2014 Candidates Qualifiers (post-World Cup)

Vladimir Kramnik and Dmitry Andreikin have reached the finals of the World Cup, so the Candidates qualification picture has firmed up a lot. Here's where things stand:

1: Anand/Carlsen loser

2: Kramnik

3: Andreikin

4: Topalov

5: One of (Mamadyarov, Grischuk, Caruana)

6: Aronian

7: Karjakin

8: ? (see list below)

The Organizer nominee (slot 8) must have had a 2725 rating on the July, 2013 list, and not have qualified in another manner. That leaves the following eligible players (The Grand Prix runner-up would be removed from the list), listed in ratings order:

Caruana, Grischuk, Nakamura, Gelfand, Kamsky, Mamedyarov, Dominguez Perez, Ponomariov, Wang, Svidler, Adams, Leko, Morozevich, Giri, Vitugov, Ivanchuk, Radjabov.

2014 Candidates Qualification

In my prior post, it seems I had the Candidates qualification priority a bit backwards. According to the regulations posted on FIDE's website, this is the priority for Candidates qualification:

1: Anand/Carlsen loser.

2, 3: World Cup Finalists

4, 5: Top two from Grand Prix

6, 7: Top two on the ratings list (average of Aug/2012 through July/2013, must have played in Grand Prix or World Cup to be considered)

8: Organizer nomination. (Must be rated at least 2725 in the July/2013 ratings list.)

So, we're currently looking at the following situation:

1: Anand/Carlsen loser

2: One of (Tomashevsky, Kamsky, Vachier-Lagrave, Caruana, Kramnik, Korobov, Andreikin, Svidler)

3: One of (Tomashevsky, Kamsky, Vachier-Lagrave, Caruana, Kramnik, Korobov, Andreikin, Svidler)

4: Topalov

5: One of (Mamadyarov, Grischuk, Caruana)

6: Aronian

7: Kramnik (next three qualifiers are, I believe, Karjakin, Caruana, then Nakamura)

8: ? (see list below)

If someone qualifies at a higher-priority level, an alternate is used for the lower-priority spot. So, as an example, if Kramnik makes the finals of the World Cup, he qualifies that way, and Karjakin would get spot #7.

Got it?

And, FWIW, the pool of possible organizer nominations is below. Remember if any of these players qualify for spots 2, 3, 5, or 7 above, they get removed from this list. Players already in the candidates (or the world champ) aren't listed. Players are listed in ratings order from the July 2013 ratings list.

Caruana, Grischuk, Karjakin, Nakamura, Gelfand, Kamsky, Mamedyarov, Dominguez Perez, Ponomariov, Wang, Svidler, Adams, Leko, Morozevich, Giri, Vitugov, Ivanchuk, Radjabov, Andreikin.

FIDE Grand Prix Standings - Post Beijing

Things have clarified significantly after Mamedyarov's clear win in Beijing. He and Topalov are the leaders in the clubhouse. Vasselin has clinched a birth in the Candidates tournament with his 410 points. He can't be caught and wins the Grand Prix series.

2nd place, and the other birth in the Candidates tourney, however, is still up for grabs. Mamedyarov is in the driver's seat having posted a 390 score. The only way he can be caught is if either Grischuk or Caruana can score a sole first in Paris. A two-way tie for first involving either player won't be enough, as that scores 155 points and Caruana needs 165 to tie, while Grischuk needs 160. Everyone else has been eliminated from qualification.

I'll be honest - with the time differences between Beijing and the west coast of the US, it was very hard for me to keep up with this tournament. It felt like an afterthought.

So, here's the current state of Candidates 2014 (March? Location?) qualification:

1. Carlsen/Anand loser
2. Topalov
3. Grand Prix 2nd place
4. World Cup winner
5. World Cup 2nd place
6. Top rated player not otherwise qualified*
7. 2nd highest rated player not otherwise qualified*
8. Organizer nomination

* = My understanding is to be considered for either of these spots, the player must have participated in the World Cup.

Place	Name	Rating	London	Tashkent	Zug	Thessaloniki	Beijing	Paris	Total	Min	Max
1	Topalov	2752	140	-	170	45	100	-	410	410	410
2	Mamedyarov	2729	140	80	20	-	170	-	390	390	390
3	Grischuk	2763	90	-	-	85	140	x	315	315	400
4	Caruana	2773	-	80	100	125	-	x	305	305	395
5	Morozevich	2770	x	140	75	25	65	-	280	280	280
6	Leko	2737	80	80	80	-	100	-	260	260	260
7	Karjakin	2785	-	140	50	-	65	x	255	255	375
8	Hao	2726	70	140	-	-	30	x	240	240	380
9	Ponomariov	2734	-	50	100	85	-	x	235	235	355
10	Dominguez	2725	35	20	-	170	-	x	225	225	375
11	Nakamura	2778	15	-	140	60	-	x	215	215	370
12	Kamsky	2746	x	10	75	125	10	-	210	210	210
13	Gelfand	2738	140	30	-	-	30	x	200	200	340
14	Kasimdzhanov	2684	35	80	20	70	-	-	185	185	185
15	Giri	2711	15	-	50	-	65	x	130	130	285
16	Svidler	2749	-	50	-	45	-	x	95	105	265
16	Ivanchuk	2769	55	-	-	10	30	x	95	95	255
18	Yue		-	-	-	-	65	-	65	65	235
19	Adams	2722	55	-	-	-	-	-	55	55	55
20	Bacrot	2788	-	-	-	25	-	-	25	25	25
21	Radjabov	2788	-	-	20	-	-	x	20	40	510

Notes:

• Adams substituted for Svidler in London, and is unlikely to play for the remainder of the Grand Prix.
• Yue substituted for Radjabov in Beijing. Unclear if Radjabov will play in Paris.
• Ratings are from the December, 2012 list right before London.
• '-' means the player either didn't play, or isn't scheduled to play, in that event.
• 'x' means the player is scheduled to play in that event.
• Min score is what that player would have if they finished solely in last place in all remaining GPs.
• Max score is what that player would have if they finished solely in first place in all remaining GPs.

FIDE Grand Prix Standings, Post-Thessaloniki

The 4th round (of 6) in the FIDE Grand Prix series concluded today, with Leinier Dominguez Perez a clear winner with 8/11, half a point ahead of 2nd place finishers Gata Kamsky and Fabiano Caruana. Kamsky was leading going into the final round, but fell to Caruana while Dominguez beat Topalov in a R+P ending that initially looked drawn. This might be Dominguez' best result ever. Will have to track that down. His strong performance propelled him nearly to the top 10, as he's now just 6 ELO points behind Kamsky in 11th on the live list.

Standings are a bit complicated, as each player can participate in four tournaments, but only their best three finishes count. So, I'll add a couple columns to this table to indicate maximum and minimum possible scores.

The top two overall finishers qualify for the Candidates Tournament in 2014, along with the loser of the Carlsen/Anand match, top three finishers from the 2013 World Cup, and the top two rated players in the world that haven't otherwise qualified.

Place	Name	Rating	London	Tashkent	Zug	Thessaloniki	Berlin	Paris	Total	Min	Max
1	Topalov	2752	140	-	170	45	x	-	355	355	480
2	Caruana	2773	-	80	100	125	-	x	305	305	395
3	Mamedyarov	2729	140	80	20	-	x	-	240	240	410
3	Morozevich	2770	x	140	75	25	x	-	240	240	385
5	Ponomariov	2734	-	50	100	85	-	x	235	235	355
6	Dominguez	2725	35	20	-	170	-	x	225	225	375
7	Nakamura	2778	15	-	140	60	-	x	215	215	370
8	Kamsky	2746	x	10	75	125	x	-	210	210	370
8	Hao	2726	70	140	-	-	x	x	210	220	480
10	Karjakin	2785	-	140	50	-	x	x	190	200	480
11	Kasimdzhanov	2684	35	80	20	70	-	-	185	185	185
12	Leko	2737	80	80	80	-	x	-	180	180	330
13	Grischuk	2763	90	-	-	85	x	x	175	185	430
14	Gelfand	2738	140	30	-	-	x	x	170	180	480
15	Svidler	2749	-	50	-	45	-	x	95	105	265
16	Giri	2711	15	-	50	-	x	x	65	75	390
16	Ivanchuk	2769	55	-	-	10	x	x	65	75	395
18	Adams	2722	55	-	-	-	-	-	55	55	55
19	Bacrot	2788	-	-	-	25	-	-	25	25	25
20	Radjabov	2788	-	-	20	-	x	x	20	40	510

Notes:

• Adams substituted for Svidler in London, and is unlikely to play for the remainder of the Grand Prix.
• Ratings are from the December, 2012 list right before London.
• '-' means the player either didn't play, or isn't scheduled to play, in that event.
• 'x' means the player is scheduled to play in that event.
• Min score is what that player would have if they finished solely in last place in all remaining GPs.
• Max score is what that player would have if they finished solely in first place in all remaining GPs.

FIDE Grand Prix Standings, Post Zug

The 3rd round (of 6) in the FIDE Grand Prix series concluded today, with Vaselin Topalov a clear winner with 8/11, a full point and a half ahead of clear 2nd place finisher, Hikaru Nakamura. This is probably Topalov's best result since San Luis in 2005.

Standings are a bit complicated, as each player can participate in four tournaments, but only their best three finishes count. So, I'll add a couple columns to this table to indicate maximum and minimum possible scores.

The top two overall finishers qualify for the Candidates Tournament in 2014, along with the loser of the Carlsen/Anand match, top three finishers from the 2013 World Cup, and the top two rated players in the world that haven't otherwise qualified.

Place	Name	Rating	London	Tashkent	Zug	Madrid	Berlin	Paris	Total	Min	Max
1	Topalov	2752	140	-	170	x	x	-	310	320	510
2	Mamedyarov	2729	140	80	20	-	x	-	240	240	410
3	Morozevich	2770	x	140	75	x	x	-	215	225	480
4	Hao	2726	70	140	-	-	x	x	210	220	480
5	Karjakin	2785	-	140	50	-	x	x	190	200	480
6	Leko	2737	80	80	80	-	x	-	180	180	330
6	Caruana	2773	-	80	100	x	-	x	180	190	440
8	Gelfand	2738	140	30	-	-	x	x	170	180	480
9	Nakamura	2778	15	-	140	x	-	x	155	165	480
10	Ponomariov	2734	-	50	100	x	-	x	150	160	440
11	Kasimdjanov	2684	35	80	20	x	-	-	135	135	285
12	Grischuk	2763	90	-	-	x	x	x	90	110	510
13	Kamsky	2746	x	10	75	x	x	-	85	95	415
14	Giri	2711	15	-	50	-	x	x	65	75	390
15	Adams	2722	55	-	-	-	-	-	55	55	55
15	Ivanchuk	2769	55	-	-	x	x	x	55	75	510
15	Dominguez	2725	35	20	-	x	-	x	55	65	375
18	Svidler	2749	-	50	-	x	-	x	50	70	390
19	Radjabov	2788	-	-	20	x	x	x	20	40	510

Notes:

• Adams substituted for Svidler in London, and is unlikely to play for the remainder of the Grand Prix.
• Ratings are from the December, 2012 list right before London.
• '-' means the player either didn't play, or isn't scheduled to play, in that event.
• 'x' means the player is scheduled to play in that event.
• Min score is what that player would have if they finished solely in last place in all remaining GPs.
• Max score is what that player would have if they finished solely in first place in all remaining GPs.

Endgames

Yes, I know it's been a while since I posted. More on that in a bit.

In the meantime, here's some endgame rules to keep in mind. (B or F indicates whether the rule came from Ruben Fine or Pal Benko)

1. Think about the endgame in the middlegame. (B) 
2. Exchanges. Someone gets the better deal. (B) 
3. The King is a strong piece. Use it. (F) 
4. If you are a pawn or two ahead, exchange pieces. (F) 
5. If you are behind, exchange pawns, not pieces. (F) 
6. If you have an advantage, do not leave all the pawns on one side. (F) 
7. A distant passed pawn is half the victory. (B) 
8. Passed pawns should be avvanced as rapidly as possibly. (F) 
9. Doubled, isolated, and blocakaded pawns are weak: Avoid them. (F) 
10. The easiet endings to win are pure pawn endings. (F) 
11. Passed pawns should be blockaded by the King, the piece that is not harmed by watching a pawn is a Knight. (F) 
12. Two Bishops, vs. Bishop & Knight constitute a tangible advantage. (F) 
13. Bishops are better than Knights in all except blocked pawn positions. (F) 
14. Do not place your pawns on the color of your Bishop. (F) 
15. The easiest endings to draw are those with bishops of oposite colors. (F) 
16. Rooks belong behind passed pawns. (F) 
17. A rook on the 7th rank is suffiecient compensation for a pawn. (F) 
18. Not all rook endings are drawn. (B) 
19. Perpetual check looms in all queen endings. (B) 
20. Every move in the endgame is of the utmost importance because you are closer to the moment of truth. (B)

(h/t to Malbase on Chessforums.org)

Compliments

A new chess club started up at a local (rather quiet) mall. Every Monday night, and it seems the focus is on a rated, G/25 tournament each week. $3/week, so that's not a bad deal. 

Though, I have to admit not a huge fan of G/30 or less.

I showed up last night, and was just setting up to go through a game from Formation Attacks when a former state champ and Fide Master asks me if I'm up for a game. (The guy doesn't know me from Adam.)

Well, yeah. Like I'm going to turn down a game from a FM.

We don't use a clock, just casual, and I'm actually hearing a grunt of surprise from him every now and then. Of course, he wins both games, but I make him work for it.

We're in the third game, and a friend of his shows up, and he starts pulling out the bag of tricks. He swindles a piece off me, and we call things as the TD is getting things started.

As we're cleaning up, he asks me what my rating is. "In the 1200s" I reply. He says "You play way better than that. 1700s or so." I thanked him for the kind words. 

If I can only get the results when the clocks are running... I know it's in me, but it's just not coming out when I need it. Naturally, I lost both tourney games after that, with a massive blunder in each game.

Still, it's compliments like that, from players like that, that keep me going. If I was basing my desire off results, I'd probably be back playing wargames by now. 

I can do this, but I've just got to fix the way I think during timed games. What I currently do doesn't work. I've been going through the Igor Smirnov course "The Grandmaster's Secrets." It's good. It teaches you how to find moves, how to approach the game, and how and what to calculate. You just have to get used to his voice.