WC Match 2016 - New York 10-30 November

[Roger de Coverly]

But not here where Bf6 exchanges queens in a way Black doesn't want!!!

Karjakin has rejected the Queen trade. This is going to hinge on their relative skill, knowledge and understanding of the positions with three pawns and a Bishop against two pawns and a Bishop. Perhaps both players know it's a draw with best play, but not having losing chances, Karjakin can play for torture and attempt to provoke an error.

[Roger Lancaster]

Well, if Carlsen was prepared to allow 48 Bf6 and Karjakin didn't think it worth playing, it looks like I have to retract. But, if the bishop ending with undoubled pawns was (in the opinion of two top GMs) drawn, then it tells you everything you need to know about the bishop ending with doubled pawns!

[Mick Norris]

Analysis from chess.com and Chess Mind

Now both sides have missed reasonable chances, maybe Carlsen can take advantage of his last 2 whites

[Jonathan Bryant]

I was at the venue for game 8 yesterday witnessing the first decisive game of the match so here’s a report on the day.

Great post Chris, thanks. I wonder if in 20 years time you’ll be telling "I was there" stories or if it will turn out to be a little blip in history. I guess we’ll know by Monday.


As far as yesterday goes, Jonathan Tisdall is writing by far the best game reports for my money:-

http://mattogpatt.no/2016/11/24/reprieve/

[Barry Sandercock]

Magnus has played Bg5 in the Ruy Lopez. Is this an unusual move here ?

[Joshua Gibbs]

Magnus has played Bg5 in the Ruy Lopez. Is this an unusual move here ?

yes very, though Carlsen has played it before against Shirov in 2011 http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1628516

[Roger de Coverly]

Magnus has played Bg5 in the Ruy Lopez. Is this an unusual move here ?

It's the third most popular choice after O-O and Bxc6, but a long way adrift. If you put the Bishop on c4 instead of b5, it would be entirely normal to play Bg5. The defensive idea of delaying .. d6 so as to retreat with Bc5-e7 unpinning is known from the Italian Game.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. O-O d6 9. Nbd2 Nh5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Nc4 Nf4 12. Ne3 Qf6 *

[Barry Sandercock]

Thanks Roger. Game seems very even at the moment.

[LawrenceCooper]

Emil Sutovsky "Once SK didn't play 12...f5, MC opening choice can be considered moderately successful."

[MartinCarpenter]

Svidler is now soliciting cakes in true TMS style

[David Robertson]

Death of Chess - official. Evidence obvious.

A World Champion, a great World Champion, accepts a Spanish Berlin when needing to fight and win. What should we conclude? A new tweak in this stuff? An anti-opening, anti-middlegame, ending grind? Something to enliven our hope that the game isn't totally engine-fu*ked? I despair; doubtless, I'm hardly alone. Playing for your title, is this it? Is this all your prep could deliver? Why not try the Evans, for example? Easy: it's bust - by engines! The Scotch? Ditto as this level. So dig in with d3 - and die [great gloom]

[JustinHorton]

Or he could try 1. d4

[AustinElliott]

Svidler is now soliciting cakes in true TMS style

Has Svidler made it onto TMS as a guest yet? I did once tell TMS' Jonathan Agnew on Twitter that they should get Svidler on, and they did actually exchange a few tweeted messages, so I was quite hopeful. Can't remember it actually happening, though.

[David Robertson]

Or he could try 1. d4

But he didn't. He absolutely didn't. He didn't spend all morning thinking e4 or d4. He and his team spent all morning thinking: after 1.e4, will we get the Berlin? We're one down, how would you plan it? You could say: f*ck it, 2 f4; or f*ck it 2 b3; or just f*ck and go home. But they said, it seems, f*ck it, the best chance to get one back is to chop up the Berlin!! W.T.F.

[Tim Harding]

Clock times at move 16 (Black thinking) Magnus 1h07 Sergey 35m approx

Peter Svidler: "We were taught in school that half an hour on the clock is half a pawn."

Jan Gustafsson: "Did Grischuk miss that day in school?"