Perhaps inspired by Ivanchuk's amazing result at the MTel, or at least by the Ukrainian's resulting hike back up the rating list, current world #3 Alexander Morozevich is putting up a 2900+ result after five rounds of the Bosna tournament in Sarajevo. At the halfway point of this six-player all-play-all, Moro is a full point up with 4/5. Dominguez follows, then Sokolov on an even score after five draws. Movesevian and Timofeev are on -1 and winless. Underdog local hope Prodjevic, who surprised here last year with a second-place finish, is higher rated this year but in the cellar on -2. There are photos and more on the official site. The live games are here.
Morozevich has employed his usual confounding magic on several occasions. He played a tricky bishop endgame against countryman Timofeev in the fifth round, turning a small plus into a win. There were some very odd moves from both sides during what I'm assuming was zeitnot. (Again allow me to register my constant lamentation over how we routinely throw away vital game data like time used per move and draw offers in digital gamescores.) It looks like Morozevich may have pressed to hard, however, and that Black could have turned the tables with 66..Ke4! The white bishop is pressured by the black king and costs several tempi. I spent a bit on it and couldn't find a draw for White. Morozevich could have kept it clean by skipping the "brilliant" 65.d5? and going with 65.Kb4 directly. Black still has to take time to deal with the d-pawn. In the 3rd Morozevich took out last year's winner Movsesian with a surprising knight leap. Most players would have increased White's sizable advantage with a rook lift on the e-file. Morozevich sacrificed a knight with 25.Ndf5!? and his speculative attack carried the day. Great stuff. The computer tries to rain on White's parade with 30..Rd5 31.Rg4+ Kf8 32.Bxd5 Nxg4 33.Qxd5. (28.Qe3 was the killer.) But as ever, Morozevich is more interested in what you can come up with at the board than in analysis.
Moro win again!!!
Moro win again!!!
-- Posted by: pepello at May 29, 2008 11:06
Yes, Moro beat Sokolov today to improve to +4 =2 -0, a 2953(!) TPR according to TWIC.
Imagine what it must have been like to play Tal in his prime! I think Moro's opponents have some idea...
What on earth is going on in Moro´s game today ?!
Fairly clear. White manoeuvred slowly behind the lines and black took the opportunity to engineer a central break. Now Moro is blockading an isolated pawn and has a better bishop. In compensation Black also has several weaknesses to attack; h4, e3. Chances about equal I think.
I wrote my comment while the game was in the opening phase. I don´t understand what he was trying to do. I like his position better now.
I wrote my comment while the game was in the opening phase. I don´t understand what he was trying to do. I like his position better now.
-- Posted by: DaneDude at May 30, 2008 11:14
Yes, and Moro just won the position that you liked better. :-)
Now he is +5 =2 -0 and may have just passed Kramnik to become the new World #2! We'll have to see what frogbert says later.
In fact, Moro -IS- the new World #2 right now, based on live ratings. He trailed Kramnik by 1.1 points before today's game and must have gained more than that 1.1 points by beating Predojevic.
Moro, in fact, may have broken through the 2790 barrier! We'll have to wait to see what frogbert says.
Yup! Moro at 2790,2 according to Frogbert, ahead of Kramnik.
Weird, cause I don't know aybody who'd bet on him at even money against Kramnik. Heck, I don't know a lot of people who would bet on him even at 2:1 odds, or even 3:1.
@mungono: I don't know, didn't Morozevich beat Kramnik a few times--including breaking his famous no-loss streak?
Having said that, Kramnik would be favorite in any match, vs. anyone in the world.
Let's wait until July 1 (or soon before) as a lot of things can change before proclaiming Morozevich new world number 2. If you backdate live ratings- due to the variance most players will have higher peak ratings and higher peak rankings. I think for comparison basis with the past- it is better to keep it relatively exclusive. If somoone got a live rating of 2815 say and then dropped, I would not say he had the second highest human rating ever- do sort of see what I mean. Live ratings are not official yet.
Morozevich has to score 2/3 to stay above Kramnik, and also others like Ivanchuk have to not have another great success to catch him before the list.
Morozevich has beaten Kramnik twice in classical games. The first time in Wijk aan Zee 2001 - first game Kramnik lost after winning the title. The second time in Mexico 2007 - first game Kramnik lost after winning the _unified_ title. Kramnik has three wins, but yes, that still means Moro is not doing too badly against him.
I'm not saying that Moro's done especially badly against Kramnik... just that I don't know anybody who'd put money on him even with good odds given. There is just this feeling that the psychology of a match would be too much for him against a master like Kramnik.
Myself, I would put money on Moro at 2:1, just for fun, but I wouldn't expect to get my money back.
No-one doubts that Moro is agreat player and certainly amongst the top five or seven, but the jump to No.2 as a result of the Bosna tournament is close to a joke. Wins against the mightly handful of Predojevic (twice!), Movsesian and Timofeev may have their merit, but there should be a fair way of keeping them from affecting the top rankings...
Up till now the number one rated player has always been arguably the best at the moment, hasn't he? So it can't be that bad a system.
Ivanchuk and Moro go up and down as is their wont... but up till now their hot streaks haven't brought them all the way to the top. If it happens, bully for them, it is no easy feat beating the likes of Movsesian and Timofeev regularly enough to go up the rankings, so it deserves some recognition.
At least now we have a World Championship of some credible sort back to annoint the real champion, so I wouldn't worry about it myself.
Moro is just doing what is expected to the world´s number 3, beating everyone except numbers two and one !
In the topic arrogance, he is number one, followed by the unlucky Kortchnoj...
"first game Kramnik lost after winning the _unified_ title"
Did he ever win such a title? Strange, but such an event escapes my memory.
well put holent.. andthat is where he will always be listed as his best standing..,he is a great player to watch but he will never be a chamion or contender because even he himself has said so much...but still he is a joy to watch. And really which is more important from a spectatotr point of view???
"Wins against the mightly handful of Predojevic (twice!), Movsesian and Timofeev may have their merit, but there should be a fair way of keeping them from affecting the top rankings..."
Great players know their own strengths and weakness--including what typw of players they match up well against. It really shouldn't matter who gets the highest rating: Morozevich won't be considered to be the best player unless he becomes World Champion, and to do that he'll have to face--and defeat--the Top players. Let him limit himself solely to events with Sarajevo-type fields. Let him get a rating of 2875. How much difference will it make to chess fans?
You think that Anand and Kramnik don't cherry pick their events?
In any case, Moro and Ivanchuk seem to be more that willing to accept invitations to Elite events. It is just that they are on the bubble when it comes to getting those invitations. When they are ranked 10th or so, sometimes they are overlooked. when they accrue enough "Cheap" rating points, they cash them in for the chance to accept invitations to participate in the lucrative super events. In the past, they have not done well, but things can change.
I shouldn't ask, d_tal, but how exactly does it 'escape the memory' of the Kramnik-haters that he won the unified title in Elista?
Just remind me someone how many times Ivanchuk has won Linares?
Why imagine Tal in his prime when you can imagine Tal's "daddy" in his?
rdh, lets hope some Kramnik hater will respond.
Same old, same old.. I would reply to Tal's "pappy", but I prefer to spend my precious time playing over one of Tal's rare wins in Curacao, before he retired from ill health.
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1081433
@mungono: I don't know, didn't Morozevich beat Kramnik a few times--including breaking his famous no-loss streak?
--Posted by: macuga at May 31, 2008 03:18
Adams not Morozevich stopped Kramnik's 80-game no-loss streak at Dortmund 2000.
Kramnik made an incredible ?? blunder, missing a simple that cost him a piece.