English Chess Forum

I put together a table of the possible outcomes, depending on the results in the key games remaining.
Scenarios where Nepo wins are in green, MVL in blue, Giri in orange.

There are some (pretty unlikely) scenarios where Caruana can get up to a tie for first but my reading of the tiebreak regs suggests he loses in all of these.

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 19, 2021 11:07 am

Obscurely, though play doesn't start for nearly another hour, Chessbomb is showing 1 e4 in Alekseenko v Grischuk and 1 e4 e5 in Caruana v Vacher-Lagrave

Presently it has 1. b3 in Grischuk v Giri, 1 Nc3 in Wang v Caruana, 1 b4 e5 in Nepo v MVL and 1 h3 Na6 in Alekseenko v Ding. Who was it who used to favour 1...Na6 with 2...c6 and 3..Nc7, was it Welling?

I saw John Nunn play 1...Na6 in several blitz games in Hamburg.

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:53 am

Who was it who used to favour 1...Na6 with 2...c6 and 3..Nc7, was it Welling?

It might also have been Welling who has a new book shortly with Basman, but I would associate the idea with Australian IM Alex Wohl.

And the real openings:

Alekseenko v Ding was a normal Italian Game until White threw in 9 b3, what's that all about?

Wang v Caruana is an Alapin Sicilian (via 2 Nf3) with Black selecting the e6/d6 version.

In the big games:

Grischuk v Giri is a Queen's Indian with ...Bb4+ and ...c5, an internet favourite in my experience. Did Carlsen try it once or twice?

Nepo v MVL is - you tell me. I can't call it a Queen's Indian without ....e6 but is it really an English? I was a touch surprised that White went d5 without waiting for ...c5, is the idea that ...d5 might have been effective?

Encouragingly complex openings in the key games today

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:16 pm

- you tell me. I can't call it a Queen's Indian without ....e6 but is it really an English? I was a touch surprised that White went d5 without waiting for ...c5, is the idea that ...d5 might have been effective?

In a manner of speaking it's a Kings Indian. Throwing in an early .. b6 and .. Bb7 is an option when White doesn't go for centre occupation with c4, d4 and Nc3. Since the Hedgehog became popular, .. b6 usually heads that way.

Roger de Coverly wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:31 pm

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:16 pm

- you tell me. I can't call it a Queen's Indian without ....e6 but is it really an English? I was a touch surprised that White went d5 without waiting for ...c5, is the idea that ...d5 might have been effective?

In a manner of speaking it's a Kings Indian.

Good try, although for my money that manner of speaking would include the observation "without d6"

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:16 pm

Alekseenko v Ding was a normal Italian Game until White threw in 9 b3, what's that all about?

This idea is recommended in Souleidis and Muller's Slow Italian book although slightly later after Be6 from black. Against the usual Bb5 from white black is doing well with the plan Qb8 to a7 so this is another try. b3 discourages black from taking on c4 and also sometimes allows a4, Bxe6 and Nc4 cementing the knight on c4, although there are several different plans in the position.

PeterFinn wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:05 pm

JustinHorton wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:16 pm

Alekseenko v Ding was a normal Italian Game until White threw in 9 b3, what's that all about?

This idea is recommended in Souleidis and Muller's Slow Italian book although slightly later after Be6 from black. Against the usual Bb5 from white

This is a wacky thing for me to read as until recently the Black pawn would have been on a6 in most lines. I lost track of theory at some point and usually have no idea what's going on these days.

I was going to post earlier that giri's "imbalance but not all in" approach had my approval - but he seems to have either miscalculated or decided to gamble with disastrous results

Too early to say "And then there was one"?

Nepo v MVL agreed drawn so presumably we're just waiting for Giri to resign.

Draw for Nepo but no hope for Giri.

I'm pleased. I think Nepo can give Carlsen a match; I wouldn't fancy Giri's chances, fine play in this tournament notwithstanding.

Maybe Nepo could have pressed further today.

Hard not to wonder what effect Wang caving in on Saturday has had, not just on Giri's tactics but on his state of mind.