2019 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: Day 1

[@americalost5100]

Thank God for a commentary site that has not abandoned the use of the analysis bar. We are not all over 2000 experts able to determine the board situation at a glance or able to keep up with the commentators as they go through variations explaining who a position favors. The analysis bar helps us many many non experts feel some of the excitement and drama of the game we might not otherwise get. Thank you SLCC for continuing to use it.

[@CJDM310]

Agreed.

[@Grovesie35]

I dig it.

[@philkalus5720]

Maurice Ashley my favorite commentator always enthusiastic and humorus !!

[@AdminMI6]

Not so smooth commentary

[@rattyboy-private8744]

Thank you, Rex & Mrs.Rex!

[@FloppsEB]

nice to get your tongue out of there though at some point. stop worshipping dork-short capitalist chess hero. he hasn't done as much to chess as he's stolen from the world. at least not yet. but probably that's his best hope, and he might yet do it. it's complicated math.

[@itskyyuuuu]

My boy Levon off to a hot start!

[@marcjameslevesque]

Great coverage! Yasser, Jen, Maurice

[@IngoziDanger]

MVL oh my God

[@gyanvarshnay8053]

Please have all these people analysing daily, no more no less!! Also the set up of all the games and everybody on zoom was perfect on the stream!!

[@Pratyut]

1:03 pawns have a better shape with that quality wood and a touch thinner neck. I'd like a set of those, perhaps weighted heavy and 5% sized larger.

[@Kelvinllovejr]

Where is hikaru?

[@ZionPureinHeart]

1:14:47 when Ding sacrificed his queen vs. Magnus. Ding's Immortal. C'mon Zion!!! Good job Ding!!!)

[@cmares5858]

i want Karjakin's suit... lookin sharp Sergey

[@smar1k359]

The music at 1.32.07 is so nice..It would be a really good idea to do a small video with highlights of the tournament and have this music on the backround..

[@Luzuuu]

That is "Field of Courage" by the FirstCom Cinematic Orchestra if anyone is interested

[@smar1k359]

@@Luzuuu Thank you :)

[@Luzuuu]

@@smar1k359 Happy to help. I wish I wasn't a year late 😉

[@smar1k359]

Lol no problem :)

[@davidka2271]

Yasser

[@americalost5100]

St. Louis Commentary Team. Imo, the very best around...

[@trondeg74]

Even better when they had Peter Svidler stepping in - he's a current top level player, and it showed.

[@longcastle4863]

@@trondeg74 Jen Yasser Maurice are the best. Svidler is s great player.... Has a lot to learn still as a commentator

[@Eorzat]

rayof 315 I disagree. I think Svidler is quite comfortable and experienced at commentating.

[@johnrobbins917]

What would we do without the St Louis Chess Club?

[@NidusFormicarum]

Maurice has a nice tie, but is not tied for first, haha. He is always nicely dressed, I must say.

[@luciengrondin5802]

I feel bad for Dominguez. Magnus went at him so brutally it must have hurt.

[@trondeg74]

That opening must surely be a onetime thing saved for a "I must beat this player that is a level or two below everyone else" occasion. Not exactly sound, but worth a shot.

[@mohammedalmutham830]

There is an echo

[@fastestguyintheuniverse3802]

great!

[@quill444]

They really seem out of shape during this first day: not the players, YOU, the commentators! Normally these three do a fine job, but here, they are often discussing deep variations that never occur. And why do they never occur? Because while discussing these variations and often interrupting each other in order to comment on them, players have already made a series of different moves! Please follow the actual games being played! I would not be so critical except I've seen you do a better job almost every other time in the past. It's not Bullet Chess, and it ought to be very straightforward to STAY WITH THE GAME and avoid long variations in never-can-occur land! You're the "A" Team Commentators! I look forward to Day 2 and beyond. Sincerely, - j q t -

[@elmichael009]

You need mdma in your life

[@americalost5100]

@@elmichael009 I was thinking DMT : )

[@ilfirinms]

Totally agree. I was frustrated at live stream. I am watching live chess and cannot see not one actual game, just bunch of hypotesis throwing chaotically in air.

[@quill444]

Well, I made my comments *before* that wild set of Game 3s! I do enjoy their excitement; and yeah, I might have to _ramp up on the Molly_ (or DMT) as suggested! LOL

[@ThisSentenceIsFalse]

Good sport, sir. Good sport!

[@kykymixlaloi8662]

Amen

[@alframseysporndungeon8]

Jovanka Houska is much better than, Jennifer. She's a stronger player for a start, and Jennifer's voice is annoying. Jovanka's voice is much easier on the ear.

[@zmztv2707]

Agree

[@trondeg74]

The one they had for the first event (Côte d'Ivoire) - Tania Sachdev - was the one who added most insight to the games. The dream team could possibly be her, Peter Svidler, Alejandro commenting on the boards and Maurice doing the interviews as he's done in the other three GT tournaments.

[@zmztv2707]

@@trondeg74 Why wouldnt we have Svidler and Yasser? Wouldnt it be the ideal dream team?

[@americalost5100]

@@zmztv2707 Svidler and I stop watching SLCC. Speaks over most players heads (even Ajelandro admitted he couldn't keep up with him) and his constant uh uh uhs gets old very fast.

[@zmztv2707]

@@americalost5100 i dont know, he is the favourite commentator of everyone. Anyway, I hope they will understand that Jennifer is unbearable and replace her with someone else. But I think they have this logic that there has to be at least one female commentator. It is so stupid. If you have a good female commentator, invite her, if you dont, you dont have to find a woman. Nobody would call you sexist beacuse of having two male commentators.

[@Kelvinllovejr]

Damnit Jennifer

[@Shelmerdine745]

Great games, horrible cameras

[@ThisSentenceIsFalse]

Love it!

[@patszer8314]

Jennifer Shahade is so beautiful!

[@janetoss]

Seems best for Jen to ask relevant questions of the GMs, rather than trying to do it all.

[@zmztv2707]

Dear Saint Louis Chess Club, Please get rid of this complete non-sense idea that there cant be 2 male commentators at the same time. I mean if you have an opportunity to invite a good female commentator like Polgar, please do it. But if you can't, why don't we have Svidler and Yasser? Or any two good commentators together. Watching Jennifer is just unbearable. If it was a different tournament, I would say the organizers have financial problems thus cant invite good commentators but I am sure it is not the case as this Tour is sponsored by a billionaire.

[@zmztv2707]

@rayof 315 why do you disagree? I would like to here your opinion on that.

[@ThisSentenceIsFalse]

Incel. Lol!

[@trondeg74]

Good show, but could we please get Alejandro back for commenting on the games rather than Maurice ? It doesn't make a huge difference for the late middle game or the end game, but Alejandro's knowledge of opening theory, the strategies these lead into and insight into the players are just vastly better than Maurice's. No doubt because of seconding Fabi, and Maurice having retired from competitive play some time ago. Of course, if we could get Svidler instead it would be even better.

[@nokitj]

Why, for the God's sake, this woman J ???? Why Why Why ???????

[@meneereenhoorn]

?

[@americalost5100]

Jen is great! These three are a perfect team.

[@aneet4316]

Why what ?

[@ThisSentenceIsFalse]

Incel. Lol!

[@davidka2271]

Why is Maurice so arrogant in the way he speaks ?

[@trondeg74]

He sounds just like a normal commentator - but has a chess GM title. The first time I heard him, I thought he was a non-chess-playing commentator hired in from another sport to make these shows more like other sport shows. I soon realised that this wasn't the case, but he definitely has the voice and attitude of a normal sports commentator in addition to being good at chess.