English Chess Forum

Carl Hibbard wrote:

JustinHorton wrote:

Carl Hibbard wrote:Another dry position as Svidler would call it although I can think of other words.

Although if there's one thing Magnus has taught us, it's how much can be squeezed out of a dry position.

Won't last long this.

Well a few moves ago I might have been tempted to point to Game 3 which started off very dry and went on and on and on ... but now (Queens have just come off at move 22) I have to admit that Carl is probably going to be right.

Yasser : If I'd just laid out $1,000 to get into the VIP lounge and I saw this position...

Svidler isn't sounding overjoyed either, if not that sarcastic.

Maybe Magnus is hoping for 22....Kf8

6-6 but closer than the score indicates.

Does anyone know what time the tiebreaks start on Wednesday? I assume it's the same time but not sure.

Apologies if this has already been asked...

NickFaulks wrote:6-6 but closer than the score indicates.

James Coleman wrote:Does anyone know what time the tiebreaks start on Wednesday? I assume it's the same time but not sure.

Apologies if this has already been asked...

Same time I believe, and Mark Crowther tells me there's ten minute gaps between games.

John McKenna wrote:Thanks for those colourful memories, Brian, but it's turned into a bit of a perplexing Sunday evening and night for me, so forgive me for asking what exactly it is that you have an issue with?

I got the impression that you were comparing Q+P endgames with the computer aided proof of the 4 colour theorem which I thought was most unfair to Q+P endgames. I'm sure there are human beings other than John Nunn who understand Q+P endgames.

Just watching the live press conference on someone's i-phone and its as interesting as the game we just saw.

Carlsen "I'm not proud of what happened today but there you go"

Karjakin in response to a question about Taimanov's death and what it meant to him and chess said "Didn't know him but obviously he was a great player"

Thank you Justin.

Chris Rice wrote:Just watching the live press conference on someone's i-phone and its as interesting as the game we just saw.

Carlsen "I'm not proud of what happened today but there you go"

Karjakin in response to a question about Taimanov's death and what it meant to him and chess said "Didn't know him but obviously he was a great player"

The tw@ts should have played as I said above: 1 e4 c5; 2 Nf3 e6; 3 d4 cxd4; 4 Nxd4 NC6; then shaken hands, and retained some dignity. Instead they did what they did, and retained none. Useless, useless. This stuff kills the game

I think there is a reasonably strong argument for holding the tie break before the match so that one player starts 0.25 ahead. This provides the guaranteed excitement of rapid and possibly blitz as a warm up, ensures that the match score is never equal and ensures that the final game and the one that decides the title will be a classical game.

David Shepherd wrote:I think there is a reasonably strong argument for holding the tie break before the match so that one player starts 0.25 ahead. This provides the guaranteed excitement of rapid and possibly blitz as a warm up, ensures that the match score is never equal and ensures that the final game and the one that decides the title will be a classical game.

I would prefer no rapid play off at all. It has the same advantages of the system you suggest with one additional very important factor:- it guarantees that to win the title the contender has to score a decisive victory over the current champion and not just squeeze through on tie breaks.

There’s another bonus: holding the 'play-off' at the start is narratively very unsatisfying. Essentially the same idea - penalties to be held at the start of World Cup knock out games rather than after extra time - has been suggested in football for years. There’s a reason why it’s never been taken up.

This has been undoubtedly the most boring and least inspiring World Championship match in living memory and this game was the nadir.

FIDE are largely to blame because the 12-game format leaves so little room for recovery from error. Carlsen at least made some effort to win some games (and it cost him one).

Karjakin has been totally negative and it will be very bad for chess if he wins the play-off.