Candidates 2014

[Mick Norris]

Svidler has an excellent record against fellow Russians, which is why he is more suited to this year's event - it will be a battle of opening preparation today, I'm sure he'll be going for a win

[Colin S Crouch]

Apologies first of all for mixing up the first and second names of Shakhrayar Mamedyarov - if indeed readers have noticed.
Mamedyarov at the moment looks to be the first player to hit the basement at speed. He must surely have been badly affected by his sudden loss of a queen against Aronian. Today he is playing listlessly as White againast Anand, and is already slightly worse. The knight manoeuvre, Nb1-d2-b3, in the Slav seems inappropriate. Two moves to put the knight on to a poor square.

Svidler is showing excellent opening preparation again, and clearly he is keeping his slight edge against Kramnik.

[John McKenna]

That's as Jonathan Rogers predicted, I believe.
Although Svidler did not play either of Jonathan's expected 1.e/d4, but 1.c4 instead.
I will go one further than he did and say that Topalov-Aronian will not be a draw.

[Chris Rice]

Seems like Anand has been written off a bit prematurely. Perhaps the Carlsen defeat actually motivated him?

[John McKenna]

There's probably no tiger more dangerous than a wily experienced one who has not lost the speed of his reflexes.

[Chris Rice]

Mamedyarov looks completely crushed at the press conference. Now they are asking him about screwing up yesterday. That'll help cheer him up.

[Colin S Crouch]

The next big shock. Aronian missed a tactic, and was probably now losing. Topalov may well have captured the wrong pawn (28.Qxa5 would have given a nassive outside passed pawn,instead of slightly waekening Black's kingside, with 28.Qxh7), and Aronian as a result still has defensive chances. It will be a massive uphill struggle for him, even so.
Andreikin and Karjakin had a steady draw, queens plus opposite coloured bishops.
Svidler is still keeping a slight edge. Much depends on whether Kramnik can hold it. If not, Svidler and Anand would be rushing ahead.

[Colin S Crouch]

In fact, Aronian was able to hold the balance comfortably. Topalov opened up the attack on the kingside, but Aronian countered on the centre, and was even able to push a passed pawn on the centre, on d2. Topalov kept the position balanced with a perpetual.
Kramnik looks to be in trouble.

[LawrenceCooper]

Topalov may well have captured the wrong pawn (28.Qxa5 would have given a nassive outside passed pawn,instead of slightly waekening Black's kingside, with 28.Qxh7), and Aronian as a result still has defensive chances.

The players were asked about Qxa5 but Topalov felt that black's pieces were too co-ordinated and Aronian was also unconvinced. An exciting game despite the quiet nature of the opening.

[Mick Norris]

Mamedyarov looks completely crushed at the press conference. Now they are asking him about screwing up yesterday. That'll help cheer him up.

Azerbaijan presumably scrapping any plans to bid for the WC match later this year

[Mick Norris]

Kramnik looks to be in trouble.

He only made the time control with 2 secs left, although Svidler was very low on time too - seemed unsurprisingly to be a few mistakes in the time scramble, and advantage Svidler now, though no idea whether it will be winning

[Colin S Crouch]

A difficult decision for Kramnik at move 39, to try to keep the blockade with 39...Qe5, or to create some activity, something he has been unable to do this game, but to create a few weaknesses with 39...e5. He went for counterplay, with ...e5, and with perhaps seconds to spare.
It looked extremely dangers, but Kramnik must have calculated extremely quickly and well, ahead of all the various chess engines. In open tactical play, it is starting to look like a draw.
The game of the day?
And, after White's 39th, an excellent position to test out the various chess engines.

[Mick Norris]

Draw agreed

[Colin S Crouch]

Results after three rounds:

+2 Anand
+1 Kramnik, Svidler
= Aronian, Topalov
-1 Karjakin, Andreikin
-2 Mamedjarov

It is looking good for Anand at the moment, but his two wins were, at super-super GM level, relatively soft. Now Anand will have to play four Russians in a row, starting off with Kramnik. It is not going to be easy.

On the question of the Topalov - Aronian game, I was perhaps concentrating too wuch on the Houdini engine, which gave Aronian as a winning advantage. But Komodo gives this all as merely equal. Something to look at, in depth, at some later stage? But not now.

[Mick Norris]

The Kramnik - Svidler press conference was excellent, considering how hard a game was played

2 Russians, in Russia, conducting it in English and occasionally helping the translator with her attempts to repeat it in Russian