World Cup Baku 10 September to 4 October 2015

[Mick Norris]

the disadvantage of the white pieces?

[Tim Harding]

5 mins + 3 secs. And it's a Marshall!

Svidler caught him out. 18 Bc2 is a novelty and blunder but after two minutes thought Svidler rejected ...Nxc3!

Totally ridiculous game. Karjakin blundered with Bh5 and then Svidler, way ahead on time, blundered his rook and resigned.
So nine games and still no draws.

[JustinHorton]

Did that actually happen?

[Tim Harding]

Did that actually happen?

Yes see the edit to my message!

[MartinCarpenter]

Rather in character with what happened earlier of course. This really is a bit cruel.

[David Robertson]

What utter nonsense. Totally degrades the game

[Tim Harding]

Looking at the online engine, Svidler managed to get compensation for the two pawns somehow but 28...Rxd3 was objectively correct.
28...Bh5 was a great practical blitz move but then 29 g4 was winning for White.
42...Rb1 would have been winning for Black, especially with his clock advantage,

[Matt Mackenzie]

Well, its either something like this or spinning a roulette wheel/tossing a coin.

(since playing out classical games until somebody wins seems to have gone right out of fashion)

Just be grateful no World Championship matches have yet been decided like this (2006/12 were still proper chess) and hopefully never will be.

[David Robertson]

Well, its either something like this or spinning a roulette wheel/tossing a coin

Dismal lack of imagination. FIDE needs to set up one of its world-famous Commissions to explore alternatives. Here's a few:

* mud-wrestling
* spaghetti-eating
* smashing one another with inflated pig's bladders

My proposal: a bout of urtication

[Barry Sandercock]

Karjakin won at the end, as I predicted at the start.

[JustinHorton]

Surely chess was the real winner

[Matt Mackenzie]

So in the end Svidler messed up not one but two obvious opportunities to decide the match in his favour?

That's got to hurt

[MartinCarpenter]

Not sure if it will so much actually - they both viewed reaching the final (for the candidates) as their main objective for the event and were both very clearly entirely exhausted well before the end of the final. A coin toss would have at least spared them the pain.

Not entirely obvious what else FIDE could do though. Extra rest days of course, but those do all add cost. Maybe cut the final down to two games - its not all that important any more.

[Tim Harding]

Surely chess was the real winner

Don't think so. This comes under "cruel and unusual punishment" to which eminent GMs should not be subjected just to please the baying crowd in the Coliseum (people like us).

Chess is supposed to be a game of thought not a gladiatorial lottery,

[Tim Harding]

So in the end Svidler messed up not one but two obvious opportunities to decide the match in his favour?

At least four actually...


1. The missed win (and then drawing line) at the end of Game 3 on Saturday.

2. The clearly superior position with Black in the rapid game before Svidler missed the N fork on f6. (There were numerous moves where he could have played better and maintained the pressure). Also though Karjakin gave a brilliant exhibition in the B of opposite colour endgame it would probably have have been held at normal time limits.

3. In the Marshall game, ...Nxc3 in reply to Bc2? as mentioned above, regains the gambit pawn with much better position.

4. In the blitz finish of that game, just not hanging the R on b8.