Oh man, getting sick (even just a cold) after missing out on 2 years worth of immunities really sucks. I lost my voice for over a week earlier this year. I hope you have a speedy recovery. We're here for you when you're ready, but make sure to take care of yourself first!
2 years ago (edited)
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Hi John, hope you are feeling better, just wanted to say that I’m attending my first OTB tournament this weekend and your 1. d4 course on Chessable has been super helpful in getting me prepared. Thanks for all you do!
2 years ago
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If Nepo loses a game in the first half, there’s a good chance that he’ll collapse like he did in 2021, but otherwise, I agree that Nepo is the solid favorite. On the other hand, Ding won’t be able to put the kind of pressure on Nepo that Magnus did, so perhaps just one victory won’t be enough. Ding May surprise us though, it’s a toss up
2 years ago
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I kind of feel sorry for Nepo and Liren. Whoever wins, they didn't actually beat the current champion and a lot of people will think they don't really deserve the title because of that. Even though the rating gap is so small that either of them would've stood a chance against Carlsen. If I did the math right using their current Elo, it's 59/41 for a theoretical Carlsen vs Nepo match. I also feel sorry for Hikaru. He was so close
2 years ago
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Well well well, your screaming, over the top Chess content finally catches up with you…. ;)
2 years ago
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John Bartholomew
Hope everyone is having a great start to their week! My voice has been pretty rough lately, so I'm resting and refraining from hour-long Standard videos for the moment 😉 In the meantime, just a heads up that the 2023 World Championship is less than a month away: it starts on Apr. 7 in Kazakhstan! Though we're all disappointed that Magnus will not defend, Ian Nepomniachtchi (winner of the 2022 Candidates) and Ding Liren (runner-up at the Candidates) are two worthy claimants to the crown. My gut instinct is that Nepo is a favorite (perhaps 60/40) due to his match experience and fine form this past year since losing to Magnus. What do you think?
By the way, back in 2019 I played Ding Liren - then World #4 - in a 15+2 PRO Chess League match on Chess.com. If you haven't seen the video recap, check it out below! It was a memorable experience for me, especially in experiencing the speed of sound decision-making that top-level players possess. At times I felt I could match my world-class opponent in move quality, but stringing these accurate moves together *and* doing so quickly is why these players are so strong. This is a paradigm you see in many lopsided rating matchups, and it's rare for me to experience this as a decent IM (I felt the same way the two times I faced Wesley So OTB).
Take care, all! See you in the comments again soon.
2 years ago (edited) | [YT] | 69