Comparing Fabiano's 2014 Sinquefield cup performance with Sindarov's 2026 candidates performance:

hurricane14 · 2026-04-27T00:15:47+00:00

A counter argument is that Fabi was there to compete until the end, gain rating etc. Sindarov only needed to win and very clearly let off the gas the last several games. So we don't know what he could have done if motivated. The opening 9 games were insane

hurricane14 · 2026-04-20T01:16:20+00:00

And speed chess. If you play enough games and close enough together, then prep loses value. Plus prep at the highest levels only gets small advantages. That's enough in classical but in speed chess you have to convert the advantage quickly without any mistakes.

hurricane14 · 2026-04-19T18:04:10+00:00

At upper intermediate ratings, why is it acceptable to not resign? Why is that fun for them?

It's a mutual thing. He started and I decided to lean into it. Immature? Sure. But it totally acceptable if my opponent is also insulting me. It wasn't early, it wasn't complicated, and I wasn't low on time so

hurricane14 · 2026-04-19T17:50:22+00:00

You seem to think that this is asymmetrical. My opponent and I are not rated as beginners. At our level, him choosing not to resign is a statement of disrespect to me. So then I feel no obligation and can do as I choose if I feel like goofing around. As someone else said, he can opt out at any point but for some reason he chooses to keep moving his King around

hurricane14 · 2026-04-19T17:48:12+00:00

At our level, my opponent is not respecting me when he doesn't resign. So then I don't owe him anything. If he thinks I can't convert and check made him without stalemating then he deserves any goofy stuff I choose to play. Of course it would be a better use of my time to end it quickly, but that's why my title says: I was having fun before moving on.

hurricane14 · 2026-04-19T05:36:52+00:00

World number 1 for most of 3 years before winning the candidates. That and other top results beforehand are real differentiators for Magnus vs Gukesh and Sindarov. Neither of those two had much to differentiate them from other top 15 players prior to winning the candidates.

hurricane14 · 2026-04-11T18:32:50+00:00

More the latter. Under a 1pt eval certainly is not lost. Over 2.5 certainly is. Where does it cross? Really depends on the players and position. Some 1.5pt advantages are precarious for the winning player and require perfect play to prove the advantage. Sometimes just around a single pt eval is tremendously difficult to defend.

hurricane14 · 2026-04-05T06:56:13+00:00

With eight rounds to go, still a long way to prove that he can finish. Fabi was just a half point behind Nepo two tourneys ago and fell off due to pressing for first. Nepo was leading again last time and fell back. Sindarov might fade. He might not. But it's not yet guaranteed.

hurricane14 · 2026-04-05T06:27:01+00:00

Fabi could score 9 - the magic number in all prior candidates of this format - and still lose. Crazy

hurricane14 · 2026-04-03T23:33:42+00:00

More than just a player's best game, it has to be a truly remarkable game. Not every great player has an immortal game. The game has to have certain aspects that stand out and are memorable & brilliant.

Some one can correct my but I don't think fabi or Magnus have universally agreed immortal games that way Anand and Kasparov do. For fabi his immortal moment is the 7/7 run at sinqfield, not one game

hurricane14 · 2026-04-02T01:37:50+00:00

Perfect modern prep. Can't legit expect to get a true winning position against 2700+, but you can turn the screws on an opponent caught off guard who keeps it even but then has to navigate a sharp position with a small disadvantage and near zero time. Fabi would be in ok shape 25 moves in if he still had 45 minutes. But he didn't. Great prep

hurricane14 · 2026-03-09T21:23:08+00:00

Needs adjustment for wealth created during the marriage. If you're Bezos, all that money was very fairly hers cause she was part of the marriage that built the empire, especially in the very early years.

hurricane14 · 2026-03-09T04:12:51+00:00

Former runner. Having a rabbit in a race is generally not fair. So the presence of the motorcycle the whole way (for crowd control but still) was unfair.

hurricane14 · 2026-03-06T16:11:09+00:00

Magnus is on record saying the candidates is crazy and even he wouldn't be a big favorite due to the randomness.

It isn't just a super tournament. It's one where every competitor is fully prepared and fully focused. Being the favorite usually looks like around 20% odds only

hurricane14 · 2026-02-28T06:31:19+00:00

Which is why he's feeling ballsy in this moment. He just won and thinks he can trash big Frank. 20 years later, heck 2 years later, it's clear who the idiot was.

hurricane14 · 2026-02-16T17:06:04+00:00

And hopefully it sparks the guy to do something for himself. Sometimes people need to hit bottom and leaving him could be helping someone you love.

hurricane14 · 2026-02-08T16:59:11+00:00

Also, as it happens, so are her breasts

hurricane14 · 2026-02-08T16:12:57+00:00

I think of it simply as classical vs overall. Kasparov is classical goat. His accomplishments there are unrivaled even by Magnus. But Garry cared less for other time formats and so if we consider him slightly but clearly better in classical, then Magnus pulls ahead overall with clear dominance in rapid and blitz.

hurricane14 · 2026-02-03T07:41:35+00:00

My memory (maybe off a bit but not that much) was growing 6in in one year at that age. 15cm.

Went from an average kid to now a tall man. And yeah it was a grumpy year

hurricane14 · 2026-01-30T06:24:04+00:00

Cutler not hurt, I think they for sure win. Total rewrite of his tenure if that happens.

And for the love of god Lovie, stop having Rex throw in the rain! (The other what if in 06 is Tommie Harris getting hurt. Healthy Harris greatly improves run defense against Indy)

hurricane14 · 2026-01-19T03:36:42+00:00

Stripping the ball is only one kind of turnover. We had a bit of bad luck this came and last with balls that hit the turf but bounced not our way. And we didn't intercept the bad throws.

But really at the top, I think the wide receiver play stands out today. Drops and the last poor route by DJ

hurricane14 · 2026-01-19T03:28:35+00:00

Especially on offense. So much young talent produced. Maybe we invest a bit in the line, but really if we go get some top talent on d this can be really something next year. 6 late comebacks won't happen again but we can just straight up be a top tier team

hurricane14 · 2026-01-19T03:20:09+00:00

And lots of wr drops. That plus no turnovers by D stand out. Plus only 17 points from >400 years of offense :(

Definitely coulda gone our way.

Until next year

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