Gashimov Memorial

[Carl Hibbard]

Not quite what I was looking for Colin are we plebs under 200 not allowed an opinion?

Hard work this is

[Jonathan Bryant]

I have recently written a book on Magnus Carlsen, on everyman ....

Have you considered the possibility that expressing contempt for your target audience may not be the most effective marketing strategy?

[JustinHorton]

I dunno. I personally would pay very good money for a chess book that addressed its readers in the style of Colin's post.

[Paolo Casaschi]

I dunno. I personally would pay very good money for a chess book that addressed its readers in the style of Colin's post.

If you like that sort of things, the next time you are in Rome you should visit this restaurant in Trastevere: next to decent food you get waiters cursing and verbally abusing customers; not sure it's still in business though

[JustinHorton]

I did go to that Soho pub with the rude landlord (Norman Balon) once. Unfortunately he wasn't in, though Barry Cryer was at the bar having another one he plainly didn't need.

I think Everyman should go with this, though. It'd be fantastic.

[Roger de Coverly]

Carlsen's play continues the trend seen in the Candidates of the top players using club player openings. Actually, given that it was the Cambridge Springs, it's actually a school player opening, or perhaps was, forty five years ago.

ChessBase gives some annotation http://en.chessbase.com/post/gashimov-r ... ying-start and points out the pawn sacrifice inherent in White's play. Long, long ago, I would probably have believed that White had blundered a pawn.

Having now seen the game, I'm inclined to agree with the earlier comment that with the Bishop stuck on a3, an engine evaluation of equality is difficult to accept.

[Mick Norris]

Also see
http://www.chessvibes.com/carlsen-grabs ... date-video
and
http://www.thechessmind.net/blog/2014/4 ... -lead.html

[Matt Mackenzie]

Naka still Carlsen's bunny, it seems

[Paolo Casaschi]

Naka still Carlsen's bunny, it seems

Considering their score in direct encounters at standard chess, it's amazing how often he's mentioned as a threat to Carlsen for the world championship.

[MartinCarpenter]

They've not often been close either. Some horribly one sided games.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Was anybody watching live when Carlsen played Bd3? How long did it take him?

[Ray Sayers]

Not quite what I was looking for Colin are we plebs under 200 not allowed an opinion?

No. I think that has been made pretty clear in previous posts.

I'll go hide back in patzerville now.

[Mick Norris]

Was anybody watching live when Carlsen played Bd3? How long did it take him?

You can see the times for each move here
http://www.shamkirchess.az/?options=content&id=46

Carlsen took 2 m 12 sec to play 6 Be2 and 1 m 39 sec to play 7 Bd3

[Roger de Coverly]

[
Carlsen took 2 m 12 sec to play 6 Be2 and 1 m 39 sec to play 7 Bd3

It could even be a novelty. 7. Qb3 had been previously played, both by Carlsen himself and Aronian (against Carlsen !). I suppose the point is that the exchange of Bishops is more or less forced as .. Bg6 is not really available after Black commits himself to .. h6.

[Angus French]

Was anybody watching live when Carlsen played Bd3? How long did it take him?

You can see the times for each move here
http://www.shamkirchess.az/?options=content&id=46

Carlsen took 2 m 12 sec to play 6 Be2 and 1 m 39 sec to play 7 Bd3

Peter Svidler and Jan Gustafsson discussed the move on chess24. Svidler said that if bishops were exchanged and White got in e4 then ...h6 would give a target for kingside play. Gustafsson said Black often tried to prevent White's e4 by playing ...Bb4. He then, IIRC, suggested the moves that ended up being played to 11 Rfd1 and gave three alternatives for Black - 11...Bxc3 as played, 11...a5 and 11...Ba5 which I think was his preference. He pointed out that 11... Nbd7 would be a mistake due to 12 Nxd5.