Chess! Do you play?

[Robert5091]

Looks like game 7 is heading for a draw which is not good for Carlsen
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/l...-caruana-world-chess-championship-game-7-live

Follow live with commentary at https://www.twitch.tv/chess

 

[python]

my understanding is that 5 min ago the 8th draw was concluded...unlike 2 years ago, i am not following each game live. the web analysts say it was a game where caruana had played actively until he missed a win.

it was another Sicilian, 4th or 5th in the match ....

 

[Robert5091]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/l...-caruana-world-chess-championship-game-8-live

“Some minor disappointment,” Caruana says when asked to assess his emotions after the match. “I thought at some point I had a very promising position. I didn’t quite see exactly which moment I had something very good.”

Says a relieved Carlsen: “This was a tough game. He was the one who had all the chances. So I am happy to have survived it for sure.”
...
Another impressive save by Carlsen. Caruana had the champion facing his most unpleasant moment of the match so far, down nearly an hour with a highly shaky position, but one inaccurate step (24. h3?!) was all Carlsen needed to hatch another escape. The world championship match is deadlocked at 4-all after eight games.

8th draw and a BIG Carlsen escape.

 

[Robert5091]

Game 9 - draw - Caruana is left off the hook. Still all level.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/nov/21/world-chess-championship-game-9-carlsen-caruana

A freshly bruised Magnus Carlsen came dangerously close to landing a decisive blow in Wednesday’s ninth game of his tightly wound defense of the world chess championship against Fabiano Caruana in London, until a moment of impatience allowed his opponent off the hook and left the best-of-12-games match no closer to resolution in a 4½-all deadlock.

The 27-year-old champion, sporting a bandage over a black eye absorbed in a collision with a Norwegian journalist during a kickabout on Tuesday’s rest day, harried the American challenger out of his preparation early and pushed him to the brink of disaster in the middlegame, but one rushed misstep gifted Caruana the slack he required to hold for a 58-move draw with three classical games remaining and the gnawing spectre of a tie-breaker looming ever larger.

“I felt like I had a comfortable advantage and then I just blew it,” a clearly disappointed Carlsen said in the immediate aftermath. “I was poor.”

As it happened - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/l...-caruana-world-chess-championship-game-9-live

It's a bit like watching a boxing match where both fighters don't hit hard enough to knock out their opponent.

 

[Robert5091]

Game 10 draw - still all level. The way things are going it seems we're heading for a "penalty shoot-out", to use a soccer term.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/nov/22/world-chess-championship-game-10-carlsen-caruana

The 27-year-old champion from Norway, playing with the black pieces, weathered Caruana’s novel deviation from the Sveshnikov Sicilian (12. b4) and responded with a bold attacking surprise (21. … b5!) to go for broke on the kingside and briefly take advantages in position and time.

But one false step (44. ... Kd4) while trying to squeeze victory from a seemingly drawish position left the champion on the back foot, where he admitted he was “fortunate” to salvage a draw after five hours and 19 minutes.

“I felt that it was very close to mate,” Carlsen said of his kingside attack. “The problem is if I don’t mate I’m losing. So I was trying to find some middle ground and my time was running out. I don’t know. I was just so nervous, I couldn’t make it happen. It ended up just being nothing.”

As it happened at https://www.theguardian.com/sport/l...caruana-world-chess-championship-game-10-live

“I think at some point I had a big advantage but I couldn’t see how to play it,” Caruana says. “I think maybe (24. g3) was a mistake, but it’s also hard to say. Maybe I had chances after that as well, but it’s always very complicated because he’s attacking me and I always have to deal with a mating attack. So it’s not like I’m only playing for two results. If I make a mistake I could get mated.”

 

[Robert5091]

Game 11 - Carlsen's last chance with the white pieces and it's looking like another draw
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/l...caruana-world-chess-championship-game-11-live

Barring any inaccuracies a draw should be forthcoming.

 

[shalgo]

This really has been the most boring world championship match since the 1984-85 K-K marathon. Excellent defense, but poor attacking (to the extent you can even say there has been something like an attack). Most surprising has been the complete inability of either player to get an advantage with white. Adorjan (author of the Black is Ok! series of books) must be thrilled with this match. I almost expect one of the games to open 1.e3 e5 2.e4 just to get rid of the advantage of the first move.

 

[Red Rick]

How does this work? What is the tiebreaker if it's equal after 12 games?

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

How does this work? What is the tiebreaker if it's equal after 12 games?

A set of rapid and blitz games, and an armageddon game (single blitz game where black has less time but a draw will give him the win) if the tie still persists.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

How does this work? What is the tiebreaker if it's equal after 12 games?

A set of rapid and blitz games, and an armageddon game (single blitz game where black has less time but a draw will give him the win) if the tie still persists.

Never thought I'd hear the term 'armegeddon game' in the context of chess

 

[python]

...more about a tie breaker.

exactly 2 years ago the championship tile was won in a tiebreaker game. i followed it closely and posted some elements of the rules in this thread.
viewtopic.php?p=2046150#p2046150

to add the details. there are several rapid and blitz rule systems. all differ by the teir time controls.

according to the fide rules used in the world championships, if the classic/traditional 12 games end in a draw, a set of 4 rapid games should . in a rapid, by the time control definition, each player will be given 25 minutes plus 10 seconds for each move. if the 4 games end in a draw still, the separate blitz consisting of 2 games will be played. by definition blitz is a 5 minute allotment plus 3 seconds after each move. five such 2-game matches are the maximum. if it is still a draw, only then the Armageddon game will be due. in that last game the odds are deliberately tilted to produce a result. that is, the whites get 5 minutes and the black get 4 minutes.

some more significant notes. carlsen is objectively stronger than the american in both the rapid and blitz. it is a fact that might have contributed to magnus' tactic.

many outstanding players and former champions strongly criticize the current system considering it not reflective of the depth of the game of chess.

 

[Robert5091]

15.00 in London for the start of game 12 - a win and someone's world champ.

live at
https://www.twitch.tv/chess

 

[python]

several minutes ago they concluded the 12th draw...carlsen had a more perspective position with black and lots of time advantage. yet, it was him who offered the draw. obviously, he's counting on the rapid tomorrow where he's by all predictions is supposed to keep the title.

needless to mentioned it was the 1st world individual fight where ALL classic games ended in draw.

 

[Red Rick]

First time I followed a piece of a chess match live, can't say that was something that's likely to make me do it again

 

[Eshnar]

Re:

First time I followed a piece of a chess match live, can't say that was something that's likely to make me do it again

you might have the chess version of Gigs's curse.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

First time I followed a piece of a chess match live, can't say that was something that's likely to make me do it again

you might have the chess version of Gigs's curse.

Good thing Giggles has more love for cycling than I have chess

But then again maybe right now I'm that ignorant fool who whines when nothing interesting happens in the first 200km of Milano Sanremo

 

[Robert5091]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/nov/26/world-chess-championship-game-12-carlsen-caruana

The world championship tilt between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana will be decided in a quickfire tie-breaker after Monday’s Game 12 ended in a 31-move draw. The result shocked onlookers in light of the champion’s advantages in position and time, and left the best-of-12-games match in a historic 6-6 deadlock.

As it happened - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/l...caruana-world-chess-championship-game-12-live

“I wasn’t necessarily going for the maximum,” says Carlsen, essentially admitting that he was content with a draw after move 20. “I just wanted a position that was completely safe, (but) where I could put some pressure. If a draw hadn’t been a satisfactory result, obviously I would have approached it differently.”

Says Caruana: “I was a bit surprised by the draw offer. I can never be better (than move 31). And I don’t really have any active ideas. If anything, black is better. At least I thought I was over the worst of it. I thought it was much more dangerous a few moves ago.”

Carlsen's surprise draw offer might well come back to haunt him. Oh well. Onto Wednseday!

 

[Red Rick]

Is Carlsen really that much of a favorite in faster games?

 

[Robert5091]

Re:

Is Carlsen really that much of a favorite in faster games?

Anything can happen in sport, but Carlsen's a big favourite. He retained his World Championship title in 2016 by winning in a tie-break, so he's been here before too.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/22/magnus-carlsen-vishy-anand-chess

Carlsen, who in addition to his No 1 ranking is the world’s top-rated rapid player and top-rated blitz player (compared to Caruana’s respective ratings of No 8 and No 16), is widely regarded as a strong favorite in the format, not least due to a 13-year unbeaten record in tie-breakers.

 

[Eshnar]

Re: Re:

But then again maybe right now I'm that ignorant fool who whines when nothing interesting happens in the first 200km of Milano Sanremo

No, today was really really bad. Never thought I would see Carlsen offer a draw in that situation. Everybody was quite shocked.

 

[shalgo]

Re: Re:

But then again maybe right now I'm that ignorant fool who whines when nothing interesting happens in the first 200km of Milano Sanremo

No, today was really really bad. Never thought I would see Carlsen offer a draw in that situation. Everybody was quite shocked.

Former champion Vladimir Kramnik's words about Carlsen's draw offer in game 12:

"Let me tell the first word which comes to my mind: It’s a shame…He’s just better without any risk. How can you offer a draw? This is out of the question for me. He can offer a draw any time — in 10-15 minutes. It’s just absurd — something is wrong with Magnus. I have a feeling he cannot withhold the pressure. He’s a great chess player but this is not the way you play a World Championship. You have to fight, especially in such positions. It’s frankly showing such a weakness.

"I can understand if he would be one point ahead, and maybe offer a draw in this position, but maybe not. It’s just absurd. I’m completely shocked."

https://en.chessbase.com/post/world-championship-2018-game-12

 

[shalgo]

Re:

Is Carlsen really that much of a favorite in faster games?

Yes, he is. As mentioned in the link below, Carlsen's rating is only 12 points better than Caruana's at classical time controls, while it is 91 points better in rapid and 172 points better in blitz.

https://issuu.com/newinchess/docs/newinchess-2018_8_the_blitz_whisper?e=7589593/66037159

 

[python]

when applied to fast chess, not everyone considers the elo rating as accurate as in the classic chess...

the inventor of the rating himself warned fide that he was against the use of his system in fast chess. he was not listened to.

as in any intellectual endeavor, a person can improve considerably via lots of practice. but, as karpov once noted, there are great grand masters that just were not meant for fast chess.

i dont know whether caruana falls under the karpov spell...i do know than magnus definately does NOT and has proven himself being a very fast and nimble player. holding or having held both fast titles to boot .

 

[shalgo]

True to form, Carlsen wins the first rapid game after Caruana misses a key move (37...Ra2+) in the rook endgame. There are still three more games in the rapid mini-match, however.

 

[shalgo]

Two rapid wins in a row for Carlsen. He will now retain the world championship if he can get even one draw out of the next two games.