tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-461666380265364189.post622340414061799355..comments2023-08-31T18:05:53.836+01:00Comments on John Saunders' Chess Blog: Vishy v Vlad 2008: The Hype Has Begun...John Saundershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03533087091700425575noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-461666380265364189.post-64944947620126524932007-11-02T17:47:00.000+00:002007-11-02T17:47:00.000+00:00Vishy is too much of a gentleman to get into a sla...Vishy is too much of a gentleman to get into a slanging match.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-461666380265364189.post-37880770602873147912007-11-03T10:30:00.000+00:002007-11-03T10:30:00.000+00:00Isn't the reason that Kramnik was granted the ...Isn't the reason that Kramnik was granted the match clause that he wanted it and was in a strong negotiating position?ejhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-461666380265364189.post-34478027016653356872007-11-03T11:46:00.000+00:002007-11-03T11:46:00.000+00:00Re Kramnik: his negotiating position was obviously...Re Kramnik: his negotiating position was obviously quite strong but not super-strong. I couldn't see Kasparov risking his title in a tournament even if he had managed to negotiate a return match clause. Somehow, by hook or by crook, I believe he would have had the Mexico event downgraded in status to some sort of qualifier designed to produce his challenger.<br><br>Re Vishy: yes, he has always come across as a gentleman - as indeed has Kramnik - but there is nothing quite like a world championship match to bring out the worst in people. Did anyone see 'Toiletgate' coming? I know I didn't. Topalov is generally a mild-mannered person who lets his pieces do the talking. But his manager Danailov is a very different character. That was perhaps the clue to what was coming last year but I confess I didn't think it would kick off like it did. Read Topalov's book of the match and you get the impression that much of the bad feeling can be traced back to national tensions between Bulgaria and Russia.<br><br>I would be very surprised if Vishy v Vlad got as nasty as that, but you never know what their closest advisers might get up to. And of course the devil is in the detail: length of match, where it is played, number of rest days, choice of arbiters and appeals committee... there is plenty to argue about. <br><br>Any trouble ahead may not be the fault of either player. Bear in mind that there are three parties involved - the two players and FIDE. Anything that FIDE does or says in the next 10 months will be carefully scrutinised for signs of partiality to the one player or the other. Any mistakes or errors of diplomacy can result in an outbreak of paranoia. <br><br>In the past FIDE have been suspected of favouring (a) the incumbent; (b) the most powerful; or (c) the most Russian player. I am not necessarily accusing them of any of those things but those are the pitfalls that they must avoid. They have 10 months to maintain strict impartiality and show good judgement - can they do it?John Saundersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-461666380265364189.post-48588577448401646982007-11-03T11:54:00.000+00:002007-11-03T11:54:00.000+00:00in my last para, by "most powerful" I re...in my last para, by "most powerful" I really mean "the player with the most political/media power" - perhaps "most influential" would have been a better way of expressing itJohn Saundersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-461666380265364189.post-47756524227184269042007-11-04T16:17:00.000+00:002007-11-04T16:17:00.000+00:00Anything that FIDE does or says in the next 10 mon...<i>Anything that FIDE does or says in the next 10 months will be carefully scrutinised for signs of partiality to the one player or the other.</i><br><br>And rightly so of course: but one would hope that the demands of the players were subject to equally careful scrutiny. (And indeed, the comments of certain other parties.)<br><br>Odd to read about tensions between Russia and Bulgaria: for a number of reasons they've always been pretty close.ejhhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01582272075999298935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-461666380265364189.post-17543751452316714432007-11-30T03:50:00.000+00:002007-11-30T03:50:00.000+00:00Kramnik threw down the gauntlet the day Vishy won ...Kramnik threw down the gauntlet the day Vishy won in Mexico.<br><br>View the 5 minute video:<br>http://macauley.blip.tv/file/404629/<br><br>Vlady's Darth Vader-esque challenge is ominous...in a good way.Macauleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03566699017378422485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-461666380265364189.post-58416666162905967132007-11-30T03:59:00.000+00:002007-11-30T03:59:00.000+00:00That video link should be:http://macauley.blip.tv/...That video link should be:<br><a href="http://macauley.blip.tv/file/404629/" rel="nofollow">http://macauley.blip.tv/file/404629/</a>Macauleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03566699017378422485noreply@blogger.com