Wednesday, May 5, 2010

LET'S GIVE ANAND A BREAK!

Instant news, instant analysis (?), instant finger pointing.

Anand lost yesterday and many commentators both pro and amateur have been writing and talking about "the blunder," how could he... he had a draw in the bag.

How many of these people were looking at a computer with a chess engine on it all along? Most of the pros were who were commenting because you could tell in their analyses. That's kind of "unfair" isn't it? Yes, it is. This isn't "love and war" this is chess.

I was watching the moves in the late 40s (with ut computer aid) and said to myself, "oooh, this is uncomfortable." Everything appeared to require precision. Uncomfortability + precision ?? Isn't that when many of us make mistakes? It happens to the Big Guys too. Most of us don't have a Topalov sitting on the other side of the table waiting for a mistake, but that's what Anand had, it was all Topalov could hope for.

As I wrote to a good friend last night, what matters now is if Anand can "shake the loss off again." If he can go back to calm, use his bag 'o tricks once again, he'll be in this for the long haul. And don't think for a second that Topalov is so confident that he's going to sit back and let Anand drop his pants.

These two guys are bruisers. To read after the first game Anand won that Kasparov was so disgusted with bxa3 that he walked out of the room in a pique of childishness was boorish behavior. Kasparov was always "emotional" and theatrical.

The "Cobra" (Topalov) was just sitting there waiting for the right moment, what else could he do? He wasn't privy to all those "it looks like a draw due to Bs of opposite color" comments. When I was a regular at the chess club I used to hear that a lot (and then, somehow, by some miracle, the draw would turn into a loss for someone). That position yesterday didn't seem "ironclad." Something in Anand's psyche betrayed him. That was yesterday, let's see what Thursday brings.

Sometimes people want something so bad that it is hard for them to forgive someone who, in their minds, upsets THEIR applecart. I am sure Anand was more upset than they were.

Another emailing goes out today! Check your inbox later.

bob@thinkerspressinc.com

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