Gashimov Memorial

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I'll put in a bid for the role of "Person who makes the first move". I can do that to 2800 standard...

[Jonathan Rogers]

Are you sure? The real plan is to enter it into Chess 960 tournaments at some stage.

[Matthew Lunn]

Malola Prasath is well versed in the Troitsky line, which he used to beat Jim Burnett during last season's 4NCL (North East England vs. White Rose 2).

Rumour has it Gary O'Grady is the world's leading authority on King (e1) and three connected pawns (a2, b2, c2) vs. King (e8) and three pawns (h7, g7, f7) -- I think he may have beaten Topalov (at Bunratty) at this mini-game?

Would love to see this develop as a new thread!

[Simon Brown]

With apologies for interrupting, looks as if Carlsen is about to lose again. Sorry Geoff, can't do diagrams from work.

[Geoff Chandler]

Current state of affiars.

Magnus Carlsen vs Teimour Radjabov

4N3/5r1k/7P/1p1pp3/p1p2Pp1/P7/1P6/1K3R2 b - - 0 41

1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nge2 O-O 6. Ng3 e5 7. d5 a5 8. Be2 Na6 9. h4 h5 10. Bg5 Qe8 11. Qd2 Nc5 12. O-O-O Ng4 13. Bxg4 Bxg4 14. f3 Bd7 15. Be3 b6 16. Kb1 Kh7 17. Qc2 a4 18. Nge2 f5 19. exf5 gxf5 20. Rh3 Kh8 21. f4 Ne4 22. Nxe4 fxe4 23. Rg3 Bg4 24. Rxg4 hxg4 25. f5 Rxf5 26. Ng3 Rf8 27. Qxe4 Qd7 28. a3 b5 29. c5 dxc5 30. h5 c4 31. h6 Bf6 32. Bc5 Rf7 33. Rf1 Re8 34. Bb4 Bg5 35. Nf5 c6 36. Bd6 Bf4 37. Ng7 Qxd6 38. Nxe8 Qxd5 39. Qxd5 cxd5 40. g3 Kh7 41. gxf4

[AustinElliott]

Wow. When was the last time Carlsen lost two in a row? Did that happen in the Candidates?

Also seemed a very 'un-Carlsen-esque' opening to my eye, taking on Radjabov in a sharp-ish KID opposite-sides-castling set-up... which you'd think would be very much Radja's home turf, the latter being the KID aficionado.

Any of the Carlsen experts care to advise how often Carlsen has played the white side of c4-d4-e4 set-ups against the KID?

[Roger de Coverly]

Any of the Carlsen experts care to advise how often Carlsen has played the white side of c4-d4-e4 set-ups against the KID?

Without being a Carlsen expert, it's just a normal database search. The position after four moves with Black about to play .. d6 appears to have arisen ten times in his games, one of the more recent being against McShane in the 2009 London Chess Classic. He's had the position as Black nearly as often. He also had the line twice at Wijk in 2013, drawing with Aronian as Black and tempting Van Wely into a position considered difficult for forty years or more.

Let's not forget that he used to defend Dragons, even making the "too slow" moves .. a6 and .. Re8 work.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Colin is the Carlsen expert but for my part I remember him brushing past Topalov's KID in a tournament in China in 2009. That was when he was receiving training, including in the openings from Kasparov, and I suspect that this is more of an explanation that it is a coincidence.

[Matt Mackenzie]

And now Radjabov - who appeared to be in a major form crisis just months ago - leads the field

[Mick Norris]

Good to see Radjabov back playing, let alone playing well - 2013 was terrible for him - he seems to have spent some time getting himself together

[Jonathan Bryant]

Which other players would we cannabilise to play the other parts of the game?

I nominate Jack Rudd for the blitz finishes.

Impressive, if you knew that off the top of your head, which I expect you do by now.

I did know it was definitely a draw with Black to move. Had to work a few things out to be sure in other - e.g. what result if White to move. In particular I knew that the slightly strange looking ... Kg6 was necessary and the apparently more obvious ... Kf6 would lose, but it took me a while to work out/remember why.

I mentioned the Vancura position as my contribution to the chess = understanding or memory thread, btw.
http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... 15#p137263

[Matt Mackenzie]

Carlsen stops the rot, doing the double against Mamedyarov - has Nakamura again next.

[AustinElliott]

Stupendously theoretical looking Grunfeld in Karjakin-Caruana today. Any of the 190+ and/or database-fiend brigade able to tell us how much was played before, or likely preparation? I'm tempted to infer from the move timings that they must have reached something new c. move 30...

[Graham Borrowdale]

Stupendously theoretical looking Grunfeld in Karjakin-Caruana today. Any of the 190+ and/or database-fiend brigade able to tell us how much was played before, or likely preparation? I'm tempted to infer from the move timings that they must have reached something new c. move 30...

Indeed. I have no idea about the theory, but it inevitably came down to bare kings. Not the sort of line we see too often in the evening leagues.

[Barry Sandercock]

Magnus winning again today.