Tal Memorial Wed 12th Jun 2013 - Mon 24th Jun 2013

[LawrenceCooper]

And congratulations to Fabiano Caruana, nudging closer to 2800.

Carlsen's play must be of great concern, in the run-up to his World Championship. He lost some really bad games in late 2010, and the beginning of the following year. Then he tightened his game up considerably, cutting down his losses, and increasing his wins. At one stage, he lost only two games in a hundred. Then suddenly his play collapsed, two losses at the end of the Candidates', another loss at the Norwegian event, and now another loss at the Tal Memorial. Four losses out of fifteen consecutive games. OK, the vast majority of us would be delighted at losing only four games against fifteen, even against much lower opposition. Carlsen. if he wants to become World Champion, will need to rethink his play.

At the moment, It seems far from certain that he would beat Anand in a match. There are also younger players, who will be eager enough to try to overtake Carlsen before too long.

A bit harsh, he ground down Kramnik and then comfortably held against Karjakin before two seemingly strange moves today. I think he's way ahead of the rest, but he's human and will make mistakes, especially when hungry to try to win any position.

[Paolo Casaschi]

if he wants to become World Champion, will need to rethink his play.

What do you think about Carlsen's opening? For an aspiring worldchampion his opening choices seem really too bland; today's game with Caruana is a very good example.

[LawrenceCooper]

if he wants to become World Champion, will need to rethink his play.

What do you think about Carlsen's opening? For an aspiring worldchampion his opening choices seem really too bland; today's game with Caruana is a very good example.

A lot of his wins come from outplaying players in equal positions having avoided reams of opening theory, his win against Kramnik being a recent example. Given the round 3 loss was largely down to a pawn blunder in the middle game I don't think his approach needs a drastic rethink.

[Mick Norris]

And congratulations to Fabiano Caruana, nudging closer to 2800.

He has white tomorrow against Nakamura - a win puts him over 2800 on the Live Ratings

[Colin S Crouch]

Picking up the last few points:

I do think that there is a concern for Carlsen's recent play. OK, we are thinking in terms of the strongest ever player in the world, and the next World Champion (which he will probably achieve, but certainly). We are not judging him in terms of a "random" 2600 Grandmaster. His sudden drop from 2% of losses to over 25% of losses must surely be of great concern to him, but again he must not exaggerate the problem. Somehow he needs to keep on an even keel.

Back in late 2010 and early 2011, he suddenly lost a large number of games, often against relatively low rated opponents (relatively - lower 2600s, upper 2700s). He compensated on this by playing much more cautiously, did not lose many games, but had a lower percentage of wins. He compensated on this brilliantly by late 2012 (London Classic, Wijk aan Zee), but suddenly he was losing again. The interesting question is how to handle this. If he can manage to win this tournament at the Tal Memorial, he will be back on form again. If not, it will not be a good sign, dropping down from decisive wins of big tournaments, to a string of equal firsts or below.

On the question of Carlsen's openings, I get the strong feeling that he is always playing his opponent, rather than the board, much like the great Emanuel Lasker.
He is always concerned at making his opponent having to face difficult tasks, and will on occasion play lines which he has not prepared in detail in advance, on the basis that quite probably his opponent will have prepared even less, and that it is not the sort of line that the opponent would enjoy. He has had some really bad losses, and quite often does not play as accurately as one would have liked, but his opponent tends also to make inaccuracies.

Back to lunch, and the games...

[Paolo Casaschi]

On the question of Carlsen's openings, I get the strong feeling that he is always playing his opponent, rather than the board, much like the great Emanuel Lasker.
He is always concerned at making his opponent having to face difficult tasks, and will on occasion play lines which he has not prepared in detail in advance, on the basis that quite probably his opponent will have prepared even less, and that it is not the sort of line that the opponent would enjoy. He has had some really bad losses, and quite often does not play as accurately as one would have liked, but his opponent tends also to make inaccuracies.

Carlsen clearly picks his openings very differently from what Kasparov used to do, for example. I wonder if he wil keep this approach (giving up looking for a clear edge in the opening, even as White, aiming to avoid the opponent's preparation) in the match against Anand and, in case, how this approach will work in a relatively long match (well, as long as you can get nowadays).
I hope this wont lead to too many draws without real play, with Anand wating for Carlsen to fall into a prepared line, otherwise playing for a safe draw without taking any risk at all.

[Jonathan Rogers]

I am surprised that Colin doesn't point out that in his last 16 games, Carlsen lost four all with White!

This is simply unimaginable, who was the last world championship aspirant to suffer such a run? Maybe no one?

One would most naturally explain it by saying that is down to a combination of an utterly adonyne opening repertoire where he doesn't even aim for any kind of advantage with the natural feeling that he ought to win with white, which may make him more likely to overpress in equal positions than he would with black. Except that against Caruana he never even got equality. He has often been worse v Aronian with White recently too, though he has avoided losing.

Anyway Colin is surely absolutely right to say that this is a very serious worry for team Carlsen. There is now something concrete in terms of his results to raise doubts about the match in Chennai, alongside his almost complete inexperience in matches.

[LawrenceCooper]

Except that against Caruana he never even got equality.

I assume that comment was made in jest

[Jonathan Rogers]

Ok, rethinking that, the position was dead equal right out of the opening. But so much so that even Carlsen could not liven it up in any useful way and he ended up going for a dubious pawn sacrifice. So it leads back to my original comment about anodyne openings combined with an unwillingness to accept draws with White.

[LawrenceCooper]

Before he blundered/sacrificed the pawn (I'd be curious to know what his thinking was) he was comfortable, not better but certainly not worse and the sort of innocuous position he's happy playing. I expect it would have ended in a draw with mass exchanges on the c file but certainly no problems for white.

[Leonard Barden]

"I was trying to create a little imbalance which would have been OK if it hadn't just been a blunder. From here on I have to struggle for a draw." (Carlsen)

[Jonathan Bryant]

I am surprised that Colin doesn't point out that in his last 16 games, Carlsen lost four all with White!

Interesting stat. Does this run date back to the end of the Candidates'. If so, the fact that three of those four defeats were rook endings he might have held is also worth a thought.

[Mick Norris]

If so, the fact that three of those four defeats were rook endings he might have held is also worth a thought.

Well aside form the quip I've read about him saving his endgame prep for the WC match, he clearly needs to concentrate his WC preparation on reading the S&B blog

I guess he is succeeding in increasing everyone else's study of rook and pawn endings, another thing to thank him for

Will make the next adjudication (or maybe 10.2 claim) interesting though - "its a draw" - "no, Magnus has lost from here, can't be drawn whatever your tablebase says"

[Jonathan Bryant]

If so, the fact that three of those four defeats were rook endings he might have held is also worth a thought.

Well aside form the quip I've read about him saving his endgame prep for the WC match, he clearly needs to concentrate his WC preparation on reading the S&B blog

I agree. Shocking lack of professionalism on Magnus' not to have got around to this yet.

[Mick Norris]

And congratulations to Fabiano Caruana, nudging closer to 2800.

He has white tomorrow against Nakamura - a win puts him over 2800 on the Live Ratings

He lost