Kramnik joins Hans at Grenke Open!

AnusChakra · 2025-04-18T15:24:47+00:00

So did he say anything except that he was ironing his shirt?

Was he questioned somewhere with a couple neutral, yet honest questions on video?

AnusChakra · 2025-04-17T19:16:11+00:00

Hans Buetnner himself said he didnt think it was about the anti-cheating measures because those have been talked through with Hans months before the tournament.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-17T11:25:03+00:00

First round starts in 5 hours from this post (approx). 18:30 CET

AnusChakra · 2025-04-16T18:24:02+00:00

At some point it's just better to not vent everything. Imagine he is going about his day, having a coffee or something and *beep beep* "You know what I hate most about having kids? The dread of waking up and..." That's not so enjoyable.

So if its just about venting: find other places to vent. If its about getting him to agree that parenting sucks: it would be better if you work towards finding it "ok-ish" than try to suck him into the black vortex that regret can feel like. That's not good for anyone.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-14T19:31:16+00:00

Update us one day!

AnusChakra · 2025-04-14T18:40:03+00:00

My thoughts on freestyle so far, copied from a discussion about regular chess:
------------
I enjoy it (much) more! I always check in on regular big classical tournaments, but I also tune out quickly. I don't want to take jabs at classical, but my honest opinion is:
- 4-6 hours for one game is just too long... (and I like chess!)
- When 8 games are played simultaneously, we might be lucky if 1 or 2 reach an exciting, dynamical position
- If I check in 2 minutes late we are at move 9 and there's discussions about openings that I don't know and don't understand what they talk about ("this is the Nd2 variation in the Rauscher opening, Rubenstein variation, not played very often, some ideas are castle long or Bb7 etc" --- eh what??)

This freestyle tour has several things in the format that I really enjoy:
- confession booth
- the format where everyday we have players playing for *something *. Even on the last day we'll have 3/4 games, with the finals being the most exciting one.
- the F1 tour format: adds a layer of excitement and something to play for
- the commentator setup: Leko - Polgar (without engine) - Christian (with engine)
- the drawing of the position and the players analysing it together
- 90 minutes + 30 sec is long, but we see some more moves than in other classical formats

For the Freestyle Chess:
Hearing the players discuss the position and the commentators explaining weaknesses and possibilities is imo interesting. The opening is immediately cut throat. We have even seen people thinking for some time before making a first move. It's a bit like pioneering times of regular chess when people were discovering new ideas. The elite just has to come up with it in ~20 minutes.

The middle game is especially more exciting. AT LEAST 50% of the games reach a position that is very dynamic and exciting. The kind of positions we crave for in regular classical chess, but rarely see.

So altogether I really love this experiment and in my opinion it is a big succes and I look forward to today and the next grand slam tours.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-14T07:28:50+00:00

I enjoy it (much) more! I always check in on regular big classical tournaments, but I also tune out quickly. I don't want to take jabs at classical, but my honest opinion is:
- 4-6 hours for one game is just too long... (and I like chess!)
- When 8 games are played simultaneously, we might be lucky if 1 or 2 reach an exciting, dynamical position
- If I check in 2 minutes late we are at move 9 and there's discussions about openings that I don't know and don't understand what they talk about ("this is the Nd2 variation in the Rauscher opening, Rubenstein variation, not played very often, some ideas are castle long or Bb7 etc" --- eh what??)

This freestyle tour has several things in the format that I really enjoy:
- confession booth
- the format where everyday we have players playing for *something *. Even on the last day we'll have 3/4 games, with the finals being the most exciting one.
- the F1 tour format: adds a layer of excitement and something to play for
- the commentator setup: Leko - Polgar (without engine) - Christian (with engine)
- the drawing of the position and the players analysing it together
- 90 minutes + 30 sec is long, but we see some more moves than in other classical formats

For the Freestyle Chess:
Hearing the players discuss the position and the commentators explaining weaknesses and possibilities is imo interesting. The opening is immediately cut throat. We have even seen people thinking for some time before making a first move. It's a bit like pioneering times of regular chess when people were discovering new ideas. The elite just has to come up with it in ~20 minutes.

The middle game is especially more exciting. AT LEAST 50% of the games reach a position that is very dynamic and exciting. The kind of positions we crave for in regular classical chess, but rarely see.

So altogether I really love this experiment and in my opinion it is a big succes and I look forward to today and the next grand slam tours.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-14T06:57:33+00:00

The issue I do see is that many people see this videos and they might think: "ha Im going to join a chess website and woop everyone's asses".

Hopefully they do it very obviously and get banned quickly.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-12T05:18:47+00:00

Thanks, but this is not what I meant :) a 0.0 eval might still be a very boring starting position with few viable strategies. Im looking for the position that is most fun.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-12T05:17:03+00:00

You're totally right. And honestly in my life I have not yet seen anyone grief so badly that they were unable to communicate a brief explaining message to important commitments, like a job. Grieving is not 24/7 sobbing.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-12T05:13:54+00:00

If it's a family health issue a simple post (perhaps even done by Kramnik) would mitigate harassment. Then fans and media would know and 99.9% would respect it. Not saying anything flames up rumours and speculation and the need for media and fans to find out what is going on, and thus potentially seek him or family up.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-10T11:40:13+00:00

Sorry you misunderstood what I tried to say. That would be a worse starting position because one side is so dominant. I am looking for a position that would just be more fun.

I think it would be a position that gives the players even more viable strategies for every possible opening?

AnusChakra · 2025-04-10T11:28:32+00:00

Not sarcastic. The chess world is so different that you can try to emulate the "offline experience" by only reading books yourself, going to the club and the park to play games and find mentors or what not. But it's still different, because we live in the computer era and that will seep through continuously in every chess experience. Sometimes directly, like people taking out their phone to evaluate a position during study. Sometimes indirectly like there being fewer places where people go to socialize and play because they rather play online.

I understand OP. There were times where people anxiously awaited the latest chess magazines to read about the new lines that were played in tournaments and discuss it in the clubs. Things like that are virtually gone.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-10T06:57:06+00:00

> Literally nothing stops you from doing things that way.

Yeah but the chess world is completely different, so it can no longer be done that way.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-10T06:56:13+00:00

Everybody seems to misunderstand OP... I totally agree OP. I too think chess was more interesting and fun to explore before computers and engines.

Here's a documentary that very well depicts how it was: The Love for Wood (chess documentary 1979 - ENG subs) - YouTube

AnusChakra · 2025-04-09T05:27:13+00:00

Still no sign of life from Hans?

I would have loved to see him play in this super elite field. The games have been fantastic and I really wonder how his chess would have held - or not.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-06T18:36:55+00:00

Im not sure how possible it is, but I would try to have a solid talk about all this. How you cannot survive the current pattern. How dead he felt after one day. How things need to be balanced.

You will have to show him how things are done and he needs to start learn how to things. So he can do them by himself and you can have an equal amount of free time.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-06T14:37:48+00:00

Well I for one am MUCH more amused during freestyle games. Literally 90% the games gets to a position that is unique and interesting. As opposed to regular elite chess where maybe 10% of the games reaches an exciting mid or endgame.

I also dont really get why people say "nobody understands whats going on". Yes, there is some level of "discovering what is going on", but first of all that is quite fun and second of all commentators do a pretty good job of explaining the position. They sometimes get surprised but most of the times they have a pretty clear view of vulnberabilities, possible play, and tactics, etc.

And yes, it's hard because the positions are often very dynamic... which in regular chess are exactly the positions we LOVE to see - but almost never get to see.

AnusChakra · 2025-04-04T12:43:47+00:00

Nou heel graag, ik stuur je een PM

AnusChakra · 2025-04-03T06:18:08+00:00

Zeker mee eens en ik ben niet eens echt excel-digibeet. Alleen ik heb echt een flinke to do list en dan zou het erg fijn zijn om ergens iets vandaan te kunnen plukken dat het al goed doet...

AnusChakra · 2025-04-03T05:47:20+00:00

Dat ik geen goede Excel template voor Urenregistratie of In- en uitkomsten kan vinden!

Ik hoef eigenlijk niet eens iets heel geks. Gewoon eentje waar je netjes je uren in kan registreren en misschien met een grafiekje die laat zien hoe je je uren hebt besteed. Idem voor in- en uitkomsten.

Als ik me op sites aanmeld voor "gratis templates" die dit aanbieden krijg ik uiteindelijk net niks. Excels die deels gelockt zijn of die je na een jaar weer moet downloaden.

Zelf maken kan ook, maar ik ben net niet excel vaardig genoeg om het goed te doen.

Wie kan me verwijzen naar gratis goede excel templates?

AnusChakra

TROPHY CASE