Chess thread

[Tal]

Yawn another boring day in the chess...zzzzzz...

Pfft. Not even the hardiest of Daredevils could consider today's action remotely dull. We go into the last round tomorrow with two players tied at the top and the sponsors and organisers could hardly have asked for more.

Round 13

Kramnik ½-½ Gelfand
Grischuk ½-½ Aronian
Svidler 1-0 Ivanchuk
Radjabov 0-1 Carlsen

Kramnik looked to be doing well against Gelfand and victory would seem to all but seal his place in the World Championship match. Never that simple, though, is it? Gelfand played very well and matched the computer stroke for stroke. Kramnik didn't follow suit and could only draw.

Carlsen was still playing but there seemed to be very little in his game against Radjabov. He carried on, though, prodding and probing to see if something might just materialise. Radjabov seemed not to be minded to roll over and the game carried on. Radjabov has had trouble throughout this comp with the clock and he fell a little behind in time, such that Carlsen had the faintest chance of forcing a mistake. And so it proved, as Radjabov blundered a bishop under pressure, as much the product of six hours of relentless nagging as anything else.

Svidler and Ivanchuk had a bit of a mad one and it was the Russian who can out on top, with Chucky again showing his absurd mismanagement of time. 30 moves was all he could make in 2 hours; ten short of the time control. It could be the reason he wasn't in contention this time, as he has displayed some of the best chess of the comp.

Grischuk and Aronian will both be disappointed that they had nothing to play for today and their game was largely controlled by Grischuk over what some observers have suggested was a burdened Aronian, perhaps struggling with the lost opportunities of this tournament. He couldn't convert, though, and a draw was agreed.

[Tal]

Games and analysis:

http://en.chessbase.com/Home/TabId/211/PostId/4009337/candidates-r13--kramnik-draws-carlsen-wins-310313.aspx



Radjabov succumbed to the persistent Carlsen.


Tomorrow, the headlines are that Kramnik and Carlsen are level on 8½/13. Kramnik must better Carlsen's result or the Norwegian will win the tournament because he has won more games.

Svidler beat Ivanchuk today. Svidler plays Carlsen and Ivanchuk plays Kramnik. Carlsen has White and Kramnik has Black.

Whatever happens, it will be an absolute crackerjack.

[The Camel]

Was Kramnik allowed/able to sweat the Carlsen game?

Is it possible he thought that game was drawn and was happy to draw his game instead of pushing for a win?

What motivation have the also rans got to try in matches that are meaningless to them but might be massively important to their opponent?

[McGlashan]

Hi Camel, yes Kramnik was free to get up and look at the other games between moves.

Kramnik had an advantage that he pushed and pushed but could not convert. It'd be too risky to settle for a draw whilst Carlsen had a small advantage in the mid to endgame, which is his speciality.

Rest assured both Svidler and Ivanchuk understand the responsibility of the role they have to play. For example during the post match commentary when asked who would win Svidler quickly declined to answer due to a conflict of interest. However it would not be a surprise to 2 quick draws in the other games where there is little to play for.

Tonight should be a cracker especially with the tough but unpredictable Ivanchuk who's lost on time on 5 occasions yet has beaten our boy Carlsen.

[Honeybadger]

Just about to get on a train down to London to watch today's play. Super excited. Hope there are some fireworks!

[Tal]

If you believe in such things, Kramnik is Russian, Svidler is Russian and Ivanchuk is Ukrainian. The fixtures are:

Ivanchuk v Kramnik
Carlsen v Svidler.

Ivanchuk denied enjoying upsetting the applecart in his interview after beating Carlsen, but it was his best game of the tournament.

[Tal]

Just about to get on a train down to London to watch today's play. Super excited. Hope there are some fireworks!

Brilliant. Don't forget to give us a report

[TightEnd]

Talster...


What price would you make Carlsen against Anand in the title match?

I read that it was meant to be held in India. If so, would home advantage be tangible for Anand (less travel?)

[Tal]

Talster...


What price would you make Carlsen against Anand in the title match?

I read that it was meant to be held in India. If so, would home advantage be tangible for Anand (less travel?)

Home advantage would be tangible for Anand, I'm sure. He is hero-worshipped in India - he'd be high up in the Indian Cricket team.

India had until yesterday to submit a proposal for holding the event to the international chess federation, FIDE. Chennai has first refusal, basically.

On paper, Carlsen starts as odds on favourite. He is the better player, in form, more dynamic, has more stamina and is playing a man who has noticeably taken his foot off the gas a little in recent years by starting a family.

On the other hand, he has never played a match format AFAIK and Anand has played a fair few over the years. No one can be sure how Carlsen will cope with playing the same guy over and over again, making subtle improvements and adjustments to openings each day.

The bookies will surely make either Kramnik or Carlsen favourite.

Pricing it up is tough, though. Well, it is for me, anyway

[Tal]

http://en.chessbase.com/Home/TabId/211/PostId/4009341/sainthood-for-bobby-fischer-010413.aspx

Think the date might be relevant, here...

[Tal]

If you want to follow today's action, have a look here:

http://london2013.fide.com/analysis/index.html

[Tal]

I imagine Mr Honeybadger had fun today.

Probably the most newsworthy day in chess for a number of years. If you don't know what happened, let me walk you through it:

Aronian has had a rough second week and he was left playing for third. In Radjabov, he played the only guy having a worse time and bad beat worse, as a tricky endgame proved too much for the Azeri, with Aronian ending a disappointing week with a consolation win.

Grischuk and Gelfand had little to play for and their draw was hardly a surprise. They will both look back at some missed chances for more.

Remember that Kramnik and Carlsen were on 8½ and Kramnik had to better Carlsen's result today to lift the trophy and play Anand for the world title.

Carlsen chose a solid opening - as ever - and had relatively little to show for it, besides a playable position.

Kramnik meanwhile had chosen a very unusual opening against Ivanchuk, obviously deciding that he needed to win today to stand a chance. The Pirc opening (pronounced "Peertz", as the chap it is named after was Hungarian) is not seen in chess of any level much these days but Kramnik decided to gamble.

Carlsen was doing fine and had a nice position, but then decoded to push hard to win, perhaps a rush of blood or a case of succumbing to the immense pressure of the situation. He pushed too hard and Svidler - who it must be said has produced some outstanding chess under pressure these past couple of weeks - capitalised mercilessly.

The Norwegian magician had blown it.

Kramnik must have looked at that and thought "Why did I play an unusual opening?"

Don't take my word for it. Super-GM Francisco Vallejo-Pons, watching from the interweb, put on his Facebook status that, had Kramnik known what Carlsen was going to do, he would never have played the Pirc.

Ivanchuk withstood Kramnik's attempts to force an advantage and soon found himself better off. The crowds began to wonder what was going on!

Chucky holed out and Kramnik will be kicking himself, despite having had an otherwise excellent tournament.

Magnus Carlsen somehow will be the challenger for the 2013 world chess championship.

[Tal]

Games, pics and analysis:

http://en.chessbase.com/Home/TabId/211/PostId/4009346/candidates-r14--leaders-lose-carlsen-qualifies-010413.aspx

[Tal]

A few photos from the official website

Click to see full-size image.

Is that Honeybadger at the back of the spectators' gallery?

Click to see full-size image.

All eyes understandably began on Carlsen



Vassily Ivanchuk. Hero? Villain? Moi?

Click to see full-size image.

The press room. One can only imagine how many times the columns in tomorrow's papers were re-drafted this afternoon.

[tikay]

Yup, the unmistakeable Honeybadger cranium in that photo.