Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

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Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:37 pm

In turn of course the organisers had a reason to prefer vagueness - certain players might not have played at all otherwise. There is something of an art in ambiguity when conducting negotiations. Still, this is not an international treaty where it is convenient to push arguments arising from events five years down the line, and greater certainty was probably advisable here.

Leonard Barden
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by Leonard Barden » Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:17 pm

Official statement:

Dubov playing again at Tata Steel Chess Tournament today

Daniil Dubov will play in the 8th round of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament today. He did not play yesterday, because he refuses to play wearing a face mask as a matter of principle. After someone in his inner circle had tested positive, the organisation had asked him to play while wearing a face mask. After a negative quick scan test the result of the PCR-test also came up negative last evening. A second quick scan test also came up negative today. This means that he can sit down behind the board today.

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:58 pm

Is 3 Nbd2 becoming a minor trend nowadays (1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 Nbd2, Vidit v Grandelius)? I have seen it in a few other games and presumably something has been published on it somewhere (I am not one to scan websites which promise opening surprises).

I am curious for I spent a fair bit of time looking at the possibilities in the 1990s, looking for a way to take Kings Indian players out of their territory, and gambling that many of them would be less happy in Pirc positions, or reluctant to play 3...d5 with Grunfeld-type positions. But almost everyone did play 3...d5, eventually causing me to lose interest, and I am especially surprised that this is apparently not the standard response at the highest levels.

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JustinHorton
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:16 pm

Nice little triumph of preparation for Van Foreest, drawing comfortably with a Dilworth Variation against Carunana. Karjakin versus Rapport also saw little incident. Shankland navigated the dangers well enough to hold against Carlsen (though Black's 31st, effectively conceding the draw just at the point he could turn the screw, is a little mystery).
Last edited by JustinHorton on Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JustinHorton
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:43 pm

Currently:

Duda seems likely to find against Dubov that you don't win the ending with your rook in front of the extra a-pawn
Giri won the preparation battle and gained three connected passed pawns for a knight in an ending against Esipenko, is it enough to win?
Mamedyarov has two central connected passed pawns against Praggnanandhaa and seems mostly (with a little wobble) to have steamrollered the lad in a way that symbolises.
Vidit seems similarly to have simply outplayed Grandelius.

All those games still in progress. (EDIT: Grandelius has jacked it in.)
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by JustinHorton » Sun Jan 23, 2022 5:51 pm

Anyway, Pragg resigned and the Ds agreed a draw. Mamedyarov and Carlsen lead. Giri's chances of joining his mate in joint third seemed to have taken a knock with an error just before the control, but just as I type there's a big red move by White...
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Matt Mackenzie
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by Matt Mackenzie » Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:58 pm

Where is everybody today?

Carlsen and Giri both seem to have winning advantages already.
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:04 pm

Van Foreest draws with Dubov: White appeared to have an edge but I wonder from how it finished if he didn't realise that (swapping off bishops for an equal position when avoiding that exchange seemed to be the way forward).
Matt Mackenzie wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 3:58 pm
Carlsen and Giri both seem to have winning advantages already.
It does indeed seem to be a question of whether Giri overtakes Carlsen before Carlsen overtakes him back, or whether Carlsen pulls a point ahead before Giri cuts his lead to half a point.

(EDIT: it was indeed Giri who got to enjoy his brief moment heading the leadboard.)
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:18 pm

Other games at three hours and a quarter:

Duda played a moderately eccentric opening against Esipenko and now seems to be rolling him up on the queenside.
Caruana tried the French (didn't he also choose it in Yekaterinburg?) and seemed to be in trouble against Grandelius's Advance although the pendulum has now swung towards Black.
Karjakin, who also seemed briefly to be struggling, has the exchange for a pawn against Praggnanandhaa in what looks like it might be a grind.
Rapport had a big edge early on against Vidit who has clawed much of it back since.
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Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:18 pm

Giri may or may not make it from the candidates, but I am starting to think that the tournament would seem much more credible if he does qualify to play in it, even if at the expense of Caruana

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JustinHorton
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:24 pm

You saw what happened when he met Carlsen though
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Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:29 pm

ok, but

1) who else will stand up to carlsen?
2) if someone does pip Giri in the candidates', we know he will have earned it.

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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by Mick Norris » Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:55 pm

JustinHorton wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:18 pm
Caruana tried the French (didn't he also choose it in Yekaterinburg?) and seemed to be in trouble against Grandelius's Advance although the pendulum has now swung towards Black
Caruana played e5 three times in the Candidates, and c5 once; I don't think he's played the French other than blitz or rapid previously
Any postings on here represent my personal views

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JustinHorton
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:01 pm

Time control amid drama everywhere to see, and I strongly recommend people start with Grandelius v Caruana.
Mick Norris wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:55 pm
Caruana played e5 three times in the Candidates, and c5 once; I don't think he's played the French other than blitz or rapid previously
I stand corrected. I wonder why I thought that?
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Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Wijk aan Zee 84th Tata Steel 2022 14 to 30 Jan

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Tue Jan 25, 2022 5:11 pm

Pretty sure he beat Adams in the Olympiad with the French. Yes, all right, in 2008. Strange game where Adams had seemed simply better (but perhaps wasn't).

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