Chess thread

[The Baron]

I like white here (without commentary)

What are they saying?

[McGlashan]

I think we all like white. They're busy analysing whites attacking lines.

[curnow]

trouble is Carlsen likes these unbalanced positions & could end up with a race to promote , still prefer white a lot

[The Baron]

Yeah he seems to like his counter play chances here.

[McGlashan]

had to step away for a bit but it's being described as a race and also unsurprisingly as the sort of sharp attacking play Vishy should of used earlier on.

[McGlashan]

Vishy is 20mins into the tank on the critical move 23 after black's last move B3 looks to provide strong chances of the win.

[Tal]

The pawn on b3 is going to be a real problem for Anand and I suspect that is why the engines give a small edge to Carlsen.

But this is a game played over the board and Carlsen has some pretty unpleasant positional problems to overcome before that pawn achieves any practical significance.

All Black's pawns are on white squares - at least the fixed ones - and this means Anand has the better bishop: his has more freedom and can attack, where Carlsen's is limited to defending.

He also has to work out what he is going to do with that silly knight and how he is going to get his rook out. Playing ...f6 at some point will create weaknesses, even if it is theoretically correct.

There's a lot of life in this and I can see why both players are taking a lot of time at this point. We could see a scramble to make the time control.

[TightEnd]

WHAT A BRILLIANT GAME!

Lol at two queens for black

[TightEnd]

Aargh bf1 not Nf1!

[McGlashan]

just wow @NF1

[McGlashan]

3 up with 3 to go and Carlsen with 2 games as white means we're very close to the point where it's pointless in going on.

Hopefully the Indian press can show a bit of tact toward Vishy in the press conference after that blunder.

[Tal]

Just caught up. What a finish!

We are indeed nearly there now. All credit to Anand for going at Carlsen and trying something different. That's arguably the first real blunder of the match, which isn't bad in game nine.

[The Baron]

Cliffs please

[TightEnd]

Cliffs please

White-Anand had a very active and aggressive opening and was forming a huge kingside threat. Carlsen had big counterplay with a passed b pawn but the defence on the other side of the board looked very difficult

At one stage it looked difficult for Carlsen to defend mate in 4

Anand went for it, conceding that Carlsen was going to Queen the pawn, but with one key move it was going to be irrelevant as Anand could defend a check from the newly promoted Queen, then swing his rook behind his own Queen and mate Carlsen

Carlsen Queened

Anand then needed to move his bishop in front of the king. Instead he very quickly blundered and defended the check with his knight

this knight was protecting the square that the rook would move to in the mating attack

Carlsen moved his newly promoted Queen across to attack the square that the rook needed

Immediately the Norweigan contingent started cheering. the computer showed Anand -7 as a resultof that one move

Anand could not now conduct his mating attack, Carlsen was a Queen up

Anand resigned immediately

[The Baron]

Appreciated Rich. Thanks for taking the time.

Wow indeed! Fascinating stuff.