Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

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LawrenceCooper
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by LawrenceCooper » Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:52 am

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:50 am
I really hope Kramnik recovers from this and goes on to win the event. It would be agonising if this game made the difference at the end. If Kramnik had won, he would be a whole point ahead. It does keep things tight. Maybe we will see a cagey few rounds and lots of draws as the players conserve their energies.
Traumatic though it must have been there are ten rounds to go and he is very experienced. I think that fatigue may be more relevant to his chances of success. Impressive to see Aronian recover from his round 3 nightmare albeit with some help from his opponent.

Mick Norris
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Mick Norris » Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:02 pm

It also affects the potential tiebreak (head to head) as, unless he beats Caruana with black, then if the 2 of them tie on points, Vlad loses out again on first tiebreak; so, he not only has to catch Caruana, but pass him too

Long way to go; maybe only reasonable to say it is down to a 6 horse race from the initial 8

Chess Mind round 4 report with analysis
Had he won the game, he'd have been a huge favorite to win the event, even with ten rounds to go, but as it is he trails Caruana by half a point and must regain his psychological equilibrium. It would have been much easier on him had he just lost the first time he had a losing position, but let's stay tuned and see how he bounces back.
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NickFaulks
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by NickFaulks » Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:18 pm

Mick Norris wrote:
Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:02 pm
Long way to go; maybe only reasonable to say it is down to a 6 horse race from the initial 8.
Would you even still say that if Karjakin were to win this afternoon?
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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:07 pm

I'm watching Aronian-Grischuk. Good Benoni stuff there.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Roger de Coverly » Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:10 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:
Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:07 pm
Good Benoni stuff there.
So appears to have turned down an early draw by repetition. Kramnik has been using the semi-Tarrasch since at least the London Candidates. He employs it also as a defence to the Exchange Variation.


Mick Norris
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Mick Norris » Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:45 pm

NickFaulks wrote:
Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:18 pm
Mick Norris wrote:
Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:02 pm
Long way to go; maybe only reasonable to say it is down to a 6 horse race from the initial 8.
Would you even still say that if Karjakin were to win this afternoon?
Never going to happen, was it? Draw

Karjakin can come back and do well (he's done so before) but I don't think he's going to win
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NickFaulks
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by NickFaulks » Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:58 pm

Mick Norris wrote:
Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:45 pm
Never going to happen, was it?
Certainly wasn't the way to bet, but my point was that if a player is one win away from being back in it, then they're not really out of it. That's the way he should be thinking.
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Mick Norris
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Mick Norris » Thu Mar 15, 2018 4:49 pm

You need +3 to win, maybe, so was Karjakin going to go +5 over 10 rounds in this company? 9 rounds now; I think not after a poor start which seems to show not the best form
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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Thu Mar 15, 2018 4:56 pm

Aronian-Grischuk is interesting. Two big blunders on moves 24 and 27.

Tim Harding
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Tim Harding » Thu Mar 15, 2018 5:14 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:
Thu Mar 15, 2018 4:56 pm
Aronian-Grischuk is interesting. Two big blunders on moves 24 and 27.
And now on move 29 by Aronian, why not take the bishop with check?
Pity we don't know the real clock times but it seems Aronian, with more time, has missed two (difficult) wins and could end up worse.
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Mick Norris
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Mick Norris » Thu Mar 15, 2018 5:51 pm

Moves with clock times on TWIC
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LawrenceCooper
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by LawrenceCooper » Thu Mar 15, 2018 6:27 pm

Aronian-Grischuk drawn despite 42...Ne4 appearing. Allegedly a botched attempt at placing the kings in the middle.

Chris Rice
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Chris Rice » Fri Mar 16, 2018 2:02 pm

Leaderboard after Round 5:
1 Caruana 3½/5
2-3 Kramnik, Mamedyarov 3/5
4-6 Aronian, Grischuk, Ding 2½/5
7-8 Karjakin, So 1½/5

Jonathan Rogers
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Fri Mar 16, 2018 3:50 pm

In what seems, remarkably, to be a novelty in this event so far, White is a little or even somewhat better in every game! Shock!

Mick Norris
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Re: Candidates Tournament in Berlin March 2018

Post by Mick Norris » Fri Mar 16, 2018 4:21 pm

White did well in the first 2 rounds; it is still a total of 3 white wins to 4 black wins (albeit that is not what you would have guessed in advance)
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