2nd Vugar Gashimov Memorial 16-26 April 2015

[Jonathan Rogers]

Nice win from Anand though it was won over the board; there was interesting prep leading to an interesting posiion but apparently not more.

I am amazed that Adams' game is still continuing! He would probably have especially preferred White against this opponent. I don't really understand Kramnik's game.

Carlsen has 2/2 with White. Anyone thinking he might win all his white games? (Or So, who still has 3/3 with White).

[Roger de Coverly]

Nice win from Anand though it was won over the board; there was interesting prep leading to an interesting posiion but apparently not more.

Looking at some recent games, it's a line the top players have been debating. But is Wesley's Breyer like move of .. Nb8 itself new in the exact position?

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. Nc3 d6 9. a3 Nb8 10. Ng5

(edit) I should download some more TWICs. So played the Nb8 idea at Wijk in January. Ng5 is apparently a suggestion of Gajewski who is Anand's second at this event. (/edit)

[Mick Norris]

Round 5 (April 21, 2015)
Carlsen, Magnus - Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 1-0 54 A05 Various
Anand, Viswanathan - So, Wesley 1-0 45 C84 Ruy Lopez Centre Attack
Mamedov, Rauf - Adams, Michael ½-½ 50 C91 Ruy Lopez
Caruana, Fabiano - Giri, Anish ½-½ 44 D02 Queen's Pawn Game

Mamedyarov has finally beaten Kramnik

[Chris Rice]

Apparently today there is a traditional game of football but on the question if he'd join in, Anand replied: “OK, two words. Peter Svidler.” With that he referred to Svidler's accident last month when he broke his arm while playing football, prompting his wife to post the following on Facebook:
Olga Svidler “Dear chess friend. After the recent disaster that is my husband breaking his arm in several places I sincerely ask all of you to never invite GM Peter Svidler to a game of soccer under any circumstances. Thank you very much.”
If you scroll down this link you can see the damage to Peter Svidler’s arm. There’s also a discussion of the Carlsen-MVL game where they were out of the book on move 2. 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5!? 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.Na3!?

http://www.chess.com/news/carlsen-beats ... amkir-1512

Standings after Rd 5:

1 Carlsen 4
2 So 3.5
3 Anand 3
4= Kramnik, Mamedyarov 2.5
7= Mamedov, Giri, Caruana, Vachier-Lagrave 2
10 Adams 1.5

Round 6

Adams Michael 2746 - Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2762
Giri Anish 2790 - Carlsen Magnus 2863
Kramnik Vladimir 2783 - Caruana Fabiano 2802
So Wesley 2788 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2754
Mamedov Rauf 2651 - Anand Viswanathan 2791

http://en.chessbase.com/post/shamkir-r5-a-day-of-beauty

[Mick Norris]

Apparently today there is a traditional game of football but on the question if he'd join in, Anand replied: “OK, two words. Peter Svidler.” With that he referred to Svidler's accident last month when he broke his arm while playing football, prompting his wife to post the following on Facebook:
Olga Svidler “Dear chess friend. After the recent disaster that is my husband breaking his arm in several places I sincerely ask all of you to never invite GM Peter Svidler to a game of soccer under any circumstances. Thank you very much.”
If you scroll down this link you can see the damage to Peter Svidler’s arm.

Svidler should stick to cricket

[Roger de Coverly]

There’s also a discussion of the Carlsen-MVL game where they were out of the book on move 2. 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5!? 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.Na3 !?

That's a slightly surprising comment by Carlsen, as I thought the sequence 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b5 was well known back in the 1960s. Spassky had played it in 1966 against Petrosian in the World Championship and against Keene in the 1968 Olympiad.
Tal and Smyslov also gave it a go in that era, as did Karpov a few years later. It's a choice made by those who don't want to just allow their opponent to build up a Kings Indian Attack or Reti at their leisure.

[LawrenceCooper]

There’s also a discussion of the Carlsen-MVL game where they were out of the book on move 2. 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5!? 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.Na3!?

Not surprisingly they seemed blissfully unaware of Galliamova-Cooper from Oakham 1990 which went 3 Na3 b4 4 Nc4 Bb7 5 Bg2 c5 6 0-0 etc and ended in a comprehensive win for the white player

[Chris Rice]

There’s also a discussion of the Carlsen-MVL game where they were out of the book on move 2. 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5!? 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.Na3!?

Not surprisingly they seemed blissfully unaware of Galliamova-Cooper from Oakham 1990 which went 3 Na3 b4 4 Nc4 Bb7 5 Bg2 c5 6 0-0 etc and ended in a comprehensive win for the white player

Let's not deprive the eager readers Loz with the game which I found on ChessGames .com with the opening name King's Indian Attack: Spassky Variation (A05) which backs up what Roger was saying about it being an opponent that's pretty well known....

Alisa Galliamova - Lawrence Cooper Oakham 1990 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b5 3. Na3 b4 4. Nc4 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5 6. O-O e6 7. d4 d5 8. Nce5 Nc6 9. Nc6 Bc6 10. Ne5 Bb5 11. c4 bc3 12. bc3 Rc8 13. Rb1 Qa5 14. Qb3 a6 15. c4 dc4 16. Nc4 Qb4 17. Nb6 Qb3 18. Rb3 Rd8 19. a4 Bd7 20. Bf4 Nd5 21. Bd5 ed5 22. Bc7 c4 23. Rb2 Bc6 24. Bd8 Kd8 25. e4 de4 26. d5 Bd7 27. Nd7 Kd7 28. Rb6 Ba3 29. Ra1 Bc5 30. Ra6 e3 31. fe3 Be3 32. Kf1 Rc8 33. Ke2 Bd4 34. Rb1 Rc7 35. Rc6 Rc6 36. dc6 Kc6 37. a5 f5 38. Kd2 h5 39. Rf1 g6 40. Rb1 Kc7 41. a6 Kc6 42. Rb7 1-0

[Mick Norris]

Adams - Vachier-Lagrave
Giri - Carlsen
Kramnik - Caruana
So - Mamedyarov
Mamedov - Anand

Today - will Carlsen finally beat Giri?

[Mick Norris]

All drawn except Kramnik, who is struggling against Caruana

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Kramnik about to lose horribly. He does seem to have more ups and downs than 2-3 years ago, or has he always been like this?

[IM Jack Rudd]

Kramnik about to lose horribly. He does seem to have more ups and downs than 2-3 years ago, or has he always been like this?

His health problems are probably a contributing factor.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Kramnik about to lose horribly. He does seem to have more ups and downs than 2-3 years ago, or has he always been like this?

His health problems are probably a contributing factor.

Are they ongoing, then? I've never been too clear about that.

[Jonathan Rogers]

No more 100% with White for Wesley So, anyway.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Kramnik about to lose horribly. He does seem to have more ups and downs than 2-3 years ago, or has he always been like this?

His health problems are probably a contributing factor.

Are they ongoing, then? I've never been too clear about that.

IIRC his condition is incurable, it can only be contained.