13.03.2006 Grandmaster Sakaev sums up the Linares results

Levon Aronian
Well done! Levon has original and absolutely unorthodox manner of playing. He has good calculating skill, excellent imagination, perfect endgame technique, and he has improved his knowledge of opening variations recently - and this is not a full list of his merits. However, the main thing perhaps is that he’s young and full of energy, he doesn’t smoke (this pernicious habit impedes his opponents Bacrot and Grischuk). Levon plays at ease. I remember very well how a few years ago at the European championship he had a real fun playing blitz a night before a very important game against me (we were the tournament’s leaders in the thirteenth round), constantly joking and contagiously laughing. I was absolutely satisfied having drawn against him in the morning. No doubt that Levon not only has all chances to play at the highest level, but also can have big ideas about the champion’s title.  

Teimour Radjabov
A disastrous two zeros-start did not unsettle Teimour. Moreover, he could have had even a better result, hadn’t he restrained himself with the extreme peacefulness after coming out of a difficult situation with credit. It’s possible to say that he had a bit of good luck in the game of the second round against Ivanchuk, but this luck was a kind of logic: Vassily clearly was less fit than usual.

Veselin Topalov
Veselin did not manage to show good results in the first half of the competition in Mexico, however one can’t assert that he played badly. Sometimes he had bad luck, or something didn’t work, and a wish to win any position at all costs was letting him down. However in the second round, in Spain, the world champion played in all his glory, squeezing out wins against Leko and Aronian. However, the gap was too wide and he missed the first place by the narrowest of margins.

Peter Svidler
Peter Svidler, who lives in St. Petersburg, was one of the tournament favorites, he had a good start, but began getting tired. Perhaps Peter played too much recently and he simply needs to have a rest.

Peter Leko
Peter Leko had the same trouble as Peter Svidler: alas, in modern professional chess stamina is the most important thing. In the first rounds the tiredness is not that noticeable, but a tense first half and a flight to another continent had eventually told. Leko was really suffering while playing in the second half.

Vassily Ivanchuk
The years are passing… Unfortunately in some games Vassily lacks energy to suppress his younger and less skilled opponents. But watching his games is still a real pleasure – enormously strong chessplayer is dangerous for any champion. His creative approach to chess impresses both amateurs and his colleagues, professional chessplayers.

Ettiene Bacrot
The Frenchman still hasn’t managed to perform up to his potential in the strong tournaments, but I’m sure that it’s a temporary situation. Good opening preparation, excellent technique, especially in the endgame – he has all chances for future improvement.

Paco Valejo
Both the level of play and the attitude (a wish of making quick draws with White in some games, for instance) of the Spaniard does not win the sympathy. Frankly speaking, a player of this kind should not be invited to such tournaments, but local players should be encouraged.