31 Oct 10
He did by his standards have a bad Olympiad.
Take you pick from all the speculation.
1)Did not want to play in the event.
2)Did not want to give away his openings for the up and coming big money contests.
3)Believed his grade gave him the God given right to play any old trash
and win. (he was 200 points higher than Sanan and lost badly).
4)Heart not in the job because his team were weak compared to the rest
so no chance of winning a medal. (Norway finished 51st)
5)Or just simply he just fell out of form.
I'll go for No.5 with a bit of all the others thrown in as well.
Certainly no crisis.
31 Oct 10
Originally posted by greenpawn34He could be coming out of the crisis. Bad performance in the Olympiad, two consecutive losses to Kramnik, some people didn't call it a crisis they said he is doing too much work outside chess e.g. modelling and so on.
He did by his standards have a bad Olympiad.
Take you pick from all the speculation.
1)Did not want to play in the event.
2)Did not want to give away his openings for the up and coming big money contests.
3)Believed his grade gave him the God given right to play any old trash
and win. (he was 200 points higher than Sanan and lost badly).
4) ...[text shortened]... orm.
I'll go for No.5 with a bit of all the others thrown in as well.
Certainly no crisis.
31 Oct 10
Originally posted by snjortpYes he is doing great job, very. Maybe his modelling work distracted him from winning every tournament he plays in or beating ordinary grandmasters at the Olympiad. Vot you think? 🙂
As the most of you already know: Magnus is back on the top!
Latest update oct 29-10: Magnus rated 2813,0
Anand : 2804.4
Aronian : 2801.4
I think my fellow norwegian is still doing a good job!
02 Nov 10
1 edit
Originally posted by greenpawn34It occurred to me that perhaps he hasn't learned to "play down" well. In OTB chess especially, I have a local reputation for really stepping up against higher rated players, and also a rep for choking against lower-rated opposition. I think this is one of the many "defects of character" that Botvinnik says keeps people from getting better or being the best they can be. Carlsen may have the same problem, especially after fighting his way up.
He did by his standards have a bad Olympiad.
Take you pick from all the speculation.
1)Did not want to play in the event.
2)Did not want to give away his openings for the up and coming big money contests.
3)Believed his grade gave him the God given right to play any old trash
and win. (he was 200 points higher than Sanan and lost badly).
4) ...[text shortened]... orm.
I'll go for No.5 with a bit of all the others thrown in as well.
Certainly no crisis.
The effect for me is that I am an "ELO Robin Hood"- taking points from higher players and giving them to lower players.
I wonder if Carlsen had a hard time getting motivated playing down so many times.
For me at least, I also have the curious ability to play much better in team events, and I think it's because I know others are depending on me and I don't want to let them down. Perhaps he does not have that kind of motivation.
02 Nov 10
Hi Paul.
I don't think you can class playing 2600 GM's as playing down. 😉
There is a slight difference in playing off the cuff moves v a 1400
player and doing the same thing against the good guys.
He lost to some very good chess players. He was off form. No Crisis.
I know what you mean about being in a team though.
I always tell them I am me. I'll give you some brilliant wins but
I'm very capable of letting you down when you think I should win.
Don't depend on me.
03 Nov 10
Originally posted by Paul LeggettI think it's a simple case of coming to terms with being the guy to beat. You spend your whole career striving to stand on top of the rating list, then you find yourself the second highest rated player in history!
It occurred to me that perhaps he hasn't learned to "play down" well. In OTB chess especially, I have a local reputation for really stepping up against higher rated players, and also a rep for choking against lower-rated opposition. I think this is one of the many "defects of character" that Botvinnik says keeps people from getting better or being the ...[text shortened]... and I don't want to let them down. Perhaps he does not have that kind of motivation..
I've looked through a LOT of Carlsens games and i think that the Olympiad was probably the first time he has ever started playing dubious openings. The signs were there (playing the kings gambit against Wang Yue just before the Olympiad in the Kings tournamenr...not to say the kings gambit is unsound...just observing the potential to underestimate/overestimate his own/his opponents strength. Carlsen had never played that opening before and even though he won has never since!)
It has also been suggested he's holding back opening ideas for stronger opponents/tournaments.
Undoubtedly! That goes without saying, but it is not his opening play that has been at fault lately, it's his confidence. I'm one of those wierdos who actually watch the players playing live and his body language has changed significantly since he's become World no.1.
If you can find any videos of Carlsen playing Classic chess prior to attaining the no1 spot you'll see that he had a habit of slumping in his chair, spending more time looking at the ceiling than at his opponent or even the board. In between moves he'd be up and about, watching other games, looking almost bored as if it was tiresome waiting for his opponent to resign...almost straight out of the opening.
Since the Olympiad (though like i mentioned earlier, the seeds were sown in the previous Kings tournament) his body language is totally different. Watching him play Kramnik in Bilbao he was tense (against everyone he was tense, because he was struggling for form, but particularly against Kramnik). The old "i wonder what's on TV" body language was totally missing and has been for 2 months now.
Personally, i think his 'aloof' body language was one of his strengths. Having played quite a bit of club chess, i'm not averse to using the 'i'm a lot younger than you and i'm bored waiting for you to realise you're losing' ploy...Carlsen has always been brilliant at unsettling an opponent with this... i hope he remembers it before he's too old. 😉
05 Nov 10
Originally posted by enrico201) Carlsen is no 1 in Live ELO rating list again
Some news just in on Carlsen ;-
- FIDE ratings: Anand now number one http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6784
- Magnus Carlsen drops out of World Championship cycle http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6789
2) you do not become a legend with Kramnik way of thinking, you become a legend with Fischer way of thinking...
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05 Nov 10
Originally posted by vipiuFor some value of legend... being the wonder boy is a good story, but having been the wonder boy for two years and being a complete nutcase of the most unpalatable, useless kind for the last fortyish years of your life is less advisable.
1) Carlsen is no 1 in Live ELO rating list again
2) you do not become a legend with Kramnik way of thinking, you become a legend with Fischer way of thinking...
Richard