39th Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk 2010 (the chess)

[Justin Hadi]

Yeah, and after ...Kh7 Adams is +1.45

[Mark Howitt]

Mm I'm liking the Rybka variations. I hope Adams will press for a win... not totally sure if he will but he should!

[Ola Winfridsson]

Best way to find the 'chess truth' of Carlsen's play is to have two strong comps play one hundred games from the position after white plays Bxh5. I'm pretty sure white would come out on top! Still, Adams does like to play it safe sometimes and didn't want to walk into Carlsen's prep.

Yes, that may very well be so, but the chess truth is sometimes slightly different for humans and computers, or put another way: what is +1 or +2 for an engine is not necessarily as easily winning for a human being, and vice versa. From the perspective of a human, many of these offbeat systems are probably best refuted by not going for an all out crush, but rather something along the lines of how Adams handled it today; just develop your pieces to sensible squares and avoid overextending the pawn structure.

[Mark Howitt]

Depends on your style- I'm pretty sure someone like Topalov or Shirov would go for 5 Bxh5. In other variations white does have a slight edge, and perhaps it's 'easier to play', but Bxh5 would lead to more practical chances I think, if played correctly.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Mm I'm liking the Rybka variations.

So what are they? Should Adams still go for the c5 plan, or can he somehow take advantage of that b1-h7 diagonal?

[Roger de Coverly]

Depends on your style- I'm pretty sure someone like Topalov or Shirov would go for 5 Bxh5. In other variations white does have a slight edge, and perhaps it's 'easier to play', but Bxh5 would lead to more practical chances I think, if played correctly.

The main line seems to run

1 e4 g6 2 d4 Nf6 3 e5 Nh5 4 Be2 d6 5 Bxh5 gxh5 6 Qxh5 dxe5 7 Qxe5 Rg8 (7 dxe5 Qd5).

Computer evaluations may differ on this position. The ones I have suggest equal chances - in other words there is enough positional compensation for the pawn. Unlike perhaps Korchnoi, Adams doesn't have a reputation for taking pawns and grimly holding them.

[Ian Kingston]

Mm I'm liking the Rybka variations.

So what are they? Should Adams still go for the c5 plan, or can he somehow take advantage of that b1-h7 diagonal?

After Carlsen's 26...Rg8, the diagonal looks like an excellent bet: 27.Qd1 Ng7 28.Nxf6+ Qxf6 29.Be4+ Kh8 30.Bc2 Black gets completely tied down covering h7.

[Justin Hadi]

Adams is a bit short on time, Carlsen maybe gambling to induce a time trouble blunder?

[Simon Ansell]

Is it really that good? Positionally Black should be fine, but I can see that h7 is going to be a problem.
Edit: I mean the Black structure is no worse than White's, the only problem is the weird knight. And long term the White bishop isn't great.

Re. the opening, why exchange a bishop for that ridiculous knight on h5, even for a pawn? The way Mickey played it is just an Alekhine where I can't believe the Black knight is better on h5 than b6.

[Ola Winfridsson]

Depends on your style- I'm pretty sure someone like Topalov or Shirov would go for 5 Bxh5. In other variations white does have a slight edge, and perhaps it's 'easier to play', but Bxh5 would lead to more practical chances I think, if played correctly.

Of course, but perhaps Carlsen would have been better off playing it against the likes of Topalov and Shirov!

I remember seeing the supersolid GM Ulf Andersson analyse the North Sea Defence with Rolf Martens, picking it apart completely (this was in the late 80s so Martens had to take everything back to the drawing board after that!). Just as Simon Ansell says; why would the knight be better off at h5 than at b6? I would suggest that the North Sea Defence is not unsound tactically, it's unsound positionally.

[Simon Ansell]

Weirdly it's not the king's knight that's now the problem, Magnus managed to get rid of that one but the other one has taken it's place!

[Ola Winfridsson]

Hehe, yes, and now Carlsen's behind on the clock too. My money is definitely on Adams, Black's got no real opportunities of creating counterplay, and the little manouevre Bd1-c2 of course ...

[Ian Kingston]

32.Ng5! would be a tremendous shot if Adams can find it.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Ng5, v. interesting - is the idea just 32....hg5 33 fg5 (threatening Bc2) and if 33...Bg5 34 Rxf7, renewing threat of Bc2?

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

33. Rg6 What a move! Surely this is a win for Adams now.