2016 Candidates Moscow 10-29 March

[LawrenceCooper]

Aronian has a second chance at a Rxd3 sac (move 45) but with the pawn on g5 this may give white enough counterplay.

[JustinHorton]

Aronian has a second chance at a Rxd3 sac (move 45) but with the pawn on g5 this may give white enough counterplay.

Second chance at that posting?

[Jonathan Bryant]

Knowing me, knowing you... I'd be inclined not to ignore what you say, or play, Jonathan

One thing I do know with confidence:-


Svidler can go 56 Re7 on the grounds that 56 ... Rxh4 57 Rxh4 Rxh4, 58 Rc7 Rf4 would be drawn. You need the king cut off by a lot of files when you’ve got a knight’s pawn.


EDIT: You’re going to have to take my word for it that I posted that before seeing that Svidler had actually played Re7.

[JustinHorton]

Aronian is giving it a go, but he's not got a lot of time left.

[Chris Rice]

That h-pawn is going to be a nightmare to stop.

[LawrenceCooper]

That h-pawn is going to be a nightmare to stop.

The Qc5-e3-g3 defence may manage it though.

[JustinHorton]

And Aronian seems to be playing on increments now

[JustinHorton]

Gustafsson on Chess24 makes the point that since we discussed it above, the Karjakin/Caruana tiebreak has changed in Karjakin's favour as he now has more wins: if they go into the last round equal, a draw would put him through.

Which means that (assuming he draws with Aronian today) unless he sees Karjakin caving in against Aronian on Sunday, Caruana has to go for a win against Svidler.

[Jonathan Bryant]

More rook ending knowledge I picked up a couple of years ago.

You need the king cut off by two files if you have a bishop’s pawn. So Rc7 Kxg5, Rxg5+ Kf6, Rg1 Rd5 is a draw.


EDIT: and once again Svidler moves while I’m typing

[Jonathan Bryant]

72 Ke3 a surprise. To me, at least. I thought Rxc6+ Kxg5, Rc2 with checks from the front to follow was holding for White.


Edit: on reflection perhaps ... Kh4 for Black is the problem

[JustinHorton]

He might as well keep the rook on the g7 pawn.

[Jonathan Bryant]

He might as well keep the rook on the g7 pawn.

Perhaps, but if I was right - presumably I wasn’t - it would have been a book draw. Girl playing ... Rf1 may be the point. If White has the first rank it would def have been a draw. Checking distance and whatnot.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Bank holiday evening.

An apparently pointless rook ending, the result of which - even if it wasn’t a forgone conclusion - is hardly likely to affect the top of the table when all is said and done.

I’m the only one watching, right?

[JustinHorton]

I am too. I could say "in the hope of learning something" but anything I learn is liable to be forgotten by tomorrow.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Gustafsson is sounding al lot like Marvin the Paranoid Android. Any minute now he’s going to say, "I think you should know I’m feeling very depressed"