FIDE Grand Prix 3, Berlin 21 March to 4 April 2022

[Chris Rice]

"Forgive me if I wander off on a tangent here but I looked at Winter's notes to see when Capablanca had said this because these type of quotes can apply to most sports. I remember the Gary Player quote "the more I practice the luckier I get" as a really good teaching tool for young kids. "

Rather proving the point you were making, that was attributed to Arnold Palmer as well!

It was attributed to quite a few other golfers as well and they may have all said it at one time or another. Here's Qute Investigator with how the quotes originated. All anecdotal so no real way to know for sure I guess but the stories are great!

[Mick Norris]

Shak wins both blitz games, so semis tomorrow are:

Naka v Shak
So v Tabatabaei

[Mick Norris]

Move 30: Naka v Shak is a Petroff and is a draw
So much better against Tabatabaei

[JustinHorton]

Think I forgot this was on after the Candidates places got decided

[Mick Norris]

chess.com report

Nakamura-Mamedyarov
The two combatants in this semifinal have played each other countless times before, but as co-commentator GM Daniel Naroditsky pointed out: while the score in games with the classical time control is more or less even, the score in Nakamura's favor goes up dramatically as the time limit decreases, and in blitz, the score is a heavy 20-4 with some draws in the American's favor.

If that score had anything to do with his choice of openings is anyone's guess, but I suspect it might have. Why else, with White in the first game, would he choose to play the Spassky Variation, 5.Qe2, against the Petroff, a line which has a very drawish reputation?

A tame start to this semifinal, as Nakamura said after the game: “I was always heading for something simple ... without saying too much, the opening in today’s game is one that many of the people in the Candidates might play.”

As So mentioned in his postgame interview after yesterday's tiebreaker, he has never previously played against Tabatabaei. As far as classical, over-the-board games go, that is true; they have played each other in several games in online rapid and blitz.

This, however, did not prevent him from being exceedingly well-prepared against the Iranian's Queen's Gambit Declined. So blitzed out the first 18 moves, even gaining time on the clock. While the preparation as such did not yield a large advantage, it did have the desired result for So in that the technical position that arose was easier for White to play.

I'd be astonished if So failed to get the draw he needs tomorrow

[JustinHorton]

I'd be astonished if So failed to get the draw he needs tomorrow

So fails to get draw

[Mick Norris]

Not quite sure what he was thinking there

2 playoffs tomorrow then

I'd be astonished if So and Naka fail to reach the final

[NickFaulks]

I'd be astonished if So and Naka fail to reach the final

They will be delighted to read that.

[Mick Norris]

chess.com report

Analysis of the Tabatabaei - So game mentions Gormally - Rudd

[IM Jack Rudd]

Ah yes, that game. Danny blundered a piece in a winning position.

[JustinHorton]

If Nakamura's going to try and reach a world championship match by winning a string of lost positions it's going to be pretty entertaining, though I wouldn't recommend it as a strategy for the match itself

[NickFaulks]

What happened yesterday?

[JustinHorton]

Naka was very much worse in both games and won them both.

[Graham Borrowdale]

Naka was very much worse in both games and won them both.

I have never understood why this particular skill seems to make some players popular. It happens in local leagues as well.

[Mick Norris]

Game 1 of the final, So draws with white in 30 moves