Gata is still young enough to do make another run at the title. He was doing fine after 4 games with the match tied at 2-2. A horrible blunder in game 5 put him in the hole again, one which he could not get out the second time.
Where did things go wrong for Gata? Was it his opening choices? Was it his time management? Was it his inconsistency? Was it something else? What must Gata do to get back to the top?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
His time management was very poor from time to time. Other than that he played pretty well.
Susan, you said once that you know from Gata that he had a schedule of becoming a world champion, or at least playing a match for the crown. I’m afraid he is behind schedule now, and I don’t see him making a realistic bid for the title any time soon in the competition of strong newcomers like Carlsen, Karjakin, Dominguez etc. He had his chance, but ran into a superior opponent, that’s all.
Susan,
I think the match showed that Kamsky is capable of much better chess than Topalov. Unfortunately, his time management and fear of taking risks cost him the match.
Topalov reins in the style of playing extremely confused chess, where his bad moves do not matter so much.
Kamsky tries to play more “proper” chess, but he needs to be better at mixing it up.
“Where did things go wrong for Gata?”
He left Russia.
At least if he played for Russia he could carry Kramniks chess bag.
I don’t see him getting this close to the WC again. After his long retirement he does not now have enough time to get back to the point where he’s playing at top 5 level. Too many young lions will be moving into top 20 in the next few years (or are already there), and I don’t see how Kamsky can break out of this pack to play at WC level. Hope I’m wrong.
Gata is now the patron saint of time-challenged players (including morons like me!) everywhere, so I feel for him.
like nigel short, he had had his best shot at the title at a time at which there was stronger opposition…
For this match, the main Gata’s problem was called Topalov. Simple as that.
“Kamsky tries to play more “proper” chess”
This is the “proper” chess? OMG!
The time of kamsky is OVER.
What must Gata do to get back to the top?
Like everybody when the lost is behind you. Just keep going.
Kamsky’s just not good enough. He would not make a credible World Champion.
Topalov is a practical player – like Lasker. The object of a chess match is to win, not necessarily to create peerless masterpieces. Topalov exploited Kamsky’s weaknesses successfully, apart from the single game where Topo allowed Kamsky to play in a congenial style.
Topalov will have a good shot at the world title against Anand, whose results in Linares at the momement make him look exceedingly vunerable.
Kamsky is not aggresive enough to win anything. You see Topalov and his games its all about attack, tough, uncompromising, spirited. Kamsky’s game is just so different. He does not burn with desire. His body language, and games show it all.
Since Kasparov we have only tow dominant players- Anand and Topalov.
Kramnik is a good player but has pretty boring game strategy so I would not count him as someone who can make chess interesting to watch. If he didnt play this toilet games he would have lost the match with Topalov. With his tactics of going to the toilet 50 times every match, he managed to het inside the head of Topalov. Topalov convinced that Kramnik is cheating got completely distracted away from playing his best game.
So yeah. I thing Anand Vs Topalov is extremely balanced game with equal chances. I don’t see any advantage for either player at the moment
“For this match, the main Gata’s problem was called Topalov. Simple as that.”
I’m not sure the problem is Topa per se. I don’t think Kamsky could win a match against Anand, Carlsen, Chucky, Krammy, Aronian, or Morozevich either. He’s just a bit below that top level, and it will be very hard for him to get there in only a few years (assuming his ability will start to decline naturally in about 5 years).
That said, though I don’t love Topa I admit he doesn’t have the top world rating by accident. His ability to create difficult positions for his opponents to solve is very effective — defending takes a great deal of time and energy. A time-challenged player like Kamsky is tailor-made for Topalov.
It’s his inconsistency, clearly. Self-destructing once is a tragedy, doing it three times is a pattern.
Topalov knew what kind of positions to get him into to maximize the odds of this happening, succeeded in creating them, and they paid off. I’ve been quite critical of Topalov’s misbehavior in the past, and still am, but on the other hand, I can’t agree with the people suggesting that he somehow didn’t deserve to win because he did nothing in the match except sit back and collect his opponent’s errors. That was his game plan, and it was the right plan for this opponent. It’s probably not the same plan he’ll have for Anand.
Excuse me for saying so, but would not it make some sense to start winning some Tournaments like Linares, Corus, MTel or Dortmund?
That would show that he is in world class form and it is what Kasparov, Karpov and Kramnik did. And other world champs like Capablanca, etc.
After winning a few of those and climbing high on the rating list maybe then he should try again?
Unfortunately, FIDE has seen it fit to hold crap-shoots instead. That’s why journeymen like Khalifman and Ponomariov were able to win championships. Of course, they aren’t, and will never be, considered undisputed champions like Petrosian, Fischer, Karpov, etc.
Just was watching some local news here in Bulgaria. It was about the official end of the match and the prime minister had some gifts for both Gata and Topa.
What was interesting for me is i’ve saw Gata smiling for the first time during his stay here. He seems a really nice guy.
I just hope he will be able to move forward. Good luck Gata!
I’m a bit fed up with this “I don’t love Topa”. My friend, nobody is interested what you love, OK? Could we speek about chess. The strongest chess player of the last years Topalov is playing for us. How many of the ex-WCs managed to fight back again? Ciao
“Topalov’s misbehavior in the past”. Could you, please, tell me something about it? Thank you
unfortunately like other s kata is destied simply to be remembered as a challenger and not a world champion, although like i said befoere tahts really relitivy in our global days, i cant see him winning a world title in 5 years from now, carlsen and compnay wont let it happen, the old lions must give way to the new lions or perish!
sry, gut luck in another life, but at least he got there most of us not even in our dreams,ajhjaa,
jb.
“…and it is what Kasparov, Karpov and Kramnik did. And other world champs like Capablanca, etc.”
Got sei dank Kramnik got Topalov’s cables:) Isn’t it time to stop writing kramnik’s name together with this of Capablanka?
He wasn’t ready for this match in all categories except mental toughness. More prep, and more competition with the top players. He needs to be much sharper. Didn’t even test Topa. Topa left his big guns at home, sorry Anand. Besides, the world championship match will be more interesting now. Kind of a good guy, bad guy thing. It will be hard to be neutral about the outcome. Games will be way more exciting than Kramnik/Topalov.
He has done great, even though Kamsky has lost to Topalov.
I think Kamsky would need to learn to play more fiercely the open middle games, because every now and again it ends up being important.
Topalov has a strong team behind him. I don’t think Kamsky have a good second. That is why he lost.
Wasn’t he simply weaker?
“Wasn’t he simply weaker?”
+1
No Kamsky is much better than Topalov!
It’s just the the planets and stars didn’t align right.
Let’s cry for Kamsky!
Bulgarians are certainly a shit G.W.Bush would have liked to
wipe off the map;)
You,Americans are always the best,ain’t you 😉
Topalov did not climb back to contention. Gata won the World Cup. Topalov was handed this match for doing NOTHING.
Topalov is a baby who is handed everything for free. I will watch Anand crush Topalov like an egg.
Kamsky played better chess overall but made a few costly mistakes. Luck of the game.
Topalov showed his true colors at game 5 with Danailov and his baby antics. Poor baby Topalov. And he cried wee wee wee all the way home.
Kamsky does not belong to the super elite group of GMs. How he was selected to play in a world championship contender’s match, I have no idea. Any of the Linares participants would have been a much better challenge for Topalov.
“How he was selected to play in a world championship contender’s match, I have no idea.”
That’s why you should really shut up. It was not Kamsky who was selected.
I’ve crunched some quick numbers on the match here, and they show Topalov as being 3-10% better at “whatever” over the course of 250 moves (excluding moves 1-8 and moves with one side way behind).
But humanly I’m going to make the opposite point to what my numbers would be good for. In a long tennis match one can have 250 played points. I’ve heard tennis experts say that the object is not who wins 3% more of the points, it’s who wins the BIG points. Here especially in the last game, Topalov moved forward to force some big points—and he won them. He won them fairly and humanly, even though my metrics charge a “non-Rybka match” and “Average Difference” deduction of 2.00 because Kamsky could have won with 31…b4! That’s why Topalov is a personality and brand name of fighting chess, even poker chess.
As for Kamsky, he can look to Korchnoi as someone who ramped up his power in his 40s. The weaknesses shown here are exactly the kind that 2 more years of competition can help iron out. If only he and Shirov could mind-meld…
Kamsky played good chess here. Even when he lost (twice) he had superior position but his time management was terrible and lost badly. This is sad but that’s chess.
‘Where did things go wrong for Gata? Was it his opening choices? Was it his time management? Was it his inconsistency? Was it something else? What must Gata do to get back to the top?’
Wow, you know very little about chess, do you? So many questions any idiot could answer.
‘That’s why you should really shut up. It was not Kamsky who was selected.’
Both of you asses shut up.
Ok – let me try to summarize our world (maybe a little bit above chess):
1. Bulgarians as most of the rest of the nations are nobody and must shut up. They are supposed to always lose and leave winning to the big boys. Topalov is Bulgarian and he must abide this rule.
2. The mistake Topalov made a while ago to become WCC (even for a very short time) was very bad – this is why he got the toilet gate treatment and the condemnation of the “good” world until the end of his days. A side note – we must make sure he keeps his manager.
3. This win Topalov managed to achieve in Sofia against Kamsky is another mistake and will be handled appropriately in a timely manner – watch the news. If nothing happens, some people will lose their jobs.
4. Americans always win – even when they lose. This is the official statement everybody must comply with. There are some exceptions but they are here only to prove the rule.
5. One of the exceptions from point 4 above is chess (because it’s not so important strategically). In chess nobody can challenge Russians. As of right now Kramnik is the best no matter that he can literally kill you with his boring chess. Pardon me – his chess is not boring – it is just above bored people’s level.
6. Anand is temporary misunderstanding that will be fixed. Americans don’t really care – they want something else for as long as they are not reminded they are somewhat weak in this chess area.
Please enjoy our wonderful world. Pardon me – let try to focus – please enjoy chess.
Great match. I think Kamsky should be congratulated. After such a long lay off….he did fairly well. Best of luck next time and congrats to Mr Topalov
“What must Gata do to get back to the top?”
1) Invent time machine.
2) Go back to 1996.
3) Prevent himself to quit.
4) Work hard all those years.
Thats what he has to do.
Success is by no means guaranteed!
“Back to the drawing board”
I always felt sorry (somewhat) to those, who were born at the wrong time and became the “almost best”, but that’s how life works. Gata is obviously one of the best chess player in the world, but he was born at the time, when some other people were (are) just a wee bit better, and that is enough not only in chess, but in all competitive activities. Besides Agassi, how many tennis players in the 90’s were “almost as good as Sampras”, but not quite. How many silver medalists in Olympic sports are now remembered? Chess is a bit more forgiving, since there are far more chances to the “almost bests” to establish a name for themselves. Yet, due to the slow nature of WC turnarounds in chess, very few people ever got a second chance becoming THE BEST. So, that is a general setup.
Specifically, Gata, despite being a great chess player, just doesn’t appear to be the “material” to actually become the world champion. Meanwhile time is passing, he is not getting younger either, depending how many more shuffle and change will emerge to determine the WCC, it would be still years before Gata could even get a chance to play for the big title. As things look now, Anand got a bit lucky that Topalov couldn’t even play on the tournament where Anand earned the right to play against Kramnik.
And now that Carlsen is becoming more and more mature and strong, some other young players showing their teeth, I simply don’t see the realistic possibility for Gata ever having another shot toward the title. Of course, I can be wrong.
Anand earned the right to play Kramnik???
Man you shoould really get your facts straight.
Can anybody tell me the team of Kamsky’s seconds? Besides Sutovsky.