Now we know Firouzja's problem: his father. Helicopter/sidelines parent. What a burden for a so very young talent.
I am rooting for Fabi — Bro has 3rd highest Rating in Chess history but peaked in the wrong time with Magnus. Plus in 2023 he was dominant so I think it would be deserving.
Also I am rooting for Firu — not that he wins it but that he Scores will the last 4 rounds. After hearing he doesnt want to Play Chess anymore certainly the others will See him as a Target
Also I am rooting for Firu — not that he wins it but that he Scores will the last 4 rounds. After hearing he doesnt want to Play Chess anymore certainly the others will See him as a Target
@JonathanAce0126 said in #22:
> After hearing he doesnt want to Play Chess anymore
No wonder, with that horrible father...
> After hearing he doesnt want to Play Chess anymore
No wonder, with that horrible father...
Fabi. He's a very strong player and pretty calm and relaxing
@MarkIorio said in #21:
> Now we know Firouzja's problem: his father. Helicopter/sidelines parent. What a burden for a so very young talent.
I am not sure if you are parent yourself, but don't be too eager to start judging Alireza's father. It was a clearly emotional moment for him, and even if he was off in his evaluation of the whole shoe / cheating / who can be present at the playing venue controversies, I am sure he just wanted to protect his son. The whole thing was made worse by the fact his English is not good enough for him to clearly express his grievances. And we certainly do not know all the details of this debacle.
> Now we know Firouzja's problem: his father. Helicopter/sidelines parent. What a burden for a so very young talent.
I am not sure if you are parent yourself, but don't be too eager to start judging Alireza's father. It was a clearly emotional moment for him, and even if he was off in his evaluation of the whole shoe / cheating / who can be present at the playing venue controversies, I am sure he just wanted to protect his son. The whole thing was made worse by the fact his English is not good enough for him to clearly express his grievances. And we certainly do not know all the details of this debacle.
@ohcomeon_1 said in #25:
> he just wanted to protect his son.
He wanted to protect his son's _winning_. That's the whole point with "sideline" parents: they don't understand the difference. He went paranoid and histerycal, tried to break the tournament rules and damaged his son by demonstrating himself even more childish and immature.
I also think about how Firouzja got to enter the eight candidates pool.
I have the impression that with these new lots of underage top players we are going to see more and more of these dramas, not worthy of the world championship. Fischer had the cold war excuse, what excuse do they have now if not their own immaturity?
> he just wanted to protect his son.
He wanted to protect his son's _winning_. That's the whole point with "sideline" parents: they don't understand the difference. He went paranoid and histerycal, tried to break the tournament rules and damaged his son by demonstrating himself even more childish and immature.
I also think about how Firouzja got to enter the eight candidates pool.
I have the impression that with these new lots of underage top players we are going to see more and more of these dramas, not worthy of the world championship. Fischer had the cold war excuse, what excuse do they have now if not their own immaturity?
Alireza is 20, a grown-ass man, so he doesn't get to blame daddy. Throwing a hissy fit over being politely asked to try and walk softer is a loser move. Blaming that for his loss is like blaming the ref when you shot 2 for 12 on the night.
All of that said, of course its possible that the arbitrator wasn't as polite as he claimed to be. If you heard his interview, the arbitrator's version of events was so over-the-top polite that it was actually a little suspect. The arbitrator was all like "I waited a few feet away, careful not to get in his personal space, until he happened to notice me. Then I gave him a look like I was hoping to talk, so as to not be confrontational. When he appeared willing to engage I..." The whole interview was like that. Maybe he was exactly that careful, but it just sounded a little sus.
All of that said, of course its possible that the arbitrator wasn't as polite as he claimed to be. If you heard his interview, the arbitrator's version of events was so over-the-top polite that it was actually a little suspect. The arbitrator was all like "I waited a few feet away, careful not to get in his personal space, until he happened to notice me. Then I gave him a look like I was hoping to talk, so as to not be confrontational. When he appeared willing to engage I..." The whole interview was like that. Maybe he was exactly that careful, but it just sounded a little sus.
I would say, usually arbiters are very polite, and they do a lot not to disturb players. And in this tournament, there are dozens of cameras streaming the whole time.
It was a reasonable claim by one of the participants, and a considerate professional handling of the situation by the arbiter. Alireza seems to feel as a victim in numerous occasions lately, and his father adds to the fuel rigorously.
I have no respect for those antics, and I am not keen on seeing that. Surely I now know who I root for to be last.
It was a reasonable claim by one of the participants, and a considerate professional handling of the situation by the arbiter. Alireza seems to feel as a victim in numerous occasions lately, and his father adds to the fuel rigorously.
I have no respect for those antics, and I am not keen on seeing that. Surely I now know who I root for to be last.
Even before these incidents, Alireza would be my least favourite of the participants because of the (morally questionable, IMHO) way he secured the spot in the tournament. (The same goes for Gukesh but his case seemed less fishy than Alireza's to me.)
Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of Nepo. Though he's pretty much a favorite at this point.