Chess thread

[The Baron]

We need a WC match every day IMO.

[Tal]

Really has come to life today. Certainly honours even after four games.

[MintTrav]

Crikey - a nailed-on snore-draw really opened up and turned into a right ding-dong for a while. Both had several possible ways to win, sometimes at the same time as each other. Real end-to-end stuff, but they both found ways to prevent the other from completing the decisive lines.

I thought the commentators communicated the game to us very well - I would have no idea what was really happening without them and would probably get bored and stop watching. The game was clearly taking place well above their level, though, and Lawrence Trent was genuinely surprised by the move made several times and admitted "I have no idea what is going on now". The quality of the play was apparent, though, even if you didn't understand it.

[Tal]

"I thought the commentators communicated the game to us very well - I would have no idea what was really happening without them and would probably get bored and stop watching"

I think that's so well put.

As I said at the time, that endgame was absolutely insanely tough. I don't envy Lawrence at times like that. If you go via the Chennai2013.site, you can see the computer telling you whether a move was optimal, suboptimal, weak or whatever. The number of moves in that top category was just brilliant.

[Tal]

If Round 3 was all about Carlsen getting a narrow escape, Round 4 was certainly the reverse. The Norwegian went back from his surprise Caro-Kann of the second game to a more expected 1...e5. He ended up in a well known line of the Berlin Defence, an opening made infamous by Kramnik when he used it to end Kasparov's reign as world champ. Both sides would have prepared this opening in some depth and the speed of play early on was not a surprise. .

Carlsen had prepared a little something extra, though, on move 18 and it seemed to catch Anand out, perhaps because it objectively didn't look very good (hence might have been passed over and dismissed in training).

The result was the challenger had a favourable position for the rest of the game, albeit a devilishly tough one to convert into the full point. It was certainly the sort of position we have seen Carlsen win so many times from, however, so those watching around the world would have been filled with that same sense of anticipation as when a striker goes through on goal.

But Anand isn't World Champion for nothing.

He fought doggedly, ensuring he kept play on his side and worked a passed pawn through the centre as the pieces came off. This meant he always had a threat and that made things difficult for Carlsen.

In the end, inaccuracies were inevitable in such a challenging position and the question was who would make the last. Magnus huffed and puffed but coukdn't blow the Indian's house down.

Honours remain even.

Rest day today. We go again on Friday.

[Tal]

Just!

[Tal]

Here's an illustrated report:

http://www.chessbase.com/post/chennai-g4-carlsen-presses-anand-in-epic-battle

And here is some excellent analysis:

http://www.chessbase.com/post/chennai-04-the-tables-turned

[The Baron]

Still lost with several positions in game four. Top top stuff.

[Tal]

A couple of nice articles to warm you up, relating to styles in the world championship and to types of draws.

http://en.chessbase.com/post/wch-chennai-it-s-all-about-style

http://en.chessbase.com/post/wch-chennai-the-nature-of-draws

[curnow]

game 5 coming up @ 9.20 , gonna miss first couple hours so hope not a quick draw

[The Baron]

Can feel a Carlsen win coming here

[Tal]

Can feel a Carlsen win coming here

Anand's last move appears to have been a mistake, according to the computer. Carlsen has found the correct response, too. He wants to swap the bishops off and get that extra pawn material advantage working.

[The Baron]

I think there was more than one sub-optimal from Anand today.

WP Magnus

[millidonk]

Oioiiiiiiiii Carlsen my son.

[Tal]

Classic Magnus.