Candidates Tournament 2020

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Nick Ivell
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Nick Ivell » Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:16 pm

I was baffled by g4, which weakened f4 in the first place.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:27 pm

I wondered if he were trying to play h4 and g5.

Of course it's quite possible that Giri is playing well below his usual level of concentration.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:45 pm

And Alekseenko wins.
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:49 pm

Which leaves Caruana v Grischuk as the final act of this event, Fab still trying to squeeze something from not very much.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:10 pm

And it's drawn. Still alive at move 62 though, would we all have picked the right move for Black?
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Nick Ivell
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Nick Ivell » Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:20 pm

It took me a long time to find ...Kc8 when ...Rxf5 would have lost.

The pawn wasn't going away!

Nick Burrows
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Nick Burrows » Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:00 pm

Wang Hao has retired due to health issues.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:21 pm

Sad news about Wang Hao's retirement.

How much help (compared to Karjakin) will Nepo get from "the Russians"?

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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by NickFaulks » Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:31 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:21 pm
How much help (compared to Karjakin) will Nepo get from "the Russians"?
How much will he want?
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Nick Ivell
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Nick Ivell » Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:40 pm

I think this shows what an exhausting game chess is; even dangerous, if your health is less than perfect.

Simon Rogers
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Simon Rogers » Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:56 pm

Nick Ivell wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:40 pm
I think this shows what an exhausting game chess is; even dangerous, if your health is less than perfect.
Apparently a lot is due to stress levels.
I remember reading back in 2014 that two chess players died at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso.
Sadly two Latvians died at different chess tournaments back in 2000. I believe one was a Grandmaster.

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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by NickFaulks » Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:46 pm

Simon Rogers wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:56 pm
I remember reading back in 2014 that two chess players died at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso.
Not from stress, to the best of my recollection.
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Tim Harding
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Tim Harding » Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:52 pm

Simon Rogers wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:56 pm
Nick Ivell wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:40 pm
I think this shows what an exhausting game chess is; even dangerous, if your health is less than perfect.
Apparently a lot is due to stress levels.
I remember reading back in 2014 that two chess players died at the 41st Chess Olympiad in Tromso.
Sadly two Latvians died at different chess tournaments back in 2000. I believe one was a Grandmaster.
Of the 15 decisive games in the tournament, ten were in the last three rounds: Wang Hao 3, Alekseenko and Giri 2 apiece, and one each by Caruana, Grischuk and Nep'o. White won five and Black won five.

Exhaustion probably played a part but also different motivations: some players desperately needing wins. It was too late for safety-first play, except for Nepo.
Whereas Ding Liren finished with 3/3 and a majority of his games were decisive (8:6) which is pretty extraordinary for an event of this kind.

BTW the Latvian GM to whom you refer was Aivars Gipslis, whom I had met the previous year in Riga. He was one of the select band who earned the GM title both from FIDE and ICCF.
Tim Harding
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JustinHorton
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Apr 27, 2021 10:11 pm

Tim Harding wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 9:52 pm
Of the 15 decisive games in the tournament
Typing error for 25?
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"Yes, but I prefer a game with a better chance of cheating."

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Nick Ivell
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Re: Candidates Tournament 2020

Post by Nick Ivell » Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:52 am

What, no Candidates today? I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms already.

It was such a relief to watch some proper chess; not online skittles, with all its nonsensical talk about mouseslips and the like.

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