World Chess Champion

[The Vagabond]

Great then. So we look forward to enjoying the match.

[East Street Trader]

Anand duly won, finishing unbeaten with a score of nine out of fourteen (four wins, ten draws). Kramnik scored a couple of wins in the later rounds to finish equal second with Gelfand on eight out of fourteen.

Kramnik agreed to a tournament as part of the negotiations with FIDE which has allowed a unified title to emerge. He has to make a living and FIDE - bankrolled by Ilyumzhinov - put up a good prize fund for the re-unification match between Kramnik and Topalov and for this tournament.

There must be a strong prospect that Topalov will promptly mount a challenge. Under the current rules anyone with a high enough rating who can raise the million and a quarter or so dollars required is entitled to make a challenge and Topalov had raised the wind before this tournament took place. His challenge got stymied because he didn't give enough notice to allow a match to be organised and completed before this tournament was due to take place. But I suspect the funds are still available to him and he will issue a new challenge shortly.

How that will work with the Annand - Kramnik match I don't know. Perhaps Topalov will again have to wait his turn.

Anyway it looks likely that challenges will come along, by one route or another, more often than under the old four year cycle. Which will resolve one of the criticisms that the top players had of the old arrangements - that the incumbent had too big an advantage being able to devote plenty of time to preparation for the match while his potential opponents were busy slogging through the gruelling qualification cycle.

If challenges are frequent it may be the boot will be on the other foot - with the champion getting worn down by having to prepare for one tough match after another.

[Winston]

So, Tyson is history at this point, right?

[DanS]

Originally posted by Serb
(Putin staying for a third term - yeah, right )

Putin to Run for Russian Parliament
Associated Press
October 1, 2007 10:25 a.m.

MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin said Monday he would lead the dominant United Russia party's candidate list in December parliamentary elections and suggested he could later become prime minister.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by East Street Trader


There must be a strong prospect that Topalov will promptly mount a challenge. Under the current rules anyone with a high enough rating who can raise the million and a quarter or so dollars required is entitled to make a challenge and Topalov had raised the wind before this tournament took place. His challenge got stymied because he didn't give enough notice to allow a match to be organised and completed before this tournament was due to take place. But I suspect the funds are still available to him and he will issue a new challenge shortly.

How that will work with the Annand - Kramnik match I don't know. Perhaps Topalov will again have to wait his turn.

This isn't quite right IIRC. I think under the complex rules of the Mexico tourney Kramnik gets a right to match with the winner (as I mentioned earlier) but there is also a clause stipulating a match with Topalov. Don't quote me but it's something ridiculous like the loser of the Anand Kramnik match plays Topalov for the right to challenge the winner. And then (and only then) we revert to something that looks more sensible.

Unless they changed it again and I missed it.

[The Vagabond]

All this mess just testifies eloquently to the qualitites of Kasparov as a politician. He made this mess 15 years ago, and the world of chess still cannot get out of it...

Yet, once again, I am surprised that Kramnik agreed to such a scenario. Yes, he is guaranteed a match with the winner of the tournament (Anand), but meanwhile he loses his title!! How could he agree to that? He could have bargained to formally retain the title until the match.

[DrSpike]

Kramnik wanted reunification and it was a stipulation of the reunification match that the winner play in Mexico to defend their title and the other player sit out.

[The Vagabond]

So then Kramnik sacrificed his legitimate personal interest for the sake of reunification. Looks kind of noble...

[Serb]

Damn true
Kramnik's pov: Bring on the winner and I'll deal with him.
Probably a risky and arrogant approach, but, hell, the guy feels like nobody could beat him. I like it.

[Serb]

Originally posted by DanS

And? It's a pretty surprising move, I admit. Looks like he pwned everyone once again.

But that doesn't mean he stays for a third term, God dman it! Kasparov can pretty well go back to his fantasy galaxy far, far away. HE IS A ZERO in Russian politic with no real support of the population. A crazy marginal, who is ready to ally with other marginals like Nazbols (national-bolsheviks).

[East Street Trader]

Originally posted by The Vagabond
So then Kramnik sacrificed his legitimate personal interest for the sake of reunification. Looks kind of noble...

Sensible, really.

For the top players, including Kramnik, to make a living the game has to attract interest and money. The world championship attracts the most interest and is the biggest actual and potential money spinner. The split title was damaging that situation and the unification process is as much in Kramnik's personal interest as the other professional players.

Ponomariov followed a dog in the manger attitude after he (surprisingly) won the FIDE version of the title in 2001/2 and that did him no good at all.

Kramnik has his head screwed on.

[DrSpike]

Yeah, I like Kramnik.