Gashimov Memorial

[NickFaulks]

Magnus winning again today.

Winning after being busted by Nakamura, so no change there.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Well, if they are going to repeat every single result from the first leg, get your money on Radjabov now ...

[Jonathan Rogers]

Stupendously theoretical looking Grunfeld in Karjakin-Caruana today. Any of the 190+ and/or database-fiend brigade able to tell us how much was played before, or likely preparation? I'm tempted to infer from the move timings that they must have reached something new c. move 30...

Indeed. I have no idea about the theory, but it inevitably came down to bare kings. Not the sort of line we see too often in the evening leagues.

That is probably so of the Grunfeld in general; it is often said to be the sort of opening you only really see at the higher levels, which is an interesting curiosity in itself.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Stupendously theoretical looking Grunfeld in Karjakin-Caruana today. Any of the 190+ and/or database-fiend brigade able to tell us how much was played before, or likely preparation? I'm tempted to infer from the move timings that they must have reached something new c. move 30...

I’m neither but following twitter and the commentary on Chess24.com I heard of Giri-Caruana from 2013 - almost exactly a year ago to the day.

Karjakin followed that game and then played 29 h4-h5 instead of 29 f4-f5.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1715953



Incidentally, the free chess commentary on the Chess24 site is incredibly good quality. Especially considering it’s free. Doesn’t seem long ago that there was a bit of a kerfuffle over the idea/suggestion that chessers would have to get used to the idea of paying for live transmission of moves alone (The Times disappearing behind a paywall was cited as an analogous situation iirc). Now very good quality analysis along with the moves is provided free as a means of attracting people to a website. I suspect it may not last, but good time to be an amateur chesser while it does.

[AustinElliott]

Stupendously theoretical looking Grunfeld in Karjakin-Caruana today. Any of the 190+ and/or database-fiend brigade able to tell us how much was played before, or likely preparation? I'm tempted to infer from the move timings that they must have reached something new c. move 30...

I’m neither but following twitter and the commentary on Chess24.com I heard of Giri-Caruana from 2013 - almost exactly a year ago to the day.

Karjakin followed that game and then played 29 h4-h5 instead of 29 f4-f5.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1715953

Aha. Thanks Jonathan. That chimes with 29. h5 being the first move either player spent a lot of time on, which was why I was thinking that was when they departed from theory.

Incidentally, several comments on the Giri-Caruana game at chessgames.com suggested the players were banging out the moves at pace until 28. ..h6, so they were presumably following an earlier game or analysis then. Reminded me of various GMs and IMs talking online about quitting tournament play 'because the first fifteen moves at least are just the players' opening prep'.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Stupendously theoretical looking Grunfeld in Karjakin-Caruana today. Any of the 190+ and/or database-fiend brigade able to tell us how much was played before, or likely preparation? I'm tempted to infer from the move timings that they must have reached something new c. move 30...

I’m neither but following twitter and the commentary on Chess24.com I heard of Giri-Caruana from 2013 - almost exactly a year ago to the day.

Karjakin followed that game and then played 29 h4-h5 instead of 29 f4-f5.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1715953

Aha. Thanks Jonathan. That chimes with 29. h5 being the first move either player spent a lot of time on, which was why I was thinking that was when they departed from theory.

Incidentally, several comments on the Giri-Caruana game at chessgames.com suggested the players were banging out the moves at pace until 28. ..h6, so they were presumably following an earlier game or analysis then. Reminded me of various GMs and IMs talking online about quitting tournament play 'because the first fifteen moves at least are just the players' opening prep'.

The very first chess event I ever attended was during the Leningrad half of the third Kasparov - Karpov match. Not that I went there, but they had the moves telexed to the Great Eastern Hotel where various figures (I recall Nigel Davies, Eric Schiller, William Watson, Jon Speelman from time to time) gave commentary. This was before I’d ever played a rated game.

Anyhoo, the point is that I remember that during one break - possibly when there wasn’t a game because of a time out - there was a chat about how opening theory was strangling chess. I remember somebody mentioning that in drafts the opening moves were chosen by lot to stop specialisation in drawish systems and proposing a similar idea for chess.

IIRC that would have been 1986. I wonder what they’d have made of today’s game!

[Matt Mackenzie]

Magnus winning again today.

Winning after being busted by Nakamura, so no change there.

Starting to get silly now

[MartinCarpenter]

It is a little bit Have to say that it isn't obvious how Nakamura might stop it. Hardly like using some quiet opening to swap down to an ending is going to yield an automatic draw against Carlsen.

[NickFaulks]

When Nakamura achieves a winning position against Carlsen, which he seems able to do, he must find a way to play the same moves that he would play against anyone else. I realise that this is not as easy as it sounds.

[Barry Sandercock]

Any predictions on the Carlsen v. Karjakin game today ? I would think a draw.

[Mick Norris]

Karjakin has drawn every game, so that's probably a likely result

[Mick Norris]

Any predictions on the Carlsen v. Karjakin game today ? I would think a draw.

You were right

Radjabov lost to Caruana and is a point behind Carlsen with Karjakin and Nakamura, who beat Mamedyarov again - Caruana is half a point behind Carlsen and they play tomorrow

[Barry Sandercock]

Radjabov V. Carlsen looks like another draw today.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

And Caruana may well win against back-marker Mamedyarov, which would set up the last round nicely with the two leaders playing each other (with Carlsen as White). Hopefully one or other (or both) will play for the win if that happens.

[MartinCarpenter]

Not totally sure about that Carlsen game. Would you want to defend whites position against a really persistent/skilled grinder?