't win against Anand playing like this.

   Just my 2 cents and let the hazing begin  

  -Mark

Tomorrow is rest day, a draw before the rest day is a good result, a victory is better but a lose is devastating as you can not seek for vengeance the following day.

sorry guys, but this way is the battle

Grischuk won Aronian and Kramnik playing like this

   His winning with tactics like this bother me though pdela. I haven't agreed or liked how he has been playing and winning this entire event, and I have tried to hard to be objective about it. He took out both tournament favorites by playing like this and I just don't think it's right. My blog titles for this event have reflected this as well. So what if there is a rest day tomorrow?  Blow your brains out with chess today, try to win, go into tomorow's rest day, get a tune up and an oil change and sit back with a smile.

   I am willing to bet that we will see tie-breakers in this as well. No one seems to have the nerve, guts, or moxie to play for a win. And these guys are finalists in the Candidates matches?  Now I know I wouldn't do any better but at least I would fight and lose instead of play halfway and be ashamed of myself for the lack of effort.

  Sorry again, but this just doesn't sit well with me. 

   -Mark

EDIT: his account was closed again?

What is going on?????

Hmmm...you can read through ChessMarkstheSpot's posts and find nothing insulting to pdela, yet after pdela responded with something like: 'Grischuk has won against Aronian and Kramnik with this style', pdela's account closed!?

Grischuk is heading for profound unpopularity.

If he cares.

Is it 6 p.m. in Spain?

I truly hate all this blitz in a supposedly standard time control competition. If this is all the candidates matches are going to be then I'm not going to watch them next year. It really is no wonder Carlsen decided to drop out, now Im on his side in this whole thing.

Lets hope the World Championship match with Anand doesn't experience similar time control settings and tiebreaks.

Phelon, I agree, the blitz needs to stay out of these things. It cheapens the game and casts doubt as to who is truly the stronger player.

@Mark--I'm not going to rip you.  There is much you say that I agree with, and have said so in other posts.

My point in this game is this: I'm rooting for Gelfand, precisely because of what Grischuk has been doing.  All but two white's (I think) have been rest days for Alexander the half-point, while Boris no-butt ('cause he's been playing his *** off) has taken all his partners to the edge of a cliff and dared them to push him off.  At his age, there must be some strain on his energy levels, and a quick draw is exactly what the doctor ordered here.  This is where Grischuk's strategy may fail--he really should be pressing hard every game here, to try to take advantage of Gelfand's age.  Giving Boris a day to recover here is, in my opinion, a very bad move for half-point, and a nice opportunity for Boris.

I definitely wouldn't.

Im okay with draws, just not draws under 18 moves. And Im not okay with the world championship contender being decided by blitz.

Perhaps Fischer was right and draw deaths should never count ever.  But the opponent has to accept the draw also.  

...if anything, these "Candidates" show why Magnus should have come...he would have had them playing their best chess...or die...they are playing boring chess...and a draw on move 14?...what a joke...

Go Anand!