Javier Posted July 1, 2007 Report Share Posted July 1, 2007 Very briefly I'll highlight some of the most noticeable changes: Ivanchuck is number 4 only 30 points below Anand, and the way Vassily is playing lately, I think he's playing the best chess in the whole planet. Amazing talent Jakovenko is already in the top 10, and Shirov is also equal 10th with 2735, his highest rating since January 2004. Carlsen is over 2700 for the first time in his life. It probably wont be his last, although his loss to Kramnik the other day and the way he lost, makes me doubt. Adams has fallen to 25th in the world, dropping 44 rating points. (I can't recall when was the last time Adams was below 2700!). It won't be easy for him to reach top 10 again... 1 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2792 4 1969 2 Kramnik, Vladimir g RUS 2769 1 1975 3 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2768 10 1975 4 Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2762 22 1969 5 Morozevich, Alexander g RUS 2758 18 1977 6 Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar g AZE 2755 14 1985 7 Leko, Peter g HUN 2751 9 1979 8 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2750 15 1982 9 Radjabov, Teimour g AZE 2746 7 1987 10 Jakovenko, Dmitry g RUS 2735 29 1983 11 Shirov, Alexei g ESP 2735 28 1972 12 Svidler, Peter g RUS 2735 6 1976 13 Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2733 21 1968 14 Adams, Michael g ENG 2731 8 1971 15 Grischuk, Alexander g RUS 2726 18 1983 16 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2717 28 1974 17 Carlsen, Magnus g NOR 2710 19 1990 18 Akopian, Vladimir g ARM 2708 5 1971 19 Polgar, Judit g HUN 2707 10 1976 20 Ponomariov, Ruslan g UKR 2706 16 1983 21 Eljanov, Pavel g UKR 2701 24 1983 22 Wang, Yue g CHN 2696 25 1987 23 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2695 20 1983 24 Alekseev, Evgeny g RUS 2689 26 1985 25 Adams, Michael ENG 2687 10 1971 26 Bu, Xiangzhi g CHN 2685 27 1985 27 Kasimdzhanov, Rustam g UZB 2683 17 1979 28 Short, Nigel D g ENG 2683 10 1965 29 Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter g ROU 2682 33 1976 30 Almasi, Zoltan g HUN 2682 17 1976 31 Volokitin, Andrei g UKR 2681 30 1986 32 Ni, Hua g CHN 2681 24 1983 33 Dominguez Perez, Lenier g CUB 2680 9 1983 34 Rublevsky, Sergei g RUS 2679 29 1974 35 Van Wely, Loek g NED 2679 26 1972 36 Karjakin, Sergey g UKR 2678 19 1990 37 Malakhov, Vladimir g RUS 2676 24 1980 38 Milov, Vadim g SUI 2675 0 1972 39 Sasikiran, Krishnan g IND 2674 17 1981 40 Miroshnichenko, Evgenij g UKR 2671 50 1978 41 Landa, Konstantin g RUS 2669 51 1972 42 Movsesian, Sergei g SVK 2667 45 1978 43 Sargissian, Gabriel g ARM 2667 29 1983 44 Vallejo Pons, Francisco g ESP 2666 24 1982 45 Sokolov, Ivan g NED 2666 19 1968 46 Harikrishna, P. g IND 2664 17 1986 47 Georgiev, Kiril g BUL 2663 21 1965 48 Inarkiev, Ernesto g RUS 2663 7 1985 49 Krasenkow, Michal g POL 2660 26 1963 50 Socko, Bartosz g POL 2660 26 1978 51 Volkov, Sergey g RUS 2659 19 1974 52 Zvjaginsev, Vadim g RUS 2658 8 1976 53 Cheparinov, Ivan g BUL 2657 11 1986 54 Sutovsky, Emil g ISR 2656 28 1977 55 Navara, David g CZE 2656 26 1985 56 Tkachiev, Vladislav g FRA 2655 30 1973 57 Gashimov, Vugar g AZE 2655 29 1986 58 Tomashevsky, Evgeny g RUS 2654 18 1987 59 Lautier, Joel g FRA 2654 4 1973 60 Beliavsky, Alexander G g SLO 2653 22 1953 61 Bareev, Evgeny g RUS 2653 19 1966 62 Onischuk, Alexander g USA 2650 33 1975 63 Bologan, Viktor g MDA 2650 30 1971 64 Timofeev, Artyom g RUS 2650 30 1985 65 Smirin, Ilia g ISR 2649 10 1968 66 Zhang, Pengxiang g CHN 2649 9 1980 67 Baklan, Vladimir g UKR 2648 34 1978 68 Tiviakov, Sergei g NED 2648 33 1973 69 Motylev, Alexander g RUS 2648 26 1979 70 Miton, Kamil g POL 2648 19 1984 71 Nakamura, Hikaru g USA 2647 16 1987 72 Nikolic, Predrag g BIH 2646 17 1960 73 Fressinet, Laurent g FRA 2646 14 1981 74 Areshchenko, Alexander g UKR 2645 29 1986 75 Avrukh, Boris g ISR 2645 22 1978 76 Izoria, Zviad g GEO 2645 11 1984 77 Jobava, Baadur g GEO 2644 31 1983 78 Naiditsch, Arkadij g GER 2644 31 1985 79 Afromeev, Vladimir f RUS 2642 14 1954 80 Moiseenko, Alexander g UKR 2641 23 1980 81 Nielsen, Peter Heine g DEN 2638 31 1973 82 Shabalov, Alexander g USA 2638 23 1967 83 Wojtaszek, Radoslaw g POL 2637 28 1987 84 Smirnov, Pavel g RUS 2636 19 1982 85 Sadvakasov, Darmen g KAZ 2635 30 1979 86 Sakaev, Konstantin g RUS 2634 30 1974 87 Kobalia, Mikhail g RUS 2634 23 1978 88 Zhang, Zhong g CHN 2634 9 1978 89 Ehlvest, Jaan g USA 2633 41 1962 90 Gurevich, Mikhail g TUR 2633 19 1959 91 Lputian, Smbat G g ARM 2633 11 1958 92 Khalifman, Alexander g RUS 2632 18 1966 93 Ye, Jiangchuan g CHN 2632 0 1960 94 Stellwagen, Daniel g NED 2631 16 1987 95 Roiz, Michael g ISR 2630 28 1983 96 Istratescu, Andrei g ROU 2629 24 1975 97 Predojevic, Borki g BIH 2628 32 1987 98 Fridman, Daniel g GER 2628 18 1976 99 Vladimirov, Evgeny g KAZ 2627 0 1957 100 Bauer, Christian g FRA 2626 27 1977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorg Posted July 1, 2007 Report Share Posted July 1, 2007 Hi, Javier, I found very enlightining your comment about the last Elo World Scale. I have 2 questions : 1.What makes you tell that V. Ivanchuk is actually playing the best chess of the planet ?(It would be a dream for me -and also many other chess players I suppose- to be able to distinguish in what a game or a player shows originality when compared to others.) 2.You are surprised the way Carlsen lost against Kramnik. Would you mean that it was without a fight ? It resembles more a simultaneous game with a reigning world champion taking it easy against a 1800-2000, than a confrontation between two 2700+. I don't understand Carlsen's games. He gives me the impression of treating chess like a computer do : he is a monster of calculation, creates enormous complications, in which most of his opponents lose the thread and finish to succumb to a fierce tactic. But when facing a Kramnik, I mean a player with a very profound understanding of chess and a heavy positional style, things can for him and very quickly go the wrong way ?! If Carlsen doesn't rethink his approach to chess, may be the positionaly oriented players at 2700+ will be his nemesis. (In passing, I remember a comment by Kasparov about Carlsen : "He is tactically very strong, but at that level of play, everybody is..." That comment clearly indicates that other qualities are required to be a world class contender at least in the idea of Kasparov ! Naturally, that are only feelings like everybody could improve. I don't have the level to give a judgment about such top world players able to play simultaneouly hundred or so guys like me. By the way, in reading the list, I was surprised to find Karjakin so "low". I thought he has crossed the 2700 line since many months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Javier Posted July 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Well, Ivanchuk's performance at Aerosvit was utterly impressive. In round 1, he chose the Dragon (not many top 10 play the Dragon nowadays!) against Karjakin, and had no problems whatsoever in the opening (Karjakin's 12.Kb1, although playable, has never had a very good reputation). In round 2 he beat Nisipeanu showing good preparation against a difficult line and determination (24.f5!?) and finished it in good technique. Round 3, no problems as black in a Benoni against Sasikiran. (again, not many GMs play the Benoni nowadays) Round 4, ok, he tried a risky line in the Catalan but his opponent was well prepared and equalized easily. It's nice to see how he likes to experiment and create problems for his opponents. Round 5, no trouble equalizing against Javovenko on the black side of a Pelikan. (I wish Shirov could say the same when he plays it!) Round 6, no trouble against Van Wely's English opening. Round 7 a very, very impressive victory against Eljanov's Queen's Indian by using the 7.d5!? gambit (this guy does try risky lines against the Queen's Indian!). His victory over Rublevsky's Sozin on round 8 is just jaw dropping! In round 9, on move 28 he sacrificed his Queen against Dominguez, and fought for a win till the very end (although it was a draw) Round 10, Shirov took risks, but Ivanchuck won very convincingly after 26... Nxd4!! And round 11 was a formality, but in general I had the feeling that he was gutsy, well prepared and imaginative. You don't see that everyday. For example, I find Anand's openings rather boring as he takes no risks and just plays the main lines in all of his games. And yes, Carlsen's loss against Kramnik in the Catalan made him look like a player with serious strategical weaknesses. But his match against Aronian didn't cause a good impression either, not to mention that famous 2 losses against Anand at Linares. He just seemed to be in a different league. (see the new thread I've opened with the games) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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