myth destroyed..magnus is sole leader at the qatar open
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Dec 24, 2015
0
#2
I don't think anyone of any importance has said that Magnus can't beat lower rates players.
However, he loses/draws an awful lot of games to players rated 200-300 points lower than he.
Having said that, I think it's great that he's playing in an open. He's been playing uninspired for the most part since he won the title.
He's been playing uninspired for the most part since he won the title.
That's another myth right there. People simply panic and overreact like maniacs, that's all.
ChrisWainscott wrote:
I don't think anyone of any importance has said that Magnus can't beat lower rates players. However, he loses/draws an awful lot of games to players rated 200-300 points lower than he. Having said that, I think it's great that he's playing in an open. He's been playing uninspired for the most part since he won the title.
Wasn't one of the first World Champions like that? They played unusually weaker against lower rated players?
Dec 24, 2015
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#5
ChrisWainscott wrote:
He's been playing uninspired for the most part since he won the title.
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-players/carlsens-dismal-2015
Dec 24, 2015
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#6
It's not a myth. He's shed 50ish rating points since then while losing far more game than usual and not winning many tournaments. Uninspired is exactly what it is.
Hopefully this will help him achieve greater heights and find new inspiration.
Dec 25, 2015
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#7
Yes, he's lost some games, but he's also won a few great tournaments, and proven that he's the rightful WC. And a fun champion, playing in so many tournaments. Only reason for hus defeats is the strength of the top 100 players. Great times for chess!
The tournaments are also quite strong nowadays, the average number of participants ranked in the top 10 has been higher than 5 in the four tournaments Carlsen has won this year. For example Karpov won three of the four tournaments he played in 1977, but the number of top 10 opponents he faced in them were either 0 or 1 (even if Karpov of course won his share of stronger tournaments as well).
Dec 25, 2015
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#9
The loudest Magnus hater was muted two days ago, so we'll hopefully that will lead to more reasonable analysis of how Carlsen is travelling. It may only be temporary, though, so we'll have to wait and see.
Dec 25, 2015
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#10
There have been only two players in history who have been able to maintain a +2800 rating for two years straight.
Carlsen's rating has been +2800 since November 2009. His "slumps" are better than almost any other player's best periods!
No offense intended to the guys that played before computers took over.
Dec 25, 2015
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#12
You are correct SmyslovFan, but it's still easy to call this a down year for Magnus.
Until/unless he gets back to his dominating ways then his chance at eclipsing Kasparov is nil.
Where's that Greek girl now...
"it's still easy to call this a down year for Magnus. Until/unless he gets back to his dominating ways then his chance at eclipsing Kasparov is nil"
One can be pretty good at chess also without eclipsing Kasparov... Still, even Kasparov wasn't always having great years. In 1996 he fell to second place on the rating list, and try to count the number of classical games he won in for example 1998. Anyway, Kasparov and Lasker are the two greatest players ever as I see it, and I don't think Carlsen ever will reach higher than third on that list, and that will take a few years, he just turned 25 so not easy to compare with players that had many decades in the elite.
Dec 26, 2015
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#15
ChrisWainscott wrote:
You are correct SmyslovFan, but it's still easy to call this a down year for Magnus. Until/unless he gets back to his dominating ways then his chance at eclipsing Kasparov is nil.
He's been dominating for at least 5 years now.
People are crazy.
When the only player Carlsen plays worse than is previous year's Carlsen what else can we say? This could be the definition for dominance.
Ah forget about it, it can't enter closed heads!
Lichess: http://en.lichess.org/k33Uae1E#62.
Dec 27, 2015
0
#18
The next two rounds will speak volumes. If Magnus can win the tournament then he will close out 2015 on a high note and be in a position to get back to his old form in 2016.
Carlsen's supposed "bad" year totally eclipses all of his opponents "best" years, but please people go on and tell us how badly Carlsen's doing... WE WANT DRAMA!!!
5 rounds down, 4 to go
rest day tomorrow
can we end the myth that magnus is only good cause he beats the same top rated players and the myth that he can't beat other lower rated players