Chess

[DarthFed]

Grischuk -So. Draw

Kramnik -Karjak- Draw

Ding - Caruana - Draw

Mamed- Aronian - Draw

 

[Federberg]

Grischuk -So. Draw

Kramnik -Karjak- Karjak win

Ding - Caruana - Draw

Mamed- Aronian - Aronian win

 

[Federberg]

lol! didn't realise it had already started.

 

[Federberg]

So is in massive trouble

 

[DarthFed]

Karjakin - Grischuk - going with Karjak

Aronian-Kramnik - part of why I give Levon the edge in this tourney is the thought he wins one vs Vlad and draws the other. Here is the win

Caruana - Mamed - draw

So - Liren - draw

 

[Federberg]

Karjakin - Grischuk - Karjakin

Aronian-Kramnik - Aronian

Caruana - Mamed - draw

So - Liren - Liren

 

[DarthFed]

Tempted to pick Liren too. When it rains it pours and being in terrible form at this tourney...it's going to get ugly. Eventually So will snap out of this massive slump but it may be awhile.

I saw Kramnik is 7-4 against Levon in classical chess, I thought Levon was doing better. I still find it crazy that Naka has a plus score vs. Vlad and Anand in classical. Props to him for that but it's surprising. Big edge vs Anand too.

 

[Federberg]

Match ups are meaningful in chess as well

 

[DarthFed]

Match ups are meaningful in chess as well

Absolutely true. I'm just not sure what it is about Naka that bothers Anand in particular so much. A lot of those games he lost quickly.

 

[Federberg]

Levon seems to be imploding here. Seems like coffee house tricks. This is the sort of bad play that Kramnik and Carlsen are so good at punishing

 

[Federberg]

oh Levon.... . Can I take back who I think will win this thing? It ain't gonna be Aronian!

 

[DarthFed]

Total ass pounding from Vlad. Just ugly play from Aronian. I think this is Kram's (last??) time to shine. Would be pretty awesome to see him duel Carlsen for the title 18 full years after he beat Kasparov

 

[Federberg]

Yes indeed. Wouldn't mind seeing that at all. It would be a heck of a scalp for Carlsen if he could claim to have beaten 2 former World Champs. Has that ever been done before?

 

[DarthFed]

In WC matches? Botvinnik is the only one who springs to mind. He lost his title to Smyslov and Tal and recaptured it. Lasker and Kasparov won the title and defended it 5 times, and they each defended it against one former WC, the men they took the title from.

I still say that's the big measure for Carlsen, if he can defend it more than five times he takes a big step to being GOAT.

 

[DarthFed]

Add Alekhine to the list, he beat Capa, lost to Euwe (unbelievably) and then took it back.

 

[Federberg]

Add Alekhine to the list, he beat Capa, lost to Euwe (unbelievably) and then took it back.

yes of course. I forgot about all those

 

[DarthFed]

4th round today after the first rest day:

Grischuk - Ding - going with Ding

Kramnik - Caruana - draw

Mamed - So - feels like a big one for Mamed, for some reason I sense a letdown but can't pick it so I will say Mamed

Karjakin - Aronian - draw

 

[Federberg]

Grischuk - Ding - draw

Kramnik - Caruana - draw

Mamed - So - draw

Karjakin - Aronian - draw

 

[Federberg]

Whopping blunder by Ding, and even more odd he's burning time like Grischuk normally does. 24mins vs 1hr 20mins if the clocks are correct online

 

[Federberg]

oh dear! Grischuk missed the win!