BOOOOOM! MAGNUS!

A French chess livestreamer finds out he's playing Magnus Carlsen online. A Grob is assayed. Hilarity ensues.



H/t Tarjei J. Svensen

Brief Thoughts on the Carlsen vs Karjakin Match

So far the World Championship Match has had a few surprises. One is that after nine games Sergey Karjakin leads, with one win, no losses, and eight draws - Magnus's inability to win a game is striking, especially given that he had winning positions in both games three and four. Another is that the vaunted Russian preparation machine has failed to impress in the openings - Sergey hasn't really gotten much out of the opening phase, and game nine was the first one with really deep opening prep, and that was old prep that Magnus chose to walk into, apparently with no improvements in mind.

I believe this is all part of the same story. To me, Sergey's match strategy has now become apparent - had really become apparent after game five, and especially game eight. I believe that a great deal of the preparation of Karjakin's team has not really been opening prep, but has been psychological assessment of both players, tailoring a match strategy to combat Carlsen effectively, and working on increasing Karjakin's internal resources and preparing him to execute the match strategy they have prepared.

That strategy, I believe, has been designed solely with the intention of frustrating Magnus to the point where Magnus would start lashing out. This was a risky strategy, as if Karjakin had fallen behind, as he almost did, it would be hard for Sergey to switch gears. But it seems to be working. I believe that Karjakin's team had noticed some small psychological weaknesses that they believed they could exploit - a certain arrogance and impatience on Magnus's part. (My favorite bit of arrogance was at a tournament earlier this year which had both Carlsen and Karjakin as participants. At one press conference Magnus stated that only one person at the tournament had the talent to defeat him for the world championship - and that it wasn't Sergey.) Thus a plan to frustrate Carlsen at every turn by simply keeping everything balanced - and then let Magnus stew in it. Being pleasant and relaxed away from the board would probably add to Carlsen's frustration, as it wouldn't give him anything to latch onto psychologically - and indeed, Karjakin has been a model of conduct at and away from the board.

The biggest part of this strategy would consist of Karjakin not doing anything to unbalance a game unless he clearly saw an easy advantage in doing so. Thus he passed up some opportunities in earlier games that appeared promising, but had some risk. He even did this in game eight, passing up the opportunity to play ...Qg5 at one point when it looked very strong. And it was. But it also entailed risk, and would have given Magnus the chance to outplay him in dynamic position with unbalanced chances. That might have also had something to do with Karjakin playing Bxf7 at one point today instead of Qb3. He didn't quite see the final strokes to make Qb3 work, so he went with the piece sac, which was the much safer continuation. I suspect that in a normal tournament game Karjakin would have pulled the trigger on Qb3 and taken his chances. But the stakes for any one game in a match are much higher, so he stuck with his strategy, and almost won anyway.

This strategy would require enormous self-discipline, and a great deal of confidence in one's abilities. Everyone was remarking upon Karjakin's demeanor during and after the first game - not only did he not seem overwhelmed by the moment, he seemed completely comfortable during the most important contest of his life. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he had been doing extensive work with a sports psychologist , even a hypnotist, in his training camps. A sense of destiny might help in this regard, too, just so long as he can maintain discipline.

With three games left in regulation, two of them with White, Magnus needs to make up ground. He CAN do it, of course. He is the best player of his generation, and when all is said and done may well be the greatest player of all time. But Karjakin seems completely in the moment, while Carlsen is looking shakier from game to game. I can't wait to see how it ends!

Carlsen-Karjakin, Game Three - a tremendous fight!

Game three went about six hours and 40 minutes. The game was fairly level until Sergey blundered with 31...c5? That wasn't an OBJECTIVE blunder, probably, but it was a SUBJECTIVE blunder as it made Sergey's life hard from that point. Magnus nursed the position and eventually forced an objective blunder much later. I imagine Paul will put the game up on Facebook. Here's a link to Mark Crowther's (of TWIC fame) quick take on the game.

Regardless, it was an epic struggle. According to what I'm reading about the press conference, Magnus is disappointed, and Sergey must be tremendously relieved. And tomorrow Karjakin starts a stretch in which he will have White in four of six games: games four, six, seven & nine. I think Karjakin's chances just improved significantly, so long as he doesn't blunder from fatigue tomorrow.

UPDATE: Here's Chess.com's report by Mike Klein, with analysis of the game by GM Robert Hess. I should also point out that this is another example of fighting to the bitter end.

The Trompowsky?

Low energy. Sad.

Back to Chess

First, a candidate for Move of the Year:

Black to move

Sam Copeland reporting for Chess.com has the rest of the story.

In other news, the USCF has a Couch Potato's Guide to the World Chess Championship, written by GM Ian Rogers. It's quite a good read, and I recommend it. I may even try the cheesecake recipe.

I also have a couple of comments on the Carlsen-Karjakin match that starts Friday in NYC. First, the games will be at 2 PM Eastern, which is perfect for those of us in the Club.

Second, the betting odds favor Magnus heavily. If you're a betting man (or woman), and have access to a (legal) book, I'd recommend betting on Sergey. Yes, Magnus should be the favorite, but I don't think he should be favored by more than three to one, tops, and possibly only two to one. If I had spare cash and access, I'd bet on Sergey just because I think the EV is good. That said, if I had to be the rent money, I'd bet on Magnus, because he's Magnus. But I've heard the odds are as much as 8 to 1, and that's just absurd.

Finally, one last note. I now have a TD license, and the Club is looking into running some rated events. Perhaps just quick quads or small quick swisses, perhaps ladders, and maybe eventually larger events. We still have a couple of minor administrative issues to work out. We'll let you know when we get going.

A thought about @NakaFacts

It occurred to me that @NakaFacts could well be Magnus Carlsen. I'm so amused by the idea that I'm simply going to believe that it's true. Hey, there's no evidence that it isn't!

(Of course, it's more likely that it's Anish Giri. But Magnus would be much more fun.) 

Hikaru finally wins!

He finally beat Magnus! And with the black pieces! Quite a day.

Here is a link to Chess24's coverage, including video analysis.

And here is a link to Chess.com's coverage, along with some more analysis.

Jaideep Unudurti made the following excellent point on Twitter.

Naka's win over Carlsen can be seen in the context that Adams, Shirov and Gelfand never beat Kasparov in their entire careers #BilbaoChess

— Jaideep Unudurti (@Unudurti) July 13, 2016

I knew about Kasparov's record against Shirov & Adams, but somehow had missed that he had such a record against Gelfand, too. 

And don't forget that he had a monster score against Judit Polgar, though I believe she finally won a game shortly before he retired. Record Check: Nope, she beat him, but only in one rapid game! Really, Garry's record against Judit practically constituted a hate crime. So make that four top players he blanked in their primes at "Classical Chess".

And finally, a bit of fun from the spoof account NakaFacts: This tweet went out before today's round, but it's still funny.

.@MagnusCarlsen is playing @GMHikaru in the first round of @BilbaoChess! Here is a quick comparison. #BilbaoChess pic.twitter.com/YeAhNLzgiM

— NakaFacts (@NakaFacts) July 13, 2016

ADDED: First, IM Daniel Rensch of Chess.com has a nice ten minute long analysis of the game. It's quite good, and I recommend it, as he gives you the ideas of the position in a clear manner.

Second, I can't resist adding one more tweet, this one from Follow Chess:

How the chess world probably reacted to Nakamura's "shocking" 1st win against Magnus Carlsen with Black #BilbaoChess pic.twitter.com/iILKwsVjxX

— Follow Chess (@FollowChessApp) July 14, 2016

Bonus points if you recognize everyone.

Something from nothing

The Your Next Move Grand Chess Tour Rapid/Blitz event is currently running in Leuven, Belgium. In the 18th round, played today, Nakamura had White against his personal bête noire, Magnus Carlsen. On his 23rd move, White removed Black's queen and an endgame was reached with balanced pawns and each side having a rook and a knight. If anything, it looks like White has an ever so slight edge, but nothing to be concerned about.

But Carlsen isn't the most feared grinder in the chess world for nothing. They kept at it, and Carlsen starts accumulating a small little advantage here, a tiny little plus there, and so on. Nothing that Nakamura couldn't handle, but his position slowly became unpleasant. Finally, with his 55th move, Naka cracked and played a losing move. He was close to losing, perhaps, if he had found 55 Ke1, but 55 Kd3 was immediately losing. Fortunately for him, Carlsen missed the winning move 58...Kf4 and the game was drawn.

Even though this was a blitz game, which accounts for the double errors on moves 55 and 58, I think Carlsen's technique from move 23 onward merits a closer look, especially for endgame connoisseurs. The link below will take you to Chess24.com's archived version of the game.

Nakamura - Carlsen, YourNextMove Grand Chess Tour, Leuven, Belgium, round 18

Ha ha!

#74: "It's ridiculously unsound. No wonder it's named after a region with no decent players." -Nakamura on the Scandinavian Def. #TeamScandi

— NakaFacts (@NakaFacts) May 30, 2016

Editorial Comments on the Karjakin/Altibox Norway Chess Affair

The following is my personal position and not that of the club. I don't think the club actually has any positions on any topic, save that we love chess, and we're all happy Connor has agreed to continue on as President God-Emperor of the Club so none of the rest of us have to do it. (The job isn't as good as the title suggests.)

Not long ago Sergey Karjakin of Russia won the FIDE Candidates tournament in Moscow, and with it the right to play Magnus Carlsen for the World Chess Championship this fall. He also picked up, in the manner of Heracles lifting The Heavens from the shoulders Atlas, the weight of a nation's expectations. The Russians want the title back.

Since winning the Candidates Tourney Karjakin has been showered with gifts and attention, and who knows what is going on behind the scenes as preparations begin for November's contest. It seems Putin has some interest in the outcome, and the President of the Russian Chess Federation (Andrey Filatov) is a member of Russia's billionaire set.

It's Sergey

Sergey Karjakin won the Moscow Candidates Tournament today, and will face Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship, allegedly in November, allegedly in NYC.

Today Karjakin faced co-leader Fabiano Caruana. Due to the tie-break rules, Caruana needed to either draw (with the black pieces) and hope that Anand won with the black pieces against Svidler, or he needed to beat Karjakin outright. Caruana played a Sicilian and tried hard to create something, but ultimately had to resign not long after the time control was reached. Karjakin played brilliantly in time pressure to secure the win.

So congratulations to Sergey Karjakin for his excellent result, and consolations for Fabiano Caruana, who faced a daunting task today thanks to the tie-break rules.These events should really be settled with a mini-match, but FIDE either can't or won't find the sponsors to do it. C'est la vie.

Carlsen - Cauana, Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2016

Fabiano Caruana explains his interesting game with Magnus Carlsen from today's round at the TATA Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee.

A minor dispute.

A few days back Paul Leggett wrote the following, concerning the participation of several top GMs in the Qatar Masters Tournament:

I am firmly in the camp that believes the top player's ratings are inflated because they tend to avoid playing in Opens (Kramnik played in his first open in something like 20 years just within the last year [I believe it was at last year's edition of the Qatar Masters. - ed.]), and this is an example of what can happen when the top dogs move to the shallow end of the pool.

These results are rare, but when the opportunity is present, the top guys will get nicked enough (a draw is a rating loss) to keep rating at a more accurate level.

I meant to disagree (mildly) at the time, but forgot with all of the holiday hullabaloo. I do think the top players would probably get nicked sometimes, but I also think the top players are the top players because they really do perform that well. It hasn't been unknown for a player to soar to elite ratings status only to get knocked back down immediately upon getting into elite events.

Mostly, I think the top players would have to adjust to the style of an open Swiss tournament by learning to take more chances. This would increase their variance, but it would do so both ways, and ultimately I would expect them to end up in about the same positions on the ELO scale. As evidence, I give you the top five players, by rating, from Qatar, along with their results:

It turns out that the top three players in the world all gained ELO points, as did the twelfth ranked player. And the tenth ranked player, who had a disappointing tournament, only lost 1.8 ELO. Not bad! The eighth and tenth seeds did get hammered, ratings-wise, but they're both outside the top twenty in the world.

This is one tournament, and thus a painfully small sample size, but I think these results would hold up over time.

Thus endeth a minor disputation over a particular inconsequentiality.

Game of the Day: 12/24/2015 edition

And now to look at some actual quality chess. Magnus Carlsen (FIDE 2834) faced Li Chao (2750) for the first time today. It was the first board of the fifth round of the Qatar Masters Open. Not many opens have an average FIDE rating of 2792 on the first board! (And we'll go higher in coming rounds, no doubt.) It was a "let's hand each other lit sticks of dynamite and see who goes BOOM first" kind of game. Carlsen played the currently popular 3 f3 line against Li's Grunfeld, and it went from there. I've only added a note about an amusing possibility on white's 28th move. If you want real annotations, look elsewhere! To that end, I recommend FM Mike Klein's article at ChessVibes both for annotations and post-game comments from Carlsen, as well as recaps of other action from the day. Here's the Carlsen-Li game.

The "Grand Chess Tour" is a joke.

I've tried to write this post a couple of times now. The topic just makes me too angry for coherence. The Grand Chess Tour, consists of the Stavangar Tournament in Norway, the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, and the London Chess Classic (not in Ohio). Players accumulate points in the overall standings based on their performances in the individual tournaments.

After the final tournament, concluded a week ago, Magnus Carlsen was declared the winner of both the London leg and the Tour as a whole. This last was due entirely to the most asinine tie-breaks ever used in the history of Chess. (Yes, I am including the time a Roulette wheel was used to settle the outcome of a Candidates Match between Huebner and Smyslov.) You can read about that The Chess Mind, in the perfectly named post Grand Chess Tour Tiebreaks: A System Than Which None Lesser Can Be Conceived.

The upshot is this: Despite only finishing on +1 for the tour, Carlsen finished first  in the overall standings, ahead of Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (+2), Hikaru Nakamure (+3) and Anish Giri (+5). To add to the absurdity, Carlsen finished behind or tied with Giri and MVL in all three stages of the tour, yet still finished ahead of them in the standings! (Call Magnus the Tortoise of Chess.)

MVL really got hosed more than once, though. As recounted elsewhere, despite beating Giri in a tiebreak, he actually finished behind Giri in London. All these tiebreak shenanigans resulted in MVL missing out on qualifying for next year's Grand Chess Tour. So, not only does he get lesser prizes than deserved this year, he will miss out on next year's Tour as well, meaning he will miss three of the best (and most lucrative) tournaments of the year, plus whatever money he might have won for his placement in the tour next year. 

This is an egregious ... hmm, how to put this without using foul language? This is an egregious mistreatment of a player for playing well. But the Grand Chess Tour had already set a precedent for this when they didn't invite Karjakin this year, despite Karjakin having won the first two editions of the Stavangar Tournament ahead of Magnus Carlsen. So at least the GCT is consistent!

What a joke.

Hero of the Day: IM Nino Batsiashvili

Today, IM Nino Batsiashvili (FIDE ELO 2498) drew as black against World Champion Magnus Carlsen (FIDE ELO 2834) in the First Round of the Qatar Masters Open. As typical, Magnus played the game to the bitter end, finally conceding the draw in the position below:

Screencap from Chess24.com

Congratulations to Ms. Batsiashvili, who is having a great year, professionally. I'm sure Maxime Vachier-Lagrave will be sending you a very expensive present soonest!

I'm also sure that somehow Magnus will still manage to win the tournament on tie-breaks after finishing on 50%. That's just how the organizers roll these days.

Anish Giri: Trash-talker extraordinaire!

 On Twitter a few days ago, Tarjei Svenson pointed out a probable typo in New In Chess:

Carlsen was 6 years old, I doubt it was in 1996, Loek! @NewInChess pic.twitter.com/tkHfWijCap

— Tarjei J. Svensen (@TarjeiJS) November 7, 2015

Giri replied with:

.@TarjeiJS @NewInChess I noticed it, but found nothing strange with @MagnusCarlsen 6, mating Loeky in a sicilian.

— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) November 7, 2015

In the words of the Powerpuff Girls, "HARD CORE!"

World Rapid & World Blitz Championship Coverage

I commend this article from GM Ian Rogers, writing for the USCF, covering the awful experience for the fans on-site in Berlin. (The online experience had a couple of glitches, but was mostly excellent. Chess24.com knows their stuff, and GM Jan Gustafsson is fantastic with his live commentary.)

Also, check out this video of Magnus Carlsen loosing his cool. We've all been there! The video, and much more, can be found in Peter Doggers' report for Chess.com.