WC Match 2016 - New York 10-30 November

[MartinCarpenter]

He tried to press in game 1

Think Carlsen got vaguely close enough to doing something in game 1 that he'll back himself to win at least one or two games if they all go a bit like that. He can theoretically do it with black too of course.

Just like Karjakin will back himself to defend them all. It might not make for brilliant watching.

[Joshua Gibbs]

An old one too; Korchnoi beat Karpov with the Tromp in the 74 candidates final that turned out to be for the title.

If I'm getting the annecdote right, Korchnoi said about the Anand-Karpov game Joshua quoted; "Karpov has learned nothing about the Trompovsky in 20 years"

Have you got a link for that? it sounds apocryphal to me...

I play a lot online and ive noticed loads of people playing the tromp against me online today! has anyone else noticed this ?

[Mick Norris]

TWIC round 2 brief report

Chess Mind analysis

chess.com

"I would ask you for your understanding that this is a long match, and there aren't going to be fireworks every game," Carlsen said to the capacity crowd.

[Ian Kingston]

Coverage of the first two games from a different perspective at FiveThirtyEight.

[Dewi Jones]

From the article above....

In Game 1, Carlsen, playing with the white pieces, chose an unusual opening called the Trompowsky Attack. The joke around the Fulton Market Building on Friday was that he played it as a homophonic nod to the new president-elect.

I don't get it, what would be homphobic about it?

[IM Jack Rudd]

From the article above....

In Game 1, Carlsen, playing with the white pieces, chose an unusual opening called the Trompowsky Attack. The joke around the Fulton Market Building on Friday was that he played it as a homophonic nod to the new president-elect.

I don't get it, what would be homphobic about it?

Homophonic. Same sound.

[Dewi Jones]

Haha. Stupid me. One sees what one wants to see. I guess I've too many people going ape about Trump on my facebook feed

[Roger de Coverly]

Chessbase are reporting the blue moon occurrence of a chess event being swamped by spectators wanting to watch live.

http://en.chessbase.com/post/new-york-2 ... es-of-fans.

The London Chess Classic always appears in the photographs to have a healthy audience, but that's in part down to the cunning plan of starting the side events half an hour later.

Should organisers believe their own hype? If there are really 600 million potential spectators for a world championship match, won't at least a few show up in person in a populous city like New York? Having a venue where live spectators exceeding a hundred causes stress to the facilities isn't a vote of confidence in the appeal of the event. But then hiring a theatre as with the 1993 Kasparov - Short match isn't necessarily a success.

[David Sedgwick]

Chessbase are reporting the blue moon occurrence of a chess event being swamped by spectators wanting to watch live.

Blue moons are not particularly rare and the same could be said of the phenomenon which you mention.

At the Grand Chess Tour event in Paris last June, I arrived on the first day about fifteen minutes before the venue was open to the public. Long queues awaited me.

The theatre was pretty full for every round, with people standing at the back on occasions.

The capacity would have been several times the 100 quoted for the World Championship venue. The website for the Paris venue gives it as 854.

[Graham Borrowdale]

Far be it for me to suggest that Roger is being in any way even slightly disingenuous, but I don't think it matters particularly whether organisers believe their own hype or not. When there was a World Championship in London, Kasparov-Short in 1993 (sorry, have their been others?), I and many others did indeed turn up to watch - I don't recall having to queue round the block, but there was a reasonably healthy turnout if I remember.

Anyway, the match is shaping up exactly how many predicted, with some cautious play at the start. I can see this developing like a tennis match, where the stronger player holds serve relatively easily (Carlsen holds his black games), while the weaker player suffers increasingly and is eventually broken (Carlsen will win a white game). I predict that breakthrough will come in either game 3 or game 5. I am hoping to be proved wrong, though.

[Clive Blackburn]

.... I can see this developing like a tennis match....

It makes such a refreshing change to see another sport used as a simile for a chess match!

[Roger de Coverly]

I don't recall having to queue round the block, but there was a reasonably healthy turnout if I remember.

It was initially priced as if it was a sell out West End show. When this failed to make an impact, prices were reduced to more reasonable levels. It still wasn't packed out by any means. Organisers usually get away with minimal facilities for spectators because there aren't very many. Once in a while, they are proved wrong, and an otherwise suitable venue is inadequate.

[Mick Norris]

Chessbase are reporting the blue moon occurrence of a chess event being swamped by spectators wanting to watch live.

Blue moons are not particularly rare and the same could be said of the phenomenon which you mention.

At the Grand Chess Tour event in Paris last June, I arrived on the first day about fifteen minutes before the venue was open to the public. Long queues awaited me.

The theatre was pretty full for every round, with people standing at the back on occasions.

The capacity would have been several times the 100 quoted for the World Championship venue. The website for the Paris venue gives it as 854.

So, a big audience in Paris, and from what Roger says upthread, also at London Chess Classic

Are you sure the audiences aren't just coming to see you, David?

[David Sedgwick]

So, a big audience in Paris, and from what Roger says upthread, also at London Chess Classic

Are you sure the audiences aren't just coming to see you, David?

If so, the Paris audience would have been disappointed, as I wasn't on stage during play. On my return I was amused to read:

I saw Malcolm Pein on the stage in Paris (it looked very like the Olympia stage in London!). I couldn't see who the arbiters were, as the camera didn't show them or at least I wasn't watching when they did. David, were you there?

[MartinCarpenter]

Thrills. The white players really are finding some amusingly odd things to do with their rooks right now!