Topalov vs Kramnik ... 1-0

[Rolf]

You can watch some of the psychological and emotional content of this game in the short video of the first moves. No handshakes, no eye contact between Toppy and Kramnik. I had much fun seeing it, and some images of Kortchnoi doing a little dance in front of stoic Ivanchuk earlier on, I wonder what that was about. Short in a better mood also after his game with Cheparinov, also with an incident about a handshake. At the back of the stage you see Jan Timman and Victor Korchnoi play their game in the honorary group, and both have more eye for how Topolov - Kramnik starts than their own game. Jan Timman with a slightly increased waistline these days, and what is he doing in his nose

Isnt this wrong if you had much fun in watching chessplayers beginning a game without a friendly handshake? It's beyond me why chess isnt regarded anylonger as a sports of gentlemen! And the cowd seems to enjoy it! Even in times of Fischer and Cold War the players acter as if standing under the eternal FIDE rule of GENS UNA SUMUS. What has cause the actual degeneration?

[M ANSARI]

On a side note ... today Timman played the same opening (Nxf7) against Ljubojevic and it came out 0-1. I must say that the quality of play was not good at all in comparison with yesterday's game though. It was not even worth running an engine because the quality of the moves was tactically poor. But this also goes to show how strong Kramnik and Topalov are. Here is the game for those who are interested.

[Event "Corus Chess 2008"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "2008.01.23"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Timman, Jan H"]
[Black "Ljubojevic, Ljubomir"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D43"]
[WhiteElo "2561"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2008.??.??"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5
9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Ne5 Bg7 12. Nxf7 Kxf7 13. e5 Nd5 14. Ne4 Ke7 15.
Nd6 Qb6 16. Bg4 Raf8 17. Qc2 Rhg8 18. a4 Ba8 19. Rfe1 Nc7 20. d5 cxd5 21. axb5
a5 22. b3 cxb3 23. Qh7 d4 24. Bh5 Nxb5 25. Nf7 b2 26. Rab1 Nc3 27. Nxh6 Rh8 28.
Qxg7+ Kd8 29. Nf7+ Kc7 30. Nxh8 Nxb1 31. Ng6 Rd8 32. h4 Nd2 33. hxg5 b1=Q 34.
Rxb1 Qxb1+ 35. Kh2 Nf1+ 36. Kh3 Ne3 37. fxe3 Qh1+ 38. Kg4 Qxg2 39. Qf7 dxe3 40.
Nh4 Qe4+ 41. Qf4 a4 42. Bf7 Nc5 0-1

[Uri]

[d]5r1r/pb1nk1b1/1qpNp2p/1p1nP1p1/2pP2B1/6B1/PPQ2PPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 17

In this position shredder gives (depth 14/37):

1. -/+ (-1.17): 17...Rhg8 18.Rfd1 Ba8 19.b4 Nc7
2. -/+ (-1.06): 17...Nc7 18.Rad1 Ba8 19.Bh5