Chess discussions

Danny1982

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Wijk aan Zee (Tata Steel)

So, after 3 rounds in the Wijk aan Zee, Carlsen is tied at 9th with 4 players (drew with Giri, So, and lost to Wojtaszek after a shocking blunder dropping a piece).

Caruana and Ivanchuk tied for first with 2.5 points.

Carlsen's (live) rating is now at its lowest in the past two and a half years (2852).

With 11 rounds to go still time for him to make amends though. Will be interesting to see how he reacts in the next round with Black against van Wely (rated 2667).
 

NM

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Carlsen is playing the worst chess he has in a long long time
 

Danny1982

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I read it as cheese discussions ffs
:lol:

Carlsen is playing the worst chess he has in a long long time
He has, which keeps things very interesting for this year's world championship match.

I think the gap is closing much quicker than people thought one year or so ago, when he just looked invincible. He's not only having occasional blunders now, but he seems to have lost a bit of his touch in the endgame. His preparation is also still sub-par imo, even when you compare him to younger guys like Caruana.

I think Carlsen needs to work harder and not rely on his talent if he wants to maintain the comfortable edge he had a year or two ago.
 

Danny1982

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Impressive win by Carlsen against Van Wely to get back on track in this tourney (now tied for 6th with 3 players).

By the way, is Chucky the weirdest chess player ever? He's a genius, yet those rare (but often enough) mental lapses cost him a place in the history of the game that is much higher than his current place, which is kind of sad.
 

Sky1981

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I havent followed chess since the day of the Kasparov vs. Karpov, and Kasparov vs. Deep Blue

Played a few chess matches myself. I just find it boring to watch without properly analysing it after
 

Danny1982

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I havent followed chess since the day of the Kasparov vs. Karpov, and Kasparov vs. Deep Blue

Played a few chess matches myself. I just find it boring to watch without properly analysing it after
Good live analysis makes a world of difference.

Seirawan is the official commentator for this tourney, he's a good commentator, needs a good partner though (Not Shahade!), he's mostly going solo so far. I enjoy Trent's commentary too, even though he's a Chelsea fan.
 

Sky1981

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Good live analysis makes a world of difference.

Seirawan is the official commentator for this tourney, he's a good commentator, needs a good partner though (Not Shahade!), he's mostly going solo so far. I enjoy Trent's commentary too, even though he's a Chelsea fan.
I guess so, my poor brain can't see the beauty of the move without a good commentator highlighting every move. Is there a place where i can ehm... get my hands on a commentated game?
 

Danny1982

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I guess so, my poor brain can't see the beauty of the move without a good commentator highlighting every move. Is there a place where i can ehm... get my hands on a commentated game?
You mean recent games or any commentated games?

Here's for example the live commentary for round 5 of the last Olympiad (2014).


There are some entertaining classics as well. Here is the only game Short won against Kasparov in the world championship match they played in 1993.


And here is a classic (Blitz) between two former world champions (Kasparov and Anand), with some exciting commentary.


And here's a fun video of two friendly Blitz games between two of the best characters in the game (Seirawan and Aronian), with some trash talking going (which is even better than a commentary).


Obviously some commentators and some games are most exciting than others.
 

Sky1981

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You mean recent games or any commentated games?

Here's for example the live commentary for round 5 of the last Olympiad (2014).


There are some entertaining classics as well. Here is the only game Short won against Kasparov in the world championship match they played in 1993.


And here is a classic (Blitz) between two former world champions (Kasparov and Anand), with some exciting commentary.


And here's a fun video of two friendly Blitz games between two of the best characters in the game (Seirawan and Aronian), with some trash talking going (which is even better than a commentary).


Obviously some commentators and some games are most exciting than others.
Cool. Thank you Dan, i'll see it after office for sure :D
 

Samid

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:lol:


He has, which keeps things very interesting for this year's world championship match.

I think the gap is closing much quicker than people thought one year or so ago, when he just looked invincible. He's not only having occasional blunders now, but he seems to have lost a bit of his touch in the endgame. His preparation is also still sub-par imo, even when you compare him to younger guys like Caruana.

I think Carlsen needs to work harder and not rely on his talent if he wants to maintain the comfortable edge he had a year or two ago.
The next Championship is next year, not this.

I'm not too bothered about his form just yet. He was playing poorly last year but ended up winning the WC, albeit the outcome could have been completely different if Anand had seen that blunder. Carlsen himself has said that he plays a lot better in a WC match than in tournaments, simply because he can play for a draw in a WC whilst in tournaments a draw is no good and he has to risk it all to win.

I do agree that his endgame hasn't been the best in the past year or so, maybe it's a change of mentality after the victory in Chennai? He shouldn't become too complacent though and lose the ruthless edge he had prior to his first WC.
 

Danny1982

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The next Championship is next year, not this.

I'm not too bothered about his form just yet. He was playing poorly last year but ended up winning the WC, albeit the outcome could have been completely different if Anand had seen that blunder. Carlsen himself has said that he plays a lot better in a WC match than in tournaments, simply because he can play for a draw in a WC whilst in tournaments a draw is no good and he has to risk it all to win.

I do agree that his endgame hasn't been the best in the past year or so, maybe it's a change of mentality after the victory in Chennai? He shouldn't become too complacent though and lose the ruthless edge he had prior to his first WC.
Yup that's right.

True he didn't play his best chess before last year's world championship match, but it actually affected his performance during the match as he wasn't at his best there either. The match was much closer last year than it was the year before.

Although you make a good point about him having to play to win all the time in other tournaments (taking more risks), unlike in the world championship match where he'd take a much safer approach.
 

Cheesy

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Discussions about cheese and chess. I prefer monterrey jack myself.
Cheese is better. I ate a chess board once. Wasn't very tasty. More royalty was coming out of my backside for weeks than Princess Diana's car window.
 

Crackers

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Cheese is better. I ate a chess board once. Wasn't very tasty. More royalty was coming out of my backside for weeks than Princess Diana's car window.
What kind of horseplay was involved for you to eat a chess board? Pawn in someone's mischievous schemes I'm guessing?
 

Cheesy

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What kind of horseplay was involved for you to eat a chess board? Pawn in someone's mischievous schemes I'm guessing?
Nah, just wanted to eat a chess board. Don't eat chess boards, people.
 

pillory

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Thank you! Much needed thread.

Wijk has been good fun so far. Carlsen's chances of making it at least five in a row are pretty good I think, considering the opposition, but he seems to be in the process of changing his style, or at least trying to, so you never know.

Jobava is just awesome. Today, a relatively quiet day for him, he played a novelty at move seven in a position where TWELVE other moves have already been tried. But I fear for his already dreadful score after the next four rounds (Wojtaszek (b), Carlsen (w), Aronian (b), Caruana (w)).

And here's a glorious minute (7:15-8:15) from Ivanchuk after his win against MVL:


Exactly like my baby daughter would have told (and gestured) it if she were a chess player and able to form coherent sentences. The resemblance is actually uncanny in places.

I also think this position deserves posting:



This is after 17 moves, and Vachier-Lagrave (white) has a big advantage according to the computers, but Ding Liren (black) has blitzed all his moves, which means he's in prep or possessed by Jobava on speed. It all worked out very well for black, but eventually he lost his astronomical time advantage and then the game. Does anyone know what they said afterwards?
 

Danny1982

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Jobava is having an unbelievably bad tournament. He already lost 24 rating points (and 5 games out of 6), and the most difficult part is still ahead of him. I'm almost certain he'll fall out of the 2700 club after the end of the tournament.

That position is very sharp. I like Black's endgame prospects, but his pieces lack coordination (and it's not easy to untangle them), his king is exposed, and white has the two bishops. I was inclined to prefer black when I first looked at it, but the more I looked at it the more I realized that Black does indeed have some serious problems. By the way they weren't interviewed after the game because they finished too late.

Something worth noting here too, Wesley So has overtaken Nakamura as the US number one in the live rating list, and he got the toughest games out of the way as well, so he's another one to keep an eye on.
 

pillory

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Good to see Jobava got his mojo back in time for Carlsen with white tomorrow. Really looking forward to that one.
 

pillory

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Finally having a look at the non-Carlsen games (busy day), and Jesus Christ, Saric. Carlsen would actually have been leading on his own now, after being 9th and 1.5 points behind, if Giri had managed to convert his massive advantage against Ivanchuk.
 

Danny1982

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4 in a row, and counting! (going against Jobava today). Tied for first as well. What's impressive about those wins is they were all won in the middle game, yet none of his opponents really "blundered"!

Saric... For people who haven't looked at the game, here is the crucial position (Saric blundered horribly with Rd2). It's not often that a grandmaster walks into mate from a dead drawn position. It wasn't that easy to find though (can you find it?), but it's still inexplicable for a grandmaster (who is not under time pressure) to miss it.

 

Danny1982

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6 in a row now for you know who! And a clear first.

Yeah, Mr. Carlsen, that's more like it. That's more like it.
 

McCool

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4 in a row, and counting! (going against Jobava today). Tied for first as well. What's impressive about those wins is they were all won in the middle game, yet none of his opponents really "blundered"!

Saric... For people who haven't looked at the game, here is the crucial position (Saric blundered horribly with Rd2). It's not often that a grandmaster walks into mate from a dead drawn position. It wasn't that easy to find though (can you find it?), but it's still inexplicable for a grandmaster (who is not under time pressure) to miss it.

.... ab+
Kb1 Qa2+
 

17 Van der Gouw

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The last time I paid attention to the Tata Steel tournament, Kasparov was still coaching Nakamura. I really must get back into chess, I miss it, but I love hate it.