A good day today.Chesswise ,as well.Has had many bucks on Carlsen and especially Giri,so at the playoff,soon to come, my wallet is with Giri :) (A difference of 10 K.!).

But in anyway it has been a great tournament.As usual.And I wish there were more tournaments with 13 rounds and this broad mix of different players.

Seems like Federer and Cilic were inspired by the fatastic clash yesterday,where, it in a way,was a pitty there should be a winner and Halep was hospitalized dure to dehydration after the match,which says all about the nature of the fight and both the players impressed enormously. May they meet many times later on...
And how nervewracking it was for H and me.Especially after the Hitckockgian finish the night before :)...

Today we were blessed by sunshine and
soon the oven is ready for dinner.

So Magnus won the tournament, good for his morale. And Giri has shown that he has it, who knows what the future will bring.

Warmer today and a lot of snow thawing, while in Paris and around some flooding - my relatives are safe though.

Great winning strike ! Please continue ;)
At least I hope so.And if you want some study material then perhaps the first blizt game in Carlsen-Giri play off.Some kind of masterpiece,I think, and then very instructive and some of the main points are not that hard to grasp.

Kudos once again(well,it is actually some months ago since his last win a calssic round robin) to Magnus,but as well to Anish who seem to be on the right track again.More fair IMO it would be to have co winners,but the world like to see a sole one ):

Here it is kind of quit.Got a appointment at the doctor tommorrow to get another look at my eye.So fingers crossed.The eye is indeed a sensitive area.

Anything new about your bloodsamples ?

Take care "down there" in Dracula Country.

All the best from "up here" !

Gibraltar is over too and Aronian grabs it in the tie break, good for him! For the moment I haven't played much as the latest version of Playchess has a bug for me, I've exchanged a few emails with folks on Chessbase and they did try to help me but to no avail so far - and going back to the previous version of Playchess doesn't work. I mean, I can play all right, but for example I cannot see the chart for my (and others') rating. I'll see what can be done about that.

Looking forward for a quiet weekend and I wish you good luck at the doctor meeting. The bloodsamples were so-so but nothing to worry about I think, I'll see the doctor on Monday.

Listening to Dylan at You Tube,It aint Me,presented by someone called Elston Gun.Just marvelos.Blows me away everytime.

So you also saw Carlsens little masterpiece and played through it !? And guess you are right about -Rc6.After that it is lost.

And kudos to Aronian who also performed incredible well against his good friend MVL who unfortunately isn´t at the Candidates..

Are you ready for march where 7 toptuned chessbrains will chase Aronian !? Can his nerves stand the heat,or will he fade like he has done before ?

This was the short and reconstructed version,but I wish you a fine weekend.

And looking forward to see you up the road and I may tell that I got a time,this tuesday at the eye doctor,which is calming to know.

There was also in the first piece something about Rose,who used to be one of Dylans hangarounds.

Så vidt jeg ved,blev Erling aldrig stormester,selvom vi er mange der mener han absolut havde styrken.Små marginaler,tror jeg.Næsten ligesom i fodbold.

Been a while and I hope all is well at your place and perhaps you are looking forward to a fine weekend !?...

I hope to go and see JWH tomorrow,its been a while due to the irritated eye.But on Tuesday it was a fruitfull visit at the eyedoctor.She was gentle and respectfull and everything was fine and I should proceed as usual.And that a relief.So yesterday it was a big day,going to town for the first time in 3(ormmore ?) weeks,geting a haircut (a refugee from Libanon)and saying hello to KJ whos is doing fine.

So while the lady is asleep I´ll do the spring rolls in the oven and send you all my best wishes and hug to Maria as well ! (Had btw a nice chat for the first time,with the "other" Maria.Still a fine connection there)

p.s.:There is another post too you from around a week ago.

I'm glad you got rid of that eye problem and that you got to meet your friends. And we have Fischer random rapid chess lately in Norway, quite interesting following this format, and with the live heart rates of the players! Magnus managed to strike first last night after a blunder in time trouble by Hikaru, let's see in a few hours if the latter manages to take revenge.

Nothing much else at the horizon. I've composed another musical snipped to reach a total of 30, but still vaven't decided to (re)learn writing down notes, I will probably doing it soon though. Health is rather okayish, a stone has disappeared from the radar from my right kidney at a check this week and also the lood sample results were good for the thyroid gland (I still have to do a echograph to check the state of a thyroid nodule). No dizziness but quite a lot of headaches - which should be within the normal state of affairs.

Glad you also are thrillen by the event and I shall return and retune !

Now Hikaru sees himself having to fight this night for not being down 6 points for tomorrow last rapid day...what a show. And hats off to Bobby Fischer, his invention is really a mood changer with regards to quite a few aspects of the game - tactics flow earlier in the game because of totaly changed starting positions and the players really have to constantly adapt on the go and it's all so much...refreshing!

A fine describiton of the benefits of 960!
At least it covers my thoughts too.Certainly a breethe of fresh air... And these are words from a mna who hasn´t believed in it for a long time.But after all these berlins,antiberlins and the likes which are heavily (over?)ananlyzed,we need soemething, were the mind has to work from the word go.And it is also my impression the players like it,at least for a change.So does the audience in Norway,judged from the comments on norwegian television.So let us see what the future brings !?

Seems Naka misplayed the opening today.But interestingly enough: Stockfish went on a certain point from -9.5 to 0.00 !?!? (but sometimes it is fooling around,so perhaps it doesn´t mean anything).

Yes a tv series it was."Broen"/"The Bridge"(A danish/swedish co production).Do you have it in Romania ? It is like a good chessgame:When the bug is in the vain,you must go on to see how it ends ;)

Went to see JWH on saturday and it was first time after 4 weeks.A wonderfull thing to realize that the old boys still got it in them!

And you and your music !? Hope you will
find the best solution about using or not,the notes.I think I understand it can bee a tough choice.

< tactics flow earlier in the game because of totaly changed starting positions and the players really have to constantly adapt on the go and it's all so much...refreshing!>

Can not be put in a better way IMHO.

Time to hit the pillow,but we may talk tomorrow and see how The Carlsen-Naka story ends !?

Then good night and may you have the best of wind in your sails!

But how fine is Magnus ? Indeed it is very strange that he lost on time in THAT position !? And have not heard his explanation.In general he is more vocal after a win...;)

So it should make for an interesting finish from which I can only see the first half on norwegian tele,but will perhaps resort to the net when they go for the second half. Or it will be Champions Leaque,Juve-Tottenham ;)

Looking forward to kiss wify safe back home and in the meantime : Take care and enjoy the show tonight!

Yup, Magnus proved that he's king even in Chess 960. Do you think we'll get to live the day when he will be surpassed in classical rating? Just kidding. Of course he'll stay there forever ;)

Love it,as you know ;) hope you will make friends with the showel !?

Will send regards to my friends,thank you, and I am actuallly going to see KJ today(if the old body permits)as we have switched wednesday to thursday. Talking about snow.I just love to see the snowboarders at the Olympics.The whole atmosphere also occurs more friendly than usual.Do you watch the omlympics?

Carlsen certainly rules and as you indicate he may stay there "forever" ;) (That is a long time.Never been there). NoW we await the version 6.0 Carlsen-Nakamura : Bullit Blindfolded

Take care you too with hugs to your dear Maria as well.

In the mean time very little chess playing, but quite a lot of tactics solving on Playchess, still I don't seem to be able to go further than the 'club player' level there...

How about you? I hope you're fine. Haven't had any health issues lately. There is Aeroflot Open going on in Moskow, but I didn't find time so far to look it up. Not that I have much else to do, for now I'm planning to reread Kafka On The Shore by Murakami, an excellent novel.

How time runs.Or flies.

Every second day I wish you,as today, a good weekend. Got any specific plans?

Here I am waiting for wify to start her weekend while watching Aeroflot.But that is a lot of games to get a grip on :)....May be I am smart enough,to just watch the top boards.

Glad to hear that your health is fine!
Stay that way,s.v.p!
Here the stomach is better today,otherwise it has been a tough bandit.What a difference.

Outside,and in a way also inside,the sun is shining all clear and bright.As well as the cold weather is approaching. Good news :)

Hope you will reach the level in chess that you go for and as once said:if you need any inspiration,just let me know.

Was with KJ and PK(who I hadn´t seen for 2 months)on Tuesday,because Hannah and her old jazzdancer group were occupying our house:):Especially with PK it was one of our magic evenings were we grew kids again and the time almost stood still.Just what I needed.

So see you down and up the road.Take care my friend and say hello to Maria !

We're about to go to Nut Cracker opera in a couple of hours, and Sunday have celebrated at a restaurant near Iasi 30 years since Maria and me first met in a remote town, I was a trainee lawyer and she a trainee engineer, both faraway from our home towns, and we met...at a literary club :) How time flies...

Mild temperatures today and what a relief after such an unusual stretch of arctic/Siberian cold...

So all is well in this part of the world and I do hope it's the same at your place.

<<>Candidates Tournament 2018 begins Saturday, March 10th<>>

A little over 3 days to go!

Countdown to the Candidates Tourament 2018:

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdo... 37&msg=Candidates+Tournament+2018&font=cursive

♘Candidates♘Candidates Tournament 2018♗Candidates♗

https://worldchess.com/

This tournament will run from Mar. 10th thru Mar. 28th 2018. (14 Rounds - Double Round Robin)

Participants include: Aronian, Caruana, Ding Liren, Grischuk, Karjakin, Kramnik, Mamedyarov & So,

Average rating: 2786 (as of 2/18/18) - Category XXII

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*****

<<> Candidates Tournament 2018 <>>

Schedule -

Round 1 is Saturday March 10th & it starts @ 15:00hrs(3pm) Berlin time(9am chessgames time).

!!! Time changes will be occurring during the month of March both in Berlin, Germany(on March 25th) & in the United States(on March 11th) . Starting times will vary depending on the rounds. !!!

< 3 Prediction Contests: (Win virtual medals - Gold, Silver & Bronze) >

*** User: lostemperor (FINAL STANDINGS PREDICTIONS) - Predict the order the players will finish. Run & hosted by <lostemperor>. (3 categories to medal in) ***

**User: Golden Executive - (The Game Prediction Contest) - Predict the result 1-0, 1/2, or 0-1. Run & hosted by <Golden Executive>. (3 categories to medal in)

This year will be the 11th Anniversary for this contest! (from 2007 to 2018 - 11 years running)**

*User: OhioChessFan (Moves Prediction Contest) - Predict the result 1-0, 1/2, or 0-1 & the number of moves. (4 categories to medal in). This contest is run by <chessmoron> & hosted by <OhioChessFan>.*

*****
*****

Also, don't forget about <chessgames> ChessBookie game for this event. She can't wait to take some or all of your chessbucks. ;)

ChessBookie Game

Good to hear from you again.And hopefully you two had a romantic time were you first met ! So you also have march as you meeting month as Hannah and I !? We first met on an irish pub on St Patricks Day the 17th of March 1994.Went with a friend and we tried to figure out how he could get his last GM norm.Later I drifed around on my own and "sudenly" ran out of money.Something that never had occured to me.But a busdriver was very friendly and offered me beer without any obligations.So I stayed and the whole newly opened place was soon crowded with cheerfull ppeole of all kinds and nationalities.Hannah and friends also showed up.New sponsor for my beerdrinking ;).We exchanged numbers,saw each other a couple of times.But first after a trip to Crete 2 months later I phoned her an asked if I could stay for a couple of days, since my appartment was rented out.Off course I could ! And the days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months and here we are...still on a wonderfull journey :)

So the candidates are comming up and I feel inner joy like a child.Even if they gonna play tight and cautios it will most likely be a thriller which may last till the very last round.

If Aronian can handle all the outer pressure I think he will manage this time,otherwise Karjakin,and then it is a complete open field IMHO. Who do think have the best chances ?

So you completed to the next level ! Congrats,and I hope you are satisfied with the outcome,so far !?

Old body as good as it gets and winter
is presumeably on its last note.But great, that it dished out some of the real white stuff ;)

I should say hello from Hannah and may you do the same to Maria,s.v.p..

See you down or up the road.

All the best wishes.

Never been to Berlin, how about you?

Yes, we met on the evening of March 3, 1988, I was scheduled to read some poems at that literary club, and I think I was postponed or something, all I know is we two walking by the alley on our way back home - we lived in the same neighbourhood. There were the last years of Ceausescu and everything was bleak, but we were happy.

What a start for the candidates !
All horses out from the gates in a hurry.With a lot of action,just as I thought it would be a quiet and tight start ;) So now the script has dramatically changed and the rest of thr tournament may get effected.Not bad for us as fans and spectators ! Talking about....there is a channel were Seirawan and Eric Hansen are commenting,if you would like:www.chessbrah.tv/stream(dont know if you have to write "stream" and dont know how to post it with blue letters,but here we go ! Hope you have enjoyed the show today and perhaps see you tomorrow !?

All is well here and bedtime is just around the corner.