Chess thread

[MintTrav]

Svidler: "I have a lot of possibilities here."
Kramnik: "I thought it's a, kind of, only move."
Svidler: "No....."

[The Baron]

Kramnik looking v good atm

[Tal]

Kramnik looking v good atm

Yes and no. He has played some imaginative chess, which is always a sign he's on his game, and he has clearly put a lot of work into his prep, as ever. On the flip side, he really should have lost to Svidler and was spared only by a combination of Svidler missing a brilliancy and Kramnik himself finding a pretty ridiculous wriggle. One of those "luck in chess" moments, for sure.

[Tal]

For those who specifically enjoy the live commentary of Lawrence Trent, he is working for Chess24.com. The website seems very snazzy and has the facility to let you try your own moves out.

[Tal]

Aronian wins, while Anand and Kramnik can only manage a draw in their games. So, Aronian is back just half a point off Anand.

[Honeybadger]

I got to do a nice piece sacrifice today. I was not happy with my opening position around move 10, since Black has an easy pawn storm attack - no idea if he is strategically winning already or if his position is just 'easier to play'. However, I spotted a cool play on move 12 and went for it. Unfortunately my opponent blundered on his 17th move and insta-resigned, which was a shame because I had done some calculations and was keen to see if my analysis was good. Checked it with an engine afterwards and it looks like Black is clearly better in the position which resulted a few moves after from my 12th move, perhaps even winning...

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8.
Qd2 a5 9. g4 exd4 10. Nxd4 Nc5 11. h4 Re8 12. h5

Can you spot my sacrifice as Black in the following position?

[Tal]

Mr Badger, could you take us through your last puzzle, too, when you get the chance, please?

You might all be interested to know Aronian is fighting to save the game against Kramnik. The Armenian is buckling many a swash at the moment, where you can't help but think he'd be better off playing it safe early doors. That old adage of you can't win a competition in the first few rounds but you can lose it.

http://www.chessdom.com/candidates-chess-2014-live/

[Tal]

Aronian did hold and the reports are in:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/candidates-rd5-svidler-pounces

Anand still has the lead



He won't finish the comp with a 2920 rating performance; that would be mad. Anything over 2880 would be spectacular.

Don't forget we aren't half way through, yet.

Karjakin is really struggling to show everyone what he can do, while Svidler is absolutely the opposite, throwing caution to the wind and really giving it plenty. Topalov is showing he really wants this, but I'm not convinced he has the talent to beat this field in a double-round all play all with so little regular exposure to this sort of comp.

[Honeybadger]

[Honeybadger]

Mr Badger, could you take us through your last puzzle, too, when you get the chance, please?

Yeah, so in the first diagrammed position I played 35 b4+ which was a pawn sacrifice, basically sacking the e4 pawn and allowing Black to Queen his e5 pawn at the same time as I do. However, the placement of the Kings at the point when Black Queens his e-pawn is the key thing - they are in opposition which means I have a deadly check, forcing his King onto the e-file which sets up a winning skewer for me.

Play went:

35 b4+ axb4
36 Kb3 Kd4
37 Kxb4 Kxe4
38 c5 Kd5
39 Kb5 e4
40 c6 Kc6
41 Kb6 e3
42 c7 e2
41 d8=Q e1=Q

Leading to the second diagram.

And now comes the deadly check:

42 Qd8+
which forces the Black King onto the e-file and allows me to win the newly promoted Queen next move with 43 Qe8+

It is not a big deal really, especially as there were other more mundane ways to win. But what I was proud of was that I was able to successfully visualise the second diagrammed position whilst in the first position. In a normal game that would be easy, but it was a blitz game so I had to see it all in just a few seconds. My play only works because of the fact that the two Kings are in opposition. If I had got my visualisation wrong then Black gets a draw.

[Tal]

Very nice.

I've just learned that a friend of mine, Keith Arkell, has won the European Over 50 Championship with a score of 7/9. Fantastic result!

Click to see full-size image.

(He's the middle guy in the bottom left photo)

Delighted for him.

[Tal]

Been a busy day (waving a fond farewell to my youth) so the report is a little brief and a little late.

Round six was one of those we see from time to time in the middle of a comp of this magnitude, where things don't quite go to plan and the games don't finish as they started. Aronian and Svidler should have won but only managed half a point between them. Kramnik probably should have drawn his game against Topalov in the first of the Toiletgate games. He didn't, though, and the Bulgarian drew blood in what was a truly fascinating fame. Reports and Danny King review:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/candidates-rd6-spoilt-opportunities

I don't do this often, but...



Duane Dibbley



Dimitriy Andreikin

[MintTrav]

Is this Anand's high point? He now has two Black games against Svidler and Aronian, and both days the remainder of the five real candidates all have winnable games. I suspect the table could look quite different at the weekend. I imagine that this is the point where you'd get the best odds on Anand falling back. If I was a betting person, I'd have a bet tomorrow on Anand not finishing in the top two (three?), while the table still flatters him.

[Tal]

Is this Anand's high point? He now has two Black games against Svidler and Aronian, and both days the remainder of the five real candidates all have winnable games. I suspect the table could look quite different at the weekend. I imagine that this is the point where you'd get the best odds on Anand falling back. If I was a betting person, I'd have a bet tomorrow on Anand not finishing in the top two (three?), while the table still flatters him.

It's an interesting point.

For all the criticism he's had in the last three or four years, Anand has been virtually unbeatable. He's just drawn far too many games. Only Carlsen has been able to show - and even that only in the last year - how to beat him. Can he win the comp by drawing out?

[McGlashan]

Did Vlad let things get a bit personal with his choice of tactics?

On move 11 or 13 he could of captured the h4 pawn and defended a position with weak dark squares, instead he chose to fight toe to toe in what proved to be a worse off position.