Chess thread

[Honeybadger]

Hmmm... Currently I am being crushed by boshi 3-0.

[Tal]

Hmmm... Currently I am being crushed by boshi 3-0.

Based on that picture, develop your bishops and knights first and leave your queen at or near home until you have done so.

As a general point, when your opponent makes a move, answer the key question: Why did he do that?

[Honeybadger]

Lol. Queen move (...Qa5+ followed by ...Qxc5) was fairly standard because he played dxc5 in the Benoni.

We seem to be very evenly matched, but I keep losing on time :-(

[kinboshi]

It's because I'm younger apparently.

[Tal]

Lol. Queen move (...Qa5+ followed by ...Qxc5) was fairly standard because he played dxc5 in the Benoni.

We seem to be very evenly matched, but I keep losing on time :-(

I'm not one to comment on that, as I frequently use more than my opponents.

I couldn't work out from the picture what the opening was. Only the opening Mikhail Tal used against Botvinnik in 1960 to great success! I've always preferred as white playing d5 and refusing the exchange but it is much a preference thing.

[Honeybadger]

4-0 to boshi. Three of them time losses :-(

[Honeybadger]

Tal... re my Queen walk in the Benoni. After 1 d4 Nf6  2 c4 c5  3 dxc5 it's pretty obvious I should just have played 3 ... e6 planning 4 ... Bxc5, with immediate equality. But it was a five minute game so I didn't spot this and just went ...Qa5+ then Qxc5.

[Tal]

Tal... re my Queen walk in the Benoni. After 1 d4 Nf6  2 c4 c5  3 dxc5 it's pretty obvious I should just have played 3 ... e6 planning 4 ... Bxc5, with immediate equality. But it was a five minute game so I didn't spot this and just went ...Qa5+ then Qxc5.

It isn't a problem. I had a quick look on my database and both Qc7 and Na6 have been played by strong players. Yes, e6 is the main move but what is important is how you play after that.

Sounds like you had fun and some good games, though, even if the clock got in the way.

[kinboshi]

4-0 to boshi. Three of them time losses :-(

Variance

[Tal]

The very best in their field go through a purple patch every now and then, where they seem utterly invincible. Magnus Carlsen is very much in one of those.

Yesterday, he played Hikaru Nakamura, who is a hugely aggressive player. Carlsen was unfased by the aptly named Kalashnikov variation of the Sicilian and seemed wholly composed when the American played h5 to try to blast open the White kingside. Instead, Nakamura's risk-taking left him exposed as his pieces were disparate and not working well together. Carlsen weathered the storm and picked off the weaknesses, delivering a position after 30 moves you'd pin up on your wall as a teenager and gaze at longingly.

With Giri holding Aronian and L'Ami holding Anand, Carlsen won Wijk aan Zee with a round to spare. Here are the games, pictures, reports and videos:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8804

And here is a video of the start of the games. You can see Anand's little eccentricities as he adjusts the pieces and plays out his first few moves. Everything is deliberate and calculated.

[Tal]

Click to see full-size image.

Danny King walks you through Carlsen's win. A nicely constructed ten minute video:

[kinboshi]

Thought that first sentence was about me...

[Tal]

Thought that first sentence was about me...

Well, if the glove fits...

You're the Magnus Carlsen of DTD chess.

[smashedagain]

4-0 to boshi. Three of them time losses :-(

Variance

i noticed Boshi was wearing an ear piece and kept texting your moves.

[Tal]

4-0 to boshi. Three of them time losses :-(

Variance

i noticed Boshi was wearing an ear piece and kept texting your moves.

Invoice in the post.