World Championship 2012

Game one was today (May 11) Anand 1/2 Gelfand 1/2.

I predict Anand will win the match 6.5-5.5

6 draws so far

Gelfand leads 4-3

4-4 now

8-)

5.5-5.5 12th game on Monday.

tie breakers here we come on 5-30-12

Is it just me, or are the press conferences disappointing? Gelfand in particular was annoyingly uncooperative. When asked anything that was not specifically chess related his stock answer was: "I'm only here to play chess, not to speculate on other matters." Then, when asked a specifically chess related question about the last game he replies: "There are plenty of expert commentators here. Ask one of them." Sheesh!

What a putz. GO ANAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having watched the commentary live Kramnik and the super GM who was doing the Russian language commentary slightly preferred different sides at one point, so this was not as easy position to understand. Likely Gelfand was uncertain what was going on and the expert commentators may well be engines, who are believed to be 400-600 elo above Gelfand and likely to provide better analysis than he would, anything he says will already likely be found by a computer or refuted by a computer!
It is harsh to criticise Gelfand he has done well to get this far, despite being an underdog throughout. A match like this is stressful and tiring!
I prefer bland stuff to the comments made surrounding during Topalov's World Championship matches, which served as unneeded distraction and arguably damaged the image of chess!
The commentator gives the strategic principles a computer doesn't explain well, the engines give rock solid analysis 99.99% of the time and the more candid responses will come when they have finished playing and the pressure has lifted.

@kot - "... and the super GM who was doing the Russian language comentary ..." - that was Svidler

Apparently the tie-breakers start 3 hours early.

first rapid was a draw

And Mr. Viswanathan wins second game...

another draw in game 3

Congrats to Anand!

I and others propose having an armageddon game before the match. Thoughts?

I prefer the previous system: defending champion has drawing odds - this leads the challenger to risk more

The idea of beating the champion to become champion is traditional, shame the matches are only 12 games recently!

Blitz and Armageddon should have no part of who is champion at classical time control!

@unique: What is the purpose of the pre-match Armageddon game? To decide in advance who wins in case the match is drawn? :)

@kot - agreed; @RL - yes, with the same effect of my point (but with the disadvantage kot pointed out)

Just the fact that an Armageddon game could exist to decide a world championship shows a new feature of chess....a draw can win! Theoretically, a player could draw every game and win the world championship (without winning a single game!)

@RG - Theoretically that's not a new feature; actually one of the KxK matches ended up 12-12 (But not all draws, of course)

Previously to become champion, you had to win a game to overcome the previous champion, so you never could have got the title on entirely on drawn games.