English Chess Forum

This starts next week (10-21 October) and features Carlsen, Caruana and a lot of other top players. It's another World Championship qualifier.
The Grand Swiss is an 11-rounder with games starting at 3pm each day apart from the last round. From the entry list looks like we've got around 119 players playing in this section. Interesting the way they have the rating qualifier numbers next to the names.
There is a Major and Minor as well with a few forumites in it so we should be well catered for regarding on the spot reports.

Claimed to be the "strongest Swiss ever" even after the withdrawal of Giri and Lenier D-P.

I wonder if there is any way of "scientifically" testing this claim?

Where it's claimed, is any rationale given?

Chris Rice wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 2:36 pm

From the entry list looks like we've got around 119 players playing in this section. Interesting the way they have the rating qualifier numbers next to the names.

You appear to have missed the 39 wildcards.

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 2:55 pm

I wonder if there is any way of "scientifically" testing this claim?

There is. If Baadur Jobava is seeded #111, it's the SOAT

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 2:55 pm

Claimed to be the "strongest Swiss ever" even after the withdrawal of Giri and Lenier D-P.

I wonder if there is any way of "scientifically" testing this claim?

I guess the 1990 interzonal is the main historical rival. It was also a candidates qualifier, but for 11 places rather than just one. It had great strength in depth, and didn't have the long wildcard tail which will be present in Douglas. Of course rating numbers were much lower then, but in terms of world top participation Manila 19900 stands comparison with Douglas 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Che ... nship_1993

Delighted to see also that the much underrated player "AN Other" is playing in the Minor.

Top section is rather good...

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:33 pm

Delighted to see also that the much underrated player "AN Other" is playing in the Minor.

It has been a while since 225178E has been seen in public.

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:32 pm

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 2:55 pm

Claimed to be the "strongest Swiss ever" even after the withdrawal of Giri and Lenier D-P.

I wonder if there is any way of "scientifically" testing this claim?

I guess the 1990 interzonal is the main historical rival. It was also a candidates qualifier, but for 11 places rather than just one. It had great strength in depth, and didn't have the long wildcard tail which will be present in Douglas. Of course rating numbers were much lower then, but in terms of world top participation Manila 19900 stands comparison with Douglas 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Che ... nship_1993

That's interesting; I was briefly at the Biel Interzonal in 1993, which was very strong and had 10 qualifying places

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 06, 2019 10:51 am

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:32 pm

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 2:55 pm

Claimed to be the "strongest Swiss ever" even after the withdrawal of Giri and Lenier D-P.

I wonder if there is any way of "scientifically" testing this claim?

I guess the 1990 interzonal is the main historical rival. It was also a candidates qualifier, but for 11 places rather than just one. It had great strength in depth, and didn't have the long wildcard tail which will be present in Douglas. Of course rating numbers were much lower then, but in terms of world top participation Manila 19900 stands comparison with Douglas 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Che ... nship_1993

That's interesting; I was briefly at the Biel Interzonal in 1993, which was very strong and had 10 qualifying places

Indeed! Mick is quite right. I had forgotten Biel 1993, and being in Western Europe it was even stronger than Manila 1990, with Topalov an eye-catching 62nd in a field of 74. There is no way to definitively compare the three events, but in terms of world top participation Biel and Manila were not inferior to Douglas.

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:14 am

I had forgotten Biel 1993, and being in Western Europe it was even stronger than Manila 1990, with Topalov an eye-catching 62nd in a field of 74. There is no way to definitively compare the three events, but in terms of world top participation Biel and Manila were not inferior to Douglas.

There was also the parallel PCA "interzonal" in Groningen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical ... nship_1995

Susan Polgar was last out of 58. Winners were Adams and Anand with seven to qualify for the knock out stage.

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:14 am

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 06, 2019 10:51 am

Leonard Barden wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 9:32 pm

I guess the 1990 interzonal is the main historical rival. It was also a candidates qualifier, but for 11 places rather than just one. It had great strength in depth, and didn't have the long wildcard tail which will be present in Douglas. Of course rating numbers were much lower then, but in terms of world top participation Manila 19900 stands comparison with Douglas 2019.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Che ... nship_1993

That's interesting; I was briefly at the Biel Interzonal in 1993, which was very strong and had 10 qualifying places

Indeed! Mick is quite right. I had forgotten Biel 1993, and being in Western Europe it was even stronger than Manila 1990, with Topalov an eye-catching 62nd in a field of 74. There is no way to definitively compare the three events, but in terms of world top participation Biel and Manila were not inferior to Douglas.

That's what good about the Forum, always a chance to learn; I couldn't remember anything about Manila

Gelfand was good at Interzonals back then

Mick Norris wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 06, 2019 7:03 pm

I couldn't remember anything about Manila

Manila is Gurevich-Short. (Also, Adams needing to win in the last round to qualify, and losing.)

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 3:53 pm

Where it's claimed, is any rationale given?

Sutovsky's just claimed it on FB but no rationale given. "A handful of top players skipped - that does not change much. It is still by far the strongest Swiss ever."

Chris Rice wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 06, 2019 10:57 pm

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 05, 2019 3:53 pm

Where it's claimed, is any rationale given?

Sutovsky's just claimed it on FB but no rationale given. "A handful of top players skipped - that does not change much. It is still by far the strongest Swiss ever."

The FIDE Grand Prix events in 2016-17 which were eighteen players swisses may have had a higher rating average but clearly they had a lot less players.