Pavel Eljanov

Looks like Erdogmus is officially breaking 2700 (with an incredible live around 2709). Truly remarkable. The closest comparison at that age I can recall is Wei Yi. I played vs him and managed to win when he was already 15 and around 2650. Not just by rating, but in overall maturity, the Turkish prodigy seems more complete at this stage.

@PHChess @TarjeiJS @tepesigeman An important topic to discuss, indeed. Since I haven’t played R+B myself for many years, I can’t really judge from personal experience. But I remember, for instance, in Almaty many players were struggling in the public areas - my student GM Salem, even got sick as a result.

@TarjeiJS @Eljanov @tepesigeman In general chess differs from any other sport by players not have private areas, their won entrance etc. Perhaps due to not needing a " dressing room" to change into sport clothes being the practical reason.

From recent coach interviews: Sindarov aims for 2800+ and domination. Erdogmus - 2900+. Something doesn’t quite add up here. Feels like Magnus might have to “enter the chat” again 😂.

@PHChess @tepesigeman In the title match, I would love to see the tiebreaks before R1 - some changes are indeed long overdue. Any chance Magnus will change his mind this way?And regarding R+B, is the VIP room for Magnus exclusively - is still a thing? Doesn't look entirely fair if so.

@Eljanov @tepesigeman He clearly stated he did not want to compete for that title as he considered it not the right way to show dominance. A long match every 2 year, extreme preparation phase, facing just 1 opponent, meaning he is a huge favourite. R+B is open events, and a much bigger challenge.

@PHChess @tepesigeman He has every right to define it that way. But the classical title remains clearly more valuable in terms of publicity, viewership and traditions - especially when Magnus Carlsen was playing himself. It’s not just my view, probably).

@Eljanov @tepesigeman But that is you choosing to define activity = Classical. One should accept that he sees it differently. He played World R+B, Freestyle WC and Speedchess recently, and Karlsruhe too. More than an event pr. month. Who plays more from the worlds elite?

@PHChess Magnus is still the best, no doubt about it. But to say he’s fully active while playing only a few classical games per year in recent years - feels like an overstatement, in my opinion. Looking forward to @tepesigeman !

@Eljanov Who is the best player, is always a fair point to discuss. But I dislike the idea that Magnus is inactive. He did win 3 Official FIDE World Champions within 2 months very recently.

My predictions were mostly accurate-just swap Fabiano and Javokhir 🙂 Esipenko’s struggles weren’t shocking either: ambition can backfire under pressure. Even small factors matter-as Mark Dvoretsky used to say, no "extra people" at key tournaments. Bluebaum was solid as expected.

Giri’s strong performance didn’t surprise me at all. He’s still relatively young, but incredibly experienced and sharp, especially in catching small preparation nuances. Also, less trolling and bs from him on X before the event was a clear signal - he meant business 😂.

The Candidates effectively ended early - Javokhir Sindarov dominated the field with authority. No real doubts, no visible nerves. His play felt like a nuclear reactor: constant energy, pressure, and zero drop-off while others clearly faded in the second half.

@Dixit__Nikhil The point is we were literally playing 5 meters away throughout the event. Yet some are so focused on self-promotion that they barely pay attention to the tournament itself 😂. Not all, of course - Agadmator and many others do a great job - but this case says a lot.

@Eljanov Elite chess players are usually known by 1-2% of the chess community who plays active OTB tournaments. While streamers cater to 98% of the audience.

Just watched Chess Mates: Untold. The film raises important ethical questions: platforms like Chess.com boosted chess massively, but hype and valuation often seem to come before the game itself. It reminded me of a European open I played, where streamers had boards right next to the top games...

visits the pope → pope dies leads Iran negotiations → talks collapse flies to Hungary to prop up Orbán → Orbán loses in a landslide Man’s got a streak.

Glad to see opposition forces winning in Hungary, a sunny and welcoming country. Having a puppet government serving the interests of putin’s criminal regime was a disgrace, especially given Hungary’s history and the Soviet invasion of 1956. #TiszaPárt

@roadto2500 your logic is flawed for every single point of view. First of all, the guy had a chance to fulfill GM/IM norms but was unable to compete for because of forfeits. Also interfering prize distribution etc. And I'm unaware about similar cases in different sports.

@Eljanov No jugar la partida o retirarse es un derecho en todos los deportes, sea cual sea el motivo... Además, en estos casos, lo que está mal es que haya tantos jugadores jóvenes con elos bajos que juegan a una fuerza mucho mayor. Enfrentarte implica nada que ganar y todo que perder

This looks like unsportsmanlike conduct to me. At the very least, it raises serious questions about fair play. I’ve played many events while being sick and never forfeited like this. There should be clear rules and consequences unless properly justified.

WOW: Voter turnout in the Hungarian election has hit 66% as of 15:00, up from 52.75% in 2022. Orban is in real trouble. The Kremlin-backed kleptocrat took to social media, urging his supporters to get out and vote. Change may finally be coming to Hungary.🇭🇺

Thanks to David, I was reminded that I also have a 🥉 medal, along with 2 golds and 1 silver from Olympiads 😂. After the brilliant victory in 2010, that result was seen as somewhat average - but looking back rating wise we performed very well. The overall level was extremely high - almost everyone was near their peak, except me (I was already 2750+ in 2010). Still, it was a great time. Unfortunately, after many years of mismanagement, we now don’t have a single 2700+ player.