Dortmund 27 June - 5 July 2015

[David Robertson]

Meier - Caruana

Il pesce grande mangia quello piccolo

Happens all the time. Alas

[John McKenna]

You do know that modern computers have apparently shown Tal's sacrifices were often sounder than previously presumed?

Well, Matt, I did not know that but I am not totally surprised.

Is the Meier-Caruana game an example of unsound play involving unacceptable risk?
If so, then perhaps Lasker rather than Tal would be the name to conjure with.

I have often seen good players go two pawns down with an underwhelming position, to paraphrase Justin, and just lose because they have no counterplay.

Between moves 33-37 was Black just hanging on while White inexplicably failed to find a way finish him off?

This Chessbase report may give some kind of answer -

http://en.chessbase.com/post/dortmund-03-strange-chess

Meier - Caruana

Il pesce grande mangia quello piccolo

Happens all the time. Alas

Sì, ma alcuni grandi pesci di sesso maschile sembrano lasciar andare femminile.

See the Chessbase report, above.

[Roger de Coverly]

Between moves 33-37 was Black just hanging on while White inexplicably failed to find a way finish him off?

That seemed to be the opinion of chessbomb's Stockfish , although as others have noted, it may not be the most reliable of opinions in its instant comment mode.

I thought Lawrence Trent was supposed to be the manager, not the second, even if he can give insight into the long tradition of original play by top British players.

[Roger de Coverly]

Between moves 33-37 was Black just hanging on while White inexplicably failed to find a way finish him off?

Not just moves 33-37.

That seemed to be the opinion of chessbomb's Stockfish , although as others have noted, it may not be the most reliable of opinions in its instant comment mode.

I thought Lawrence Trent was supposed to be the manager, not the second, even if he can give insight into the long tradition of original play by top British players.

[John McKenna]

As Roger states, above, Trent is the manager.

Still, there's nothing to prevent an English manager giving his player a hint of the eccentric English style. Apart from the player himself, of course.

I remember how Short eventually balked at coach Kavalek giving him the spirit of '68 pep talk in the big match against Gazza of Baku.

Strangely it took an IBM machine to implement the Kavalek psych-war strategy of making Gazza see, in his mind's eye, an unbeatable mirror image of himself.

One has to tread the line between manager and coach carefully.

[Mick Norris]

Chess Mind

TWIC

chess.com

Today we have Caruana-Naiditsch, Hou Yifan-So, Nepomniachtchi-Nisipeanu, Meier-Kramnik

[Mick Norris]

Caruana, Fabiano - Naiditsch, Arkadij 1-0 41 E04 Catalan
Nepomniachtchi, Ian - Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter ½-½ 75 B12 Caro Kann Advanced
Hou, Yifan - So, Wesley ½-½ 40 B19 Caro Kann
Meier, Georg - Kramnik, Vladimir 0-1 54 C67 Ruy Lopez Berlin

[Mick Norris]

TWIC

Rest day tomorrow

Round 5 pairings Friday 3rd June 2015. 2pm UK time: Kramnik-Caruana, Nisipeanu-Meier, So-Nepomniachtchi, Naiditsch-Hou Yifan

[David Robertson]

I think Georg Meier will be spending his rest day curled up deep inside a dark room after another result slipped from his grasp. Poor man

[NickFaulks]

I remember how Short eventually balked at coach Kavalek giving him the spirit of '68 pep talk in the big match against Gazza of Baku.

I always assumed that Short couldn't take it that the chess press gave 20% of the credit for beating Karpov to Kavalek. No danger of that with Lawson.

[Phil Neatherway]

Why did you assume that?

[John McKenna]

Wouldn't blame anyone for giving that question a bit of thought before answering...

I've just given it that and my immediate reply is - a lot of water, and eventually some bad blood, flowed under the bridge on which Short and Kavalek (and Lawson) found themselves standing. It seems to me that while Short was winning matches the winning team would soldier on, like a band of brothers, and so it seems to have done.

When the Kasparov-Short World Championship match started badly - with Short, playing Black, losing on time in a better position with just one move to make and Kasparov's draw offer also on the table - and went from bad to worse somebody would have to be scapegoated.

Kavalek was probably the most convenient choice. Once the choice was made the recriminations began to flow, and a lot was written about that. (I have only seen some of what Lawson wrote about the successful period of the partnership.) They went their separate ways and subsequent separate accounts given by Short and Kavalek have not been reconciled and neither have they, as far as I know.

[It's another(!) rest day in the 43rd Dortmund GM tournament of only 7 rounds - normal service will be resumed tomorrow.]

[NickFaulks]

Why did you assume that?

It's a long time ago now, but I know it seemed that way at the time. After the Karpov match ( I was excited about that result as everyone else in England ) I remember him getting a bit snippy in an interview when the discussion turned to how important having a great coach must be.

[Mick Norris]

Round 5 (July 3, 2015)
Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter - Meier, Georg ½-½ 42 E42 Nimzo Indian Rubinstein
Kramnik, Vladimir - Caruana, Fabiano 0-1 38 D78 Gruenfeld 3.g3
Naiditsch, Arkadij - Hou, Yifan ½-½ 64 E48 Nimzo Indian
So, Wesley - Nepomniachtchi, Ian 1-0 49 E60 King's Indian without Nc3

[Mick Norris]

TWIC

Round 5 standings: Caruana, Nisipeanu 3.5pts/5, Kramnik 3pts, Naiditsch, So 2.5pts, Hou Yifan 2pts, Nepomniachtchi, Meier 1.5pts.

Round 6 Satuday 4th July 2015. Caruana-Hou Yifan, Nepomniachtchi-Naiditsch, Meier-So, Kramnik-Nisipeanu

Kramnik has yet to draw a game, Caruana live rating back over 2800

Chess Mind