Candidates Tournament 2020

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Roger de Coverly
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:01 am

Chris Rice wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:22 am

✔️At the end of each round, the PGNs were sent to Prof Ken Regan for analysis and the results communicated to the CA and Supervisor.
You wonder what the cheat-finder programs make of the Caruana-MVL Poison Pawn Najdorf. One might presume a certain amount of preparatory engine work went into that, from White's side at least. Perhaps the engine used will give it a clean bill of health if its search depth is inadequate or evaluation insufficient.

Matthew Turner
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Matthew Turner » Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:27 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:01 am
Chris Rice wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:22 am

✔️At the end of each round, the PGNs were sent to Prof Ken Regan for analysis and the results communicated to the CA and Supervisor.
You wonder what the cheat-finder programs make of the Caruana-MVL Poison Pawn Najdorf. One might presume a certain amount of preparatory engine work went into that, from White's side at least. Perhaps the engine used will give it a clean bill of health if its search depth is inadequate or evaluation insufficient.
This is sort of an interesting question. I have come to the idea that the additional preparation in events like the candidates really has little impact on the screening scores. This is because there are two offsetting factors. There are moves of 'new theory' that is clearly going to match to computers very closely, but this kicks off with a non-computer move or series of non-computer moves that are required to sidestep the opponent's preparation.

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:22 pm

Matthew Turner wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:24 am
Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:16 am
Mick Norris wrote:
Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:29 pm
TWIC

Already people suggesting that he "tanked" deliberately to help his countryman.......
I am surprised that you didn't take the time to note that like any sane person you thought this was total nonsense. After all, with his second win against a compatriot, Alekseenko would have been just half a point off the lead, with a decent chance of victory himself.
Thought that was self-evident tbf.

But that hasn't stopped the usual "CoMmIe RuSsIaNs WiLl AlWaYs ChEaT!!??!!!!111!!!??!!" suspects.
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Angus French
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Angus French » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:14 pm

Nepo-Caruana a Scotch Four Knights.

All games have started 1. e4.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:16 pm

Nepo v Caruana: Scotch Four Knights where Black has played ...Bg4 rather than recapture immediately on d5. (I don't think I've come across this before, though if you don't play Open Games it's a notably drawish variation, maybe telling us that Nepo would be happy with that result.)

Giri v Ding: Spanish Double Delayed Exchange and you don't see that everyday either. Wasn't there a book on it in the Sixties or am I making that up? (EDIT: 1975.)

Grischuk v MVL: 2...d6 against the Closed Sicilian, which always used to be frowned on, though not necessarily because of 3 d4. Wackiness has ensued, inclding Grischuk being -1 according to Stockfish but with more time than he started with.

Alekseenko v Wang: Italian Game with 4...h6 and then with 6...g5, people really do play anything these days.
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Paul Cooksey
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Paul Cooksey » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:27 pm

Bg4 is quite well established now, to try to encourage white to play a sharper line. But looks like Nepo has decided to be completely solid today

Tim Harding
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Tim Harding » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:37 pm

Yes a surprisingly large number of games in my database with 9...Bg4, all dating from 2018 or later.
The first new move seems to be Fabi's 15...Bg6, probably found at the board since he spent 7 minutes on it. 15...Qc5+_ had been played in Mihok-Malinovsky, Ceske Budejovice 2020.
Two GM games had gone 13 Ne4 rather than dxc6 so maybe Fabi was more prepared for that.

It's probably going to be a draw. Nepo's Qd7 suggests to me that he's trying to force a complete liquidation rather than risk getting gradually outplayed.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:53 pm

"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:57 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:16 pm
Wackiness has ensued


Retaking on d4 with the Queen, dropping back to d2 and then playing b3, Bb2 and 0-0-0 is an idea tried or even introduced by Carlsen.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:02 pm

Lines with ...Bh6 are still pretty rare, no? Perhaps all the more so with a White bishop on (or coming to) a1-g7.
JustinHorton wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:16 pm
Giri v Ding: Spanish Double Delayed Exchange and you don't see that everyday either.
"No longer played at the top level" says Vidit in the commentary box.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

lostontime.blogspot.com

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:13 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:16 pm
Giri_Anish-Ding_Liren]Spanish Double Delayed Exchange and you don't see that everyday either. Wasn't there a book on it in the Sixties or am I making that up? ( 1975.)
It was known in British circles before Len Pickett's book. This notorious game for example
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2039493

Nick Burrows
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Nick Burrows » Fri Apr 23, 2021 3:32 pm

It's now clear that Nepo will head into the final round 1/2 a point ahead of Giri. He will lose to Ding leaving Giri with white vs Alekseekno...

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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 3:54 pm

MVL looking like he's going to need his lost-game saving skills again
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:03 pm

Nick Burrows wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 3:32 pm
It's now clear that Nepo will head into the final round 1/2 a point ahead of Giri. He will lose to Ding leaving Giri with white vs Alekseekno...
Do you have tomorrow's lottery numbers as well? :P
"Set up your attacks so that when the fire is out, it isn't out!" (H N Pillsbury)

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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:08 pm

Anyway I was zonked this afternoon and seem to have missed some very dramatic chess, as follows:

Nepo v Caruana was drawn without Black ever being able to find anyuthing to trouble the leader.

Giri won, as he had to, in what is being described as a sparkling and brilliant game.

Grischuk seems to have blown at least two winning positions in a dramatic game against MVL, but he will surely convert the third (or is it the fourth).

Alekseenko had an big early edge against Wang but may eventually be relieved to get a draw.
Last edited by JustinHorton on Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Do you play chess?"
"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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