London Chess Classic 2013

[Angus French]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGKbiL35Br4 - Kingscrusher is providing unofficial commentary.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Is live video coverage available for round 5? The LIVE page I get to from the homepage is displaying just the moves.

must admit that I don't mind it, as far as today is concerned - covering four rapidplay games at once is never likely to work. It would be nice if the problems are fixed by tomorrow, though.

[Jonathan Rogers]

does sadler stand better? As Black v Kramnik?

He couldn't...., could he?!

[Simon Brown]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGKbiL35Br4 - Kingscrusher is providing unofficial commentary.

Who is Kingscrusher?

[Jonathan Rogers]

draw ... all right, it was a bit optical, maybe

[Jonathan Rogers]

luke lost on time. Carlsen would have converted Adams' position anyway. Probably Adams would have done too.

[benedgell]

I liked Sadler's position, but down on time and with a draw in hand against Kramnik can hardly blame him for repeating. Sadler needs Rowson to hold Svidler, and then its all down to Sadler- Svidler last game.

[benedgell]

If Adams- Anand finishes drawn in their last group- match game, does Adams or Anand finish top?

[Matthew Turner]

Kingcrusher is Tryfon Gavriel

[John Cox]

If Adams- Anand finishes drawn in their last group- match game, does Adams or Anand finish top?

Anand, on the basis of his higher rating?!

[Simon Brown]

Kingcrusher is Tryfon Gavriel

Thanks Matthew

[Simon Brown]

If Adams- Anand finishes drawn in their last group- match game, does Adams or Anand finish top?

Anand, on the basis of his higher rating?!

Or Adams, on the basis of his slight alphabetic superiority?

[Jonathan Rogers]

looks nice for Gawain; notwithstanding the plaudits for Judit's Bd5, I had actually expected Nd5, which really seems to threaten Qh6.

[Jonathan Rogers]

On the Svidler v Rowson ending which arose in this position (Geoff will want a diagram; anyone, please?)

White: king g1, rook e6, pawns h2, g2, b6

Black: king g5, rook b2, pawns g6, h5

Svidler played 1 h4+ and won after 1...Kf5 2 Rc6.

But I had doubts when I saw 1 h4: and am sure it was worth a punt to play 1...Kxh4(!) 2 Rxg6, at least in rapidplay. Then all kinds of unwanted stalemate possibilities can occur. After 2...Rb1+ 3 Kf2 (3 Kh2 Rh1+ is an immediate draw already) Black can keep checking and it seems rather fiddly for White to get his king to a position where it cannot be checked. In fact, can it be done at all?

A shame because a draw by Rowson would have given Sadler chances to qualify still.

[Jonathan Rogers]

self-destruction by Howell means that all the qualifiers are mathematically decided before the last round, I think. And indeed it is the top two seeds from each group.