To be a fan of both Fabiano, and Nepo, made the last round incredibly exciting. Draw was an absolutely heartbreaking result for both, but as a fan, this was the best tournament I've ever seen. Thank you for your efforts
@@notsoeloquentcrazy how literally 70% of the games are draws in every tournament. Also, have you ever seen a Nepo game? He plays very exciting chess, maybe not like Firouzja does for example but no one plays as creative/aggressive as Firouzja or Rapport or Dubov you know.
@@gus8696please don’t compare Nepo with Dubov, Rapport and Alireza. Nepo in every other tournament except Candidates plays conventional chess (not dull). The reason is when you 2750+ people expect you to be inventive. Players like Nodirbek or Parham or Keymer or Vidit (recently) have gained audience because they play different lines. Offcourse no one can be as crazy as Alireza, Rapport or Dubov in a good way but still.
Fabi and Christian completely won me over, starting with the Champions Tour in Toronto not long ago. I've been a huge fan ever since and the constant good naturedness of both players, as wellas their openness has been really enjoyable. What a heartbreaking draw but Nepo deserves an incrdible amount of respect for his poise and resiliance.
@@michaelmassaro4375 I think he will go for the wc next time untill he gets it or gets too old. He is always working hard and gukesh might win against ding and then caruana defently wants revenge. Mby he dont see it that way but he still would want to be WC and gukesh is one of his rivals just as everyone else. Only Magnus says he has no rivals and its almost true
Hi Fabi, I just wanted to say you were the reason I got into chess. More than the magic you have produced on the board, it was the way you conducted yourself outside those 64 squares that resonated with me deeply. The manner in which you handle pressure and disappointment with the same poise and respect you would show in a victory is inspiring. I hope you continue to inspire and raise the bar for what it takes to be a professional , and hope you bounce back stronger at the next candidates, rooting for you all the way! Cheers from India
Thanks for opening up! I m always rooting for both, Fabi and Nepo (and I really enjoyed watching the last game!!)... Thanks Fabi for staying a legend and wish you a quick recovery!!
Imagine when Fabiano and Nepo realize it’s a draw they start making blunders on purpose like “You deserve it more than me”. Could be an Oscar winning drama
Fabi - you are a gem of the chess world. Exceptionally balanced in your analysis and conclusions coming from such deep care. You are a great player, will be a great administrator, coach and absolutely wonderful human being.
The discussion about closed vs open tournaments is very interesting. I agree with Fabi that people mostly use this as un excuse to justify poor performance or criticize players they don't like. That being said, the Elo system only gives meaningful ratings if there is a single pool of players. If there are multiple pools, as in if there are a top x number of players who only play each other and never play anyone else, then their ratings demonstrate their strength relative to each other and not the general population. An extreme example of this was Claude Bloodgood, who achieved an extremely high rating by organizing his own closed pool of participants.
Agreed. Also to do differential analysis, the FIDE circuit qualification is one spot. So, instead of lets say the fourth place from a world cup qualifying, you have this. A player performing consistently well in Open tournaments qualifies. Nothing changes.
He is very articulate I think his goal is to be World Champion and Best player in world otherwise he’d probably make a great career as a You Tuber with his own program
@@michaelmassaro4375I feel Fabi is probably the only person who if he became world champion it could be argued that it could have happened even if Magnus was still around if Fabi was playing his best
Such a cool conversation. It feels like this would be hard to talk about but hopefully it can be cathartic for you. Thank you for doing this for chess fans, the insight is incredible
still so sad for Fabi, you can tell how much it means to him and he is such an exciting player to watch. I hope he comes back to win in 2 years time. Many thanks for the insights too, amazing to listen to
Even though I was pleased to see Gukesh win, it was bittersweet because of Fabi's loss. It is very easy to root for Fabi as he seems to be a true gentleman of the game and conducts himself well all while being incredibly strong. Hope to see you in the next match.
@@notyourbusiness4011the only thing I found that too on reddit was a Twitter dm screenshot that looks like a girl has sent to another girl. Only there is sth concrete we should not accuse. I learnt that from many cases that happened in my country and one happened with a very famous cricketer by his wife and in another highlighted case an innocent yojng boy had to spend 4 yrs fighting his case whereas even after case was proved to be false girl escaped easily by moving to Canada. There are many other such cases
Him and hikarus clocks are ticking. The youngsters are only getting stronger as the veterans have already peaked. Their chances are dwindling. Hikarus best opportunity was this year. Fabi still has a chance. But if these guys are getting schooled by guys half their age, the odds only get tougher.
@@Wargasm54 They aren't getting schooled tho. This was incredibly close and there are so many incredibly different ways this turns out. There really isn't a chess playter that is dominating. Gukesh played the best but it's hard to call him head and shoulders above everyone
Hi Fabi, I was never the biggest chess fan in the world, but do like to keep up with what is going on in the big tournaments - particularly the world championship. Doing so in 2021 and listening to your commentary is what made me take a greater interest in the game and your career in particular. Irrespective of what you achieve going forward in the game (and I believe the sky is still your limit), I just want to say that the way you carry yourself is inspirational. You always present as a calm, approachable and consummate professional, and I find myself thinking of things I have heard from you through my day to day. Since becoming a fan of yours, I have befallen some hard times in my life, but looking at the example and attitude set by you (and Alexander Volkanovski) in the face of hardship has helped me process my difficulties and move forward in a productive way every time. Thank you so much Fabiano, you are a great man
I discovered I was rooting for Fabiano by the end of the tourney. I had no clear favorite, but I was gutted at the end. Come back stronger than ever, Fabi!
I found the candidates incredibly exciting. Everyone was taking chances rather than lifeless draws. I am very happy for Gukesh but also really felt for Fabi and Ian, as some part of me wanted them to be at the top. I completely agree with Fabi's arguments regarding the rating points, as rating should be evaluated on the difference in the strength of players you play rather than the amount of open tournaments you win.
Was a tough tourney for fabi, yet he was still competing for the spot at the end. Just too many missed opportunities left on the table. Had a feeling it would end up a battle between Nepo and gukesh in the end. Gukesh really was the best player at the event this time around. Solid play in every round. He definitely deserves to face ding!
Fabi fan here, speaking from a ton of respect... but, I would like to see you guys discussing in depth what Fabi can do to improve his game even more. Is it just a matter of "luck" to win the candidates again?
First, Congratulations for a very good performance in candidates. Now, "THE JOURNEY CONTINUES". And second, I agree with Fabiano....... Candidates should be selected from rating list, with 6 months/1year avg rating being considered and minimum 50 games or so. The tournaments should be registered with Fide before 3 months of being organised, to avoid players organising last moment tournament. if they do so then the rating gains in that particular tournament should not be considered while considering candidates selection.
Please Fabi keep believing and working You deserve to be World Champion Okey didn t work this time, but you were the best player by far this last year and I m pretty sure wether it's Gukesh or Ding, if you make it to the match, you will eventually do it You deserve it man we ll keep cheering for you
Good interview. Can't wait for the World Championship match. Hope to see Ding at his best, but to be realistic, he will likely continue his current trend, and consequently, we will see a new world champion in Gukesh!
Really interesting to hear Fabi's views here. One thing though that I'm increasingly finding hard to understand is the concept that if it went to tie-breaks then Fabi or Nepo would be "favourites". Only in the sense of Elo rating though, which was built up in the past. The fact is though, at the point of tie-breaks we've just had 14 rounds between the eight candidates. Unless you've been comprehensively beaten by your tie-break opponent, within those 14 rounds, there is no favourite.
One way to understand what Ding is going thru right now or his psyche is reading about Tyson Fury and watching his interviews after his comeback. After becoming a heavy weight champion, which he was working all his life to achieve, he was completely lost, to the point he was suicidal, he lost purpose. He needed some sort of intervention and new goals to reach, and started getting back in shape. But he was mentally in a very dark space. I'm not saying Ding is also going thru something exactly like this. But once a life long goal or something extra ordinary happens, for which people work all their life, they suddenly lose purpose or motivation. I hope Ding rebounds also. Wish him the best. Keeping this in mind, I watched some Gukesh's interview, after winning the candidates, and he stated his goal as becoming the best chess player in the world, not winning the upcoming chess champion ship match. ala Magnus' 2900 goal. IMO with magnus and other rising youngsters on the scene, his goal is still a monumental task for Gukesh and will still be motivated with some purpose no matter what. So a great mindset and coaching on his team's part. Good luck to him too.
I've not played a game since watching the final round as I still feel sick for you Fabi. I came second three times in a row (twice by a single shot) in my golf club championship, but I won it on the fourth try. You can do it!!!
Thanks folks. Especially Fabi . This must've been tough to do. As everything is when we don't achieve our goals. Nothing to say really. Except thanks , again.
Fabi, don't be so hard on yourself. Yes you had a winning position, and it's disappointing to be sure but it was super complex, not 'a lay up' in basketball or 'open goal' that you failed to convert. GM's Naroditzky and Hess did not see the three move fork tactic Q E2 during the simulcast. Neither did other highly rated commentators. And it took quite a while for Nepo to find it during the FIDE post game press conference. Very complex position. Thanks for your class. You're a credit to the game and bring so much dignity and humility and emotional transparency.
The elo argument goes like this: It's not that the top players won't do well in open tournaments (because yes, they can, elo is fair), but that relatively declining players are going to contain their losses by playing fewer games, and playing them only against strong opposition. Be really drawish in the grand chess tour,, and you can be active and stay relatlively fine. Enough to be a top 5 player by rating? Unlikely. But in the same bad shape, in an open tournament, one gets eaten alive. Is this an issue when we are looking at just the top 4-5 players by rating? No, because it's really hard to hide that far up if you remain active. But look at, say, the current, well out of shape Ding Liren, losing rating in every tournament. Open tournaments would send him to his actual playing shape much faster than just playing top players. All of this goes away if players got to play a lot more anyway: Imagine a world where in any calendar year everyone gets to play 150 games of classical: Enough pulls from the lever, and the math is inescapable. But there are so many today that are active enough to count and don't hit 40 classical games a year. With so few actual samples, the statistics that underpin elo become far less reliable, and yes, you are better off not playing people that are probably 200 points underrated, while you are 50 points overrated
In addition, playing style also matter. So, Giri type will lose points in open. Gukesh/AF would gain points. MC will also lose but that's cause he is too high and any draw will hit badly. Fabi will most likely lose elo due to his style and his high ratings.
Here also the probabilities (chances) of the key players moving on to tiebreaks (or winning straight), after rounds: after round: 10 11 12 13 Ian 37.28% 58.03% 40.74% 22.22% Hikaru 19.36% 31.81% 43.21% 33.33% Fabiano 19.60% 12.18% 14.40% 22.22% Gukesh 36.11% 27.87% 40.74% 66.67%
The only difference between Ding and Gukesh is that, we know where Ding's ceiling lies but Gukesh is in price discovery mode. We don't know where Gukesh's ceiling lies.
Glad to see you Fabi! Understandable, but I was worried because I've never seen Fabi so dejected as during the round 14 press conference. Go get them in Norway!
Ever since watching that late finish between Fabi and Ian I've been waiting for this candidates recap, can't wait to hear what you guys think. It's too bad I couldn't go see Fabi since I live in Toronto but hopefully some time in the future! Hope you enjoyed the city :)
I find this interesting, I will also do a podcast on every one of my classmates’s performance in the final exam and discuss them as the second best student 😂
Can someone please explain that Ding's chances in 2018 part. Fabi said Shakhriyar was trailing him by half point. So if Fabi loses and he wins, doesn't he win the entire thing automatically?! Even if Ding wins, Fabi and Ding both are gonna trail Shakhriyar by half a point, right?!
No matter what happens you are one of the greatest players of all time and you seem to be an excellent sportsperson to boot -- a fact not a lot of the chess players may boast off. I wish nothing but more success for you.
Ding was not near his top form in the match against Nepo the last time and still pulled through. I do believe that Ding is gonna defend his tittle against Gukesh convincingly.
Ding has a non-intuitive, purely calculative style. Even in the tiebreaks and his first two white wins, he simply outcalculated Ian's intuition. But you need stable psychology for that. Gukesh's style is similar and his psych looks insane rn.
@@Ancz7 Ding over calculates everyone, even MC, when he's in top form. However his style is extremely dynamic and creative unlike Fabi/So/Giri etc. Sadly, he has some emotional issues so we might never see the old Ding again.
@@Ancz7 All I am saying is that Ding can not have a worse time than the last match and if he won that that, baring the possibility of no even showing up for the match , he would have his chances against Gukesh.
Just give them time increments. There is healthy drama in classical chess that is very entertaining, coming from knowing what the best move is, but having to wait 10 minutes to see if he saw it too. The rushed moves in time troubles, especially at that crucial point around moves 30-40... It's embarasing that FIDE forces them to go through that. Start with 25 minutes; add 2.5 minutes per move - that's 2h5m after move 40. What do you guys think?
Compelling, yet painful viewing. But as Fabi says, that is the nature of the beast, otherwise the game would be boring. Hopefully, he'll be at the next World Championships.
I am an old guy now but always enjoyed Karpov (the player not the person) and I feel Fabi is the modern-day Karpov. A wonderful player who brings enormous pleasure to the Community.
Typically, becoming a champion raises a person's self-belief and performance levels. I.e., Leon Edwards was ready to quit against Kamaru Usman, so his corner had to drag him to the 5th round. But after the flash KO win, his confidence went up. So no matter how a person performed prior to becoming a champion, winning a title raises their game to the next level. In Ding's case, it's the exact opposite. His already unstable mental state deteriorated even further, to the point the pundits are speculating him not even showing up for the WCC. He is mentally weaker than Gukesh at 17, which is astounding for a person who should've been sharpened by the years of competing at a top 5 in the world level. In this WCC, it's likely Gukesh will be showing veteran poise, and Ding will be hiding from the spotlight any chance he gets. I mean, he's already incorporating brief meditation to center himself emotionally and mentally prior to the start of a game, which shows incredible self-awareness and capacity to control inner turmoil. Everyone clings to Ding's peak form in 2020-2021, but he's barely been active since and publicly expressed numerous times that he wants to quit chess, how he can't handle the pressure and expectations that come with being a WCC, etc. He had been looking for a way out since the last Candidates, but fate had other plans. He is currently ranked 7th in the world, and that sounds about right, as he's still capable of playing great chess but far too shattered mentally to fight the hungry lions. Caruana had more tragic defeats and shortcomings, and yet he's got more fight left in him to chase his chess dreams.
It's already been more than half a decade, and I have always been rooting for you in every game and every tournament you play Fabi.
@@Fabiispedo wtf r u saying
❤❤❤
To be a fan of both Fabiano, and Nepo, made the last round incredibly exciting. Draw was an absolutely heartbreaking result for both, but as a fan, this was the best tournament I've ever seen. Thank you for your efforts
I don't know what being a fan of Nepo means, he plays uninspiring chess and most likeliest outcome of his games is a draw.
@@notsoeloquentWait until you learn that the most likely outcome for any 2700+ player is BY FAR a draw 😱😨
@@notsoeloquent except for the last two candidates where he won the most games of anyone.
@@notsoeloquentcrazy how literally 70% of the games are draws in every tournament. Also, have you ever seen a Nepo game? He plays very exciting chess, maybe not like Firouzja does for example but no one plays as creative/aggressive as Firouzja or Rapport or Dubov you know.
@@gus8696please don’t compare Nepo with Dubov, Rapport and Alireza. Nepo in every other tournament except Candidates plays conventional chess (not dull). The reason is when you 2750+ people expect you to be inventive. Players like Nodirbek or Parham or Keymer or Vidit (recently) have gained audience because they play different lines. Offcourse no one can be as crazy as Alireza, Rapport or Dubov in a good way but still.
Fabi is so smart and thoughtful .. it is amazing to hear him talk
He is a thoughtful speaker articulate
We love you Fabi! You’ll be back
He will never be back. A champion is always learning. He learns neither from his failure nor from his success.
@@rathinaveluthiruvenkatam6203Calm down dude ! you’re being so rude
@@rathinaveluthiruvenkatam6203your statement is kind of like an oxymoron a paradox of sorts
Fabi and Christian completely won me over, starting with the Champions Tour in Toronto not long ago. I've been a huge fan ever since and the constant good naturedness of both players, as wellas their openness has been really enjoyable. What a heartbreaking draw but Nepo deserves an incrdible amount of respect for his poise and resiliance.
Fabi has the most soothing manner and voice. He should be my psychologist.
He needs a psychologist.
He is to busy making good moves and planning revenge on gukesh.
Too bad
@@christofferore6285I doubt he even looks at the situation like that for him it’s probably ok what comes next and take it from there
@@michaelmassaro4375 I think he will go for the wc next time untill he gets it or gets too old. He is always working hard and gukesh might win against ding and then caruana defently wants revenge. Mby he dont see it that way but he still would want to be WC and gukesh is one of his rivals just as everyone else. Only Magnus says he has no rivals and its almost true
Cristian Chirila is such a great coach, shows compassion and empathize with his trainee
Thanks, Fabi, I imagine it is tough to go thorugh this again, but we your fans sure appreciate it
Hi Fabi, I just wanted to say you were the reason I got into chess. More than the magic you have produced on the board, it was the way you conducted yourself outside those 64 squares that resonated with me deeply. The manner in which you handle pressure and disappointment with the same poise and respect you would show in a victory is inspiring. I hope you continue to inspire and raise the bar for what it takes to be a professional , and hope you bounce back stronger at the next candidates, rooting for you all the way! Cheers from India
Same here
Thanks for opening up! I m always rooting for both, Fabi and Nepo (and I really enjoyed watching the last game!!)... Thanks Fabi for staying a legend and wish you a quick recovery!!
01:24:54 Arjun is my guy 😅🤍, in their old podcast videos about Indian prodigies, he ranked Arjun top of the list and he still is his fav.
Must’ve been tough watching Nordibek win the Tepe Sigeman tournament
I was waiting for this episode 👏
Thank y'all for this, I've been a fan for quite a while and deeply appreciate everything you guys do.
Imagine when Fabiano and Nepo realize it’s a draw they start making blunders on purpose like “You deserve it more than me”. Could be an Oscar winning drama
Fabi - you are a gem of the chess world. Exceptionally balanced in your analysis and conclusions coming from such deep care. You are a great player, will be a great administrator, coach and absolutely wonderful human being.
Amazing episode, guys! My heart broke for Fabi in the last game. Lots of love and support!
The discussion about closed vs open tournaments is very interesting. I agree with Fabi that people mostly use this as un excuse to justify poor performance or criticize players they don't like. That being said, the Elo system only gives meaningful ratings if there is a single pool of players. If there are multiple pools, as in if there are a top x number of players who only play each other and never play anyone else, then their ratings demonstrate their strength relative to each other and not the general population. An extreme example of this was Claude Bloodgood, who achieved an extremely high rating by organizing his own closed pool of participants.
Agreed. Also to do differential analysis, the FIDE circuit qualification is one spot. So, instead of lets say the fourth place from a world cup qualifying, you have this. A player performing consistently well in Open tournaments qualifies. Nothing changes.
Is Bloodgood the guy who got to like 26 or 2700 in prison?
Fabi is my fave super GM. He seems like the most calm super GM and explains things very well
He is very articulate I think his goal is to be World Champion and Best player in world otherwise he’d probably make a great career as a You Tuber with his own program
@@michaelmassaro4375I feel Fabi is probably the only person who if he became world champion it could be argued that it could have happened even if Magnus was still around if Fabi was playing his best
Such a cool conversation. It feels like this would be hard to talk about but hopefully it can be cathartic for you. Thank you for doing this for chess fans, the insight is incredible
still so sad for Fabi, you can tell how much it means to him and he is such an exciting player to watch. I hope he comes back to win in 2 years time. Many thanks for the insights too, amazing to listen to
Thanks for the pod, Cristian and Fabi!
Fabi is the most interessting sportsman to listen, period. It is almost spiritual...
Even though I was pleased to see Gukesh win, it was bittersweet because of Fabi's loss. It is very easy to root for Fabi as he seems to be a true gentleman of the game and conducts himself well all while being incredibly strong. Hope to see you in the next match.
Huh? @@notyourbusiness4011
@@notyourbusiness4011 what are u saying ?
@@notyourbusiness4011how do you know that?
@@notyourbusiness4011 fabi dated 17 yr old ??
How you know that
17 yr still fine though she isn't 14 so it's fine 😂😂
@@notyourbusiness4011the only thing I found that too on reddit was a Twitter dm screenshot that looks like a girl has sent to another girl. Only there is sth concrete we should not accuse. I learnt that from many cases that happened in my country and one happened with a very famous cricketer by his wife and in another highlighted case an innocent yojng boy had to spend 4 yrs fighting his case whereas even after case was proved to be false girl escaped easily by moving to Canada. There are many other such cases
Alireza 's style reminds me of Vassily Ivanchuk, with the same brilliance and with the same unexplicable crashes.
💯 definitely he is next Ivan Chuck.
@@Rareme530 Chucky was passionate tho . Loved and worked hard on chess. ALireza look like he doesn't care and its a side job or a hobby for him.
@sushinfudoshin8991 for me alireza looked like topalov .. both of them have lots of fighting spirit.
@@rambo2667I’m sure he’s put work in to be as good as he is didn’t have a good candidates but he’s young yet and has already accomplished a lot
I like about your guys that you don’t rush making content right after. Giving yourself time to reflect or to rest
Was awaiting this episode for quite some time. Fascinating thoughts from Fabi!
❤ Fabi! My heart broke for you with the outcome of the last game, and I know it's little consolation, but what an amazing game to watch!
😢
great insights! really appreciate this!
Great summary, straight forward to the points, thank you masters!
Whenever Fabi speaks only gold comes out from his mouth. Fabi will be an excellent coach
Thank you both, Fabi and Cristian, for such an amazing podcast, as usual!!
The whole chess world is rooting for you get them next candidates
Him and hikarus clocks are ticking. The youngsters are only getting stronger as the veterans have already peaked. Their chances are dwindling. Hikarus best opportunity was this year. Fabi still has a chance. But if these guys are getting schooled by guys half their age, the odds only get tougher.
@@Wargasm54 They aren't getting schooled tho. This was incredibly close and there are so many incredibly different ways this turns out. There really isn't a chess playter that is dominating. Gukesh played the best but it's hard to call him head and shoulders above everyone
@@luciddoggo5094 Gukesh schooled them with his composure.
Was waiting for this, I'm your big fan from norway fabi
Hi Fabi, I was never the biggest chess fan in the world, but do like to keep up with what is going on in the big tournaments - particularly the world championship. Doing so in 2021 and listening to your commentary is what made me take a greater interest in the game and your career in particular.
Irrespective of what you achieve going forward in the game (and I believe the sky is still your limit), I just want to say that the way you carry yourself is inspirational. You always present as a calm, approachable and consummate professional, and I find myself thinking of things I have heard from you through my day to day.
Since becoming a fan of yours, I have befallen some hard times in my life, but looking at the example and attitude set by you (and Alexander Volkanovski) in the face of hardship has helped me process my difficulties and move forward in a productive way every time. Thank you so much Fabiano, you are a great man
I discovered I was rooting for Fabiano by the end of the tourney. I had no clear favorite, but I was gutted at the end. Come back stronger than ever, Fabi!
Fabi is unarguably one of the best to every play the game but to top that has the best attitude in spite being the player he is.
I have rooted for fabi against carlsen in 2018 and would like to see fabi world champion
I found the candidates incredibly exciting. Everyone was taking chances rather than lifeless draws. I am very happy for Gukesh but also really felt for Fabi and Ian, as some part of me wanted them to be at the top. I completely agree with Fabi's arguments regarding the rating points, as rating should be evaluated on the difference in the strength of players you play rather than the amount of open tournaments you win.
Was a tough tourney for fabi, yet he was still competing for the spot at the end. Just too many missed opportunities left on the table. Had a feeling it would end up a battle between Nepo and gukesh in the end.
Gukesh really was the best player at the event this time around. Solid play in every round. He definitely deserves to face ding!
He didn’t beat anyone in the top 4
@@spcarroll85 Cry more.
@@spcarroll85they didn't beat him either 😂 🤡 👍
Ding could play to force tiebreaks because I think he is a bigger favorite in Rapid and even bigger in blitz
Magnus and Vishy were pretty conservative in their defences. ig Gukesh and Ding are too agressive for tiebreaks.
Fabi fan here, speaking from a ton of respect... but, I would like to see you guys discussing in depth what Fabi can do to improve his game even more. Is it just a matter of "luck" to win the candidates again?
Vidit starts at 44:30
no timestamp for him yet
First, Congratulations for a very good performance in candidates.
Now, "THE JOURNEY CONTINUES".
And second,
I agree with Fabiano.......
Candidates should be selected from rating list, with 6 months/1year avg rating being considered and minimum 50 games or so.
The tournaments should be registered with Fide before 3 months of being organised, to avoid players organising last moment tournament.
if they do so then the rating gains in that particular tournament should not be considered while considering candidates selection.
Please Fabi keep believing and working
You deserve to be World Champion
Okey didn t work this time, but you were the best player by far this last year and I m pretty sure wether it's Gukesh or Ding, if you make it to the match, you will eventually do it
You deserve it man we ll keep cheering for you
I’m glad they touched on Erigaisi and Abusotarov in this podcast
Time?
Great video. Thanks to both
Good interview. Can't wait for the World Championship match. Hope to see Ding at his best, but to be realistic, he will likely continue his current trend, and consequently, we will see a new world champion in Gukesh!
still rooting for fabi to get the #1 rating spot soon
Fabi will be among one of the best in future for sure
Good one. Good luck for future tournaments Fabi 👍.
Really interesting to hear Fabi's views here. One thing though that I'm increasingly finding hard to understand is the concept that if it went to tie-breaks then Fabi or Nepo would be "favourites". Only in the sense of Elo rating though, which was built up in the past. The fact is though, at the point of tie-breaks we've just had 14 rounds between the eight candidates. Unless you've been comprehensively beaten by your tie-break opponent, within those 14 rounds, there is no favourite.
One way to understand what Ding is going thru right now or his psyche is reading about Tyson Fury and watching his interviews after his comeback. After becoming a heavy weight champion, which he was working all his life to achieve, he was completely lost, to the point he was suicidal, he lost purpose. He needed some sort of intervention and new goals to reach, and started getting back in shape. But he was mentally in a very dark space.
I'm not saying Ding is also going thru something exactly like this. But once a life long goal or something extra ordinary happens, for which people work all their life, they suddenly lose purpose or motivation. I hope Ding rebounds also. Wish him the best.
Keeping this in mind, I watched some Gukesh's interview, after winning the candidates, and he stated his goal as becoming the best chess player in the world, not winning the upcoming chess champion ship match. ala Magnus' 2900 goal. IMO with magnus and other rising youngsters on the scene, his goal is still a monumental task for Gukesh and will still be motivated with some purpose no matter what. So a great mindset and coaching on his team's part. Good luck to him too.
This is one of the best podcasts
I can listen to fabi 24x7 ❤❤
I really enjoyed watching the candidates tournament. Thank you for providing this fascinating insight and for being so generous with your time.
Love this guy
Aww he still looks sad about it. Hope you can pick yourself up soon, no doubt you’ll be back at the next candidates!
I like watching your games. Keep fighting Fabi. You are an inspiration to many.
Hello. Do you plan to deliver merch to Kazakhstan in the future?
I've not played a game since watching the final round as I still feel sick for you Fabi. I came second three times in a row (twice by a single shot) in my golf club championship, but I won it on the fourth try. You can do it!!!
Was never as close to Fabi's face as at 23:50...
Thanks folks. Especially Fabi . This must've been tough to do. As everything is when we don't achieve our goals. Nothing to say really. Except thanks , again.
Fabi, don't be so hard on yourself. Yes you had a winning position, and it's disappointing to be sure but it was super complex, not 'a lay up' in basketball or 'open goal' that you failed to convert. GM's Naroditzky and Hess did not see the three move fork tactic Q E2 during the simulcast. Neither did other highly rated commentators. And it took quite a while for Nepo to find it during the FIDE post game press conference. Very complex position. Thanks for your class. You're a credit to the game and bring so much dignity and humility and emotional transparency.
thank you for all the inserts of the boards/positions. This helps so much!
Keep it up guys. Best chess podcast/objective news source when it comes to chess. Aim for atleast 1 episode per week.
The elo argument goes like this: It's not that the top players won't do well in open tournaments (because yes, they can, elo is fair), but that relatively declining players are going to contain their losses by playing fewer games, and playing them only against strong opposition. Be really drawish in the grand chess tour,, and you can be active and stay relatlively fine. Enough to be a top 5 player by rating? Unlikely. But in the same bad shape, in an open tournament, one gets eaten alive.
Is this an issue when we are looking at just the top 4-5 players by rating? No, because it's really hard to hide that far up if you remain active. But look at, say, the current, well out of shape Ding Liren, losing rating in every tournament. Open tournaments would send him to his actual playing shape much faster than just playing top players.
All of this goes away if players got to play a lot more anyway: Imagine a world where in any calendar year everyone gets to play 150 games of classical: Enough pulls from the lever, and the math is inescapable. But there are so many today that are active enough to count and don't hit 40 classical games a year. With so few actual samples, the statistics that underpin elo become far less reliable, and yes, you are better off not playing people that are probably 200 points underrated, while you are 50 points overrated
In addition, playing style also matter.
So, Giri type will lose points in open.
Gukesh/AF would gain points.
MC will also lose but that's cause he is too high and any draw will hit badly.
Fabi will most likely lose elo due to his style and his high ratings.
you're a boss Fabi. chin up, you'll get it next time :)
Here also the probabilities (chances) of the key players moving on to tiebreaks (or winning straight), after rounds:
after round: 10 11 12 13
Ian 37.28% 58.03% 40.74% 22.22%
Hikaru 19.36% 31.81% 43.21% 33.33%
Fabiano 19.60% 12.18% 14.40% 22.22%
Gukesh 36.11% 27.87% 40.74% 66.67%
You forgot to add Vidit in your timestamp. You talk about him at 44:34
The only difference between Ding and Gukesh is that, we know where Ding's ceiling lies but Gukesh is in price discovery mode. We don't know where Gukesh's ceiling lies.
Wake up babe, a new C-squared pod just dropped
Excellent content
Love you guys! Thanks for the amazing two hours!
Fabi is still crushed. Didn't look very happy doing this episode.
That "my fault" will always hit hard ❤👍
You the GOAT Fabi.
Glad to see you Fabi! Understandable, but I was worried because I've never seen Fabi so dejected as during the round 14 press conference. Go get them in Norway!
I just remembered it again😫
I’m a big fan of yours now, but I used to root against you because you played the Petrov
Fabi thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings. Such great content
Ever since watching that late finish between Fabi and Ian I've been waiting for this candidates recap, can't wait to hear what you guys think. It's too bad I couldn't go see Fabi since I live in Toronto but hopefully some time in the future! Hope you enjoyed the city :)
Love you fabi ❤
-I am sorry...
-My fault...
The history of my love life in a nutshell.
I find this interesting, I will also do a podcast on every one of my classmates’s performance in the final exam and discuss them as the second best student 😂
Can someone please explain that Ding's chances in 2018 part. Fabi said Shakhriyar was trailing him by half point. So if Fabi loses and he wins, doesn't he win the entire thing automatically?! Even if Ding wins, Fabi and Ding both are gonna trail Shakhriyar by half a point, right?!
Fabi shod really watch the newest video about what happened at the last round of candidates that hikaru reacted.
No matter what happens you are one of the greatest players of all time and you seem to be an excellent sportsperson to boot -- a fact not a lot of the chess players may boast off. I wish nothing but more success for you.
Ding was not near his top form in the match against Nepo the last time and still pulled through. I do believe that Ding is gonna defend his tittle against Gukesh convincingly.
I agree.
Gukesh couldn't win against Nepo/Fabi/Naka.
Ding has a non-intuitive, purely calculative style. Even in the tiebreaks and his first two white wins, he simply outcalculated Ian's intuition. But you need stable psychology for that. Gukesh's style is similar and his psych looks insane rn.
@@Ancz7 Ding over calculates everyone, even MC, when he's in top form.
However his style is extremely dynamic and creative unlike Fabi/So/Giri etc.
Sadly, he has some emotional issues so we might never see the old Ding again.
@@Ancz7 All I am saying is that Ding can not have a worse time than the last match and if he won that that, baring the possibility of no even showing up for the match , he would have his chances against Gukesh.
Just give them time increments. There is healthy drama in classical chess that is very entertaining, coming from knowing what the best move is, but having to wait 10 minutes to see if he saw it too.
The rushed moves in time troubles, especially at that crucial point around moves 30-40... It's embarasing that FIDE forces them to go through that.
Start with 25 minutes; add 2.5 minutes per move - that's 2h5m after move 40. What do you guys think?
I still feel Fabi Takes opponents on their Reput , that’s why he feels he could have beaten Gukesh Easiely……❤❤❤
Damn. Fabi is so humble and honest😮. Love this guy🎉
Thank you for sharing with us Fabi, much love.
Tottenham get battered everywhere they go.... Everywhere they go 😂
Compelling, yet painful viewing. But as Fabi says, that is the nature of the beast, otherwise the game would be boring. Hopefully, he'll be at the next World Championships.
Last game with fabi and Nepo i felt so bad inside...
Legend
GO Fabi !! I was rooting for you. There's always tomorrow my friend.
Min 58:00 : "Jan has bitten him" WHO DID JAN BITE !?!?!??
I am an old guy now but always enjoyed Karpov (the player not the person) and I feel Fabi is the modern-day Karpov. A wonderful player who brings enormous pleasure to the Community.
Looking forward to the next gossip based episode for dealing with the reaction to Hikaru's gambling streams
or fabi's dating life lol how he's beating those allegations I don't know
Typically, becoming a champion raises a person's self-belief and performance levels. I.e., Leon Edwards was ready to quit against Kamaru Usman, so his corner had to drag him to the 5th round. But after the flash KO win, his confidence went up. So no matter how a person performed prior to becoming a champion, winning a title raises their game to the next level.
In Ding's case, it's the exact opposite. His already unstable mental state deteriorated even further, to the point the pundits are speculating him not even showing up for the WCC. He is mentally weaker than Gukesh at 17, which is astounding for a person who should've been sharpened by the years of competing at a top 5 in the world level. In this WCC, it's likely Gukesh will be showing veteran poise, and Ding will be hiding from the spotlight any chance he gets. I mean, he's already incorporating brief meditation to center himself emotionally and mentally prior to the start of a game, which shows incredible self-awareness and capacity to control inner turmoil.
Everyone clings to Ding's peak form in 2020-2021, but he's barely been active since and publicly expressed numerous times that he wants to quit chess, how he can't handle the pressure and expectations that come with being a WCC, etc. He had been looking for a way out since the last Candidates, but fate had other plans. He is currently ranked 7th in the world, and that sounds about right, as he's still capable of playing great chess but far too shattered mentally to fight the hungry lions. Caruana had more tragic defeats and shortcomings, and yet he's got more fight left in him to chase his chess dreams.