Zurich 2015
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Last round now...
fabelhaft wrote:
Four of these players won at least one super strong tournament last year. Caruana won Sinquefield Cup, Karjakin Norway Chess, Aronian Wijk and Anand Candidates. Nakamura hasn't won a round robin since 2012, Kramnik not since 2011. The latter did win the World Cup in 2013, but that was a knockout where he didn't play anyone in the top 20, so it's been unusually long since his last traditional tournament win against top opposition, five-ten years ago one could count on him winning one or two every year. Nakamura has finished second in a couple of strong Grand Prix tournaments the last years, but just missed out on winning them.
Here Nakamura and Kramnik have the advantage of being more rested than Anand, Aronian and Caruana who all played in Baden-Baden (without looking in top shape), so maybe it's finally time for one of them to get that long overdue victory. The blitz tournament will be quite important since a top half finish there means getting an extra white in classical, and in a tournament of only five rounds the difference is big between two or three whites. Nakamura and Karjakin would normally get their extra whites that way, and my guess is that Aronian will be the third player with three whites.
Kramnik tied for first in the Candidates tournament in 2013.
But I agree his results have not been so good lately.
Blitz final standings:
"Kramnik tied for first in the Candidates tournament in 2013"
Yes, but if that counts as winning he also won London 2014 where Anand was the official winner on tiebreak.
Round 1:
Anand-Kramnik
Aronian-Karjakin
Caruana-Nakamura
Feb 13, 2015
0
#27
tigerprowl6 wrote:
fabelhaft wrote:
Round 1:
Anand-Kramnik
Aronian-Karjakin
Caruana-Nakamura
It's funny how they pick the best players and then do blitz to determine round 1 when any combination would be good.
I would rather see the top two blitz at the end regardless of the results.
The top 3 Blitz players get White three times in the classical tourney?
That blonde at the opening ceremony, last year too... a lot of money in Zurich...
After beating him in the blitz, Karjakin now has +10-0=1 in his last eleven white games against Kramnik, counting all time controls.
Nakamura beats Caruana with black, the other games drawn. Great start for Nakamura, who now is only 2.4 Elo from 2800.
Why the hell did Vishy accept a draw against Kramnik?
Nakamura was undefeated in Gibraltar; who will break the winning streak?
"The blitz crap we saw on Friday served no benefit for the "superior" fast wood pushers"
Being white is always an advantage, and having an extra white in a tournament that is only five rounds of classical chess makes quite a difference.
tigerprowl6 wrote:
"The top 3 Blitz players get White three times in the classical tourney?"
2 draws and 1 win for black
This is a betting thread? Where are my points?
The blitz crap we saw on Friday served no benefit for the "superior" fast wood pushers.
Who are you calling a woodpusher, you unrated patzer?
"Today's results debunked that bunk. NOT ALWAYS"
Of course Caruana blundering away a favourable position and losing doesn't show that it's no advantage to be white.
Feb 14, 2015
0
#36
tigerprowl6 wrote:
fabelhaft wrote:
Being white is always an advantage, and having an extra white in a tournament that is only five rounds of classical chess makes quite a difference.
Always? Today's results debunked that bunk. NOT ALWAYS.
Today's results alone are statistically not very significant.
Seriously... You just seem to be a troll version of tigerprowl5, who is a nice and smart member in comparison to you.
Feb 14, 2015
0
#38
tigerprowl6 wrote:
Sred wrote:
tigerprowl6 wrote:
fabelhaft wrote:
Being white is always an advantage, and having an extra white in a tournament that is only five rounds of classical chess makes quite a difference.
Always? Today's results debunked that bunk. NOT ALWAYS.
Today's results alone are statistically not very significant.
I agree, but the premise was this first round was so important that they had to do a blitz day to find out who would play white.
It's better than throwing a coin and large parts of the audience like it.
tigerprowl6 wrote:
MSC157 wrote:
Seriously... You just seem to be a troll version of tigerprowl5, who is a nice and smart member in comparison to you.
Troll that states facts?
In GRENKE it would have been 18-10
I am not trying to be a troll, but I am sorry if the information I am providing doesn't appease your agenda.
States facts? Lol, this is like saying sun goes up in the morning and down in the evening. Always. Trolling obvious fact. Everyone knows draws are much more usual in professional chess than wins, especially when players with similar rating play together.
Everyone is on the same page, just not sure what are you fantasising about. What guys are telling you is that having an extra white is normally an advantage, because win with white is 10% most likely in professional chess. Not sure why do you not want to understand this, but as you said, no need to carry on this pointless debate. Sorry OP.