Candidates Matches 3rd - 27th May 2011

[LozCooper]

Entertaining time scramble. I guess 38...Qh5 was a more critical test of the (probably forced) piece sac.

[Leonard Barden]

According to Shipov 28...Qh5? (Qd7!) could have been met by 29 Bxc4 dxc4 30 Qb6! with big advantage to White

38...Qh5! wins for Black as Loz says

41 Qd2! instead of 41 Qxf2 keeps the queens on and the BK is worse. Now the rook ending is better for Black due to the passed f7 pawn and the passive WK.

[LozCooper]

Two draws today so both matches are level at 1.5-1.5 (all draws) heading into the 4th and final long play games which start tomorrow at midday with live coverage here: http://kazan2011.fide.com/live-games.html

[benedgell]

I agree that Kramnik is a superb match player, and in terms of match-play strategy he's got it pretty much spot on so far, but in terms of entertainment only the 2nd game in this match has provided any interest. Of course he's not obligated to be entertaining, just do what's necessary to get through each match, but for a neutral its not much fun at all to watch.

The somewhat scrappy matches between Aronian- Grischuk in the first round and Kamsky- Gelfand in this round have been miles more entertaining.

[LozCooper]

I agree that Kramnik is a superb match player, and in terms of match-play strategy he's got it pretty much spot on so far, but in terms of entertainment only the 2nd game in this match has provided any interest. Of course he's not obligated to be entertaining, just do what's necessary to get through each match, but for a neutral its not much fun at all to watch.

The somewhat scrappy matches between Aronian- Grischuk in the first round and Kamsky- Gelfand in this round have been miles more entertaining.

Personally I think it's up to the player with white to try and make things happen. There can't be many top players playing in a short match who wouldn't be happy to take draws with black without much effort then press with white the next day. The gap between the players is small enough that the player with white should try for an advantage but some players are probably happy to steer the match towards rapid & blitz.

[Mike Truran]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think the matches have been the greatest advert for top level chess both in terms of either format or quality (the latter no doubt being affected by the former). As a commercial sponsor I would be wondering whether funding something like this would be the best use of my money.

[Jonathan Rogers]

since there hasn't been a commercial sponsor for a series of candidates matches since Intel sponsored the PCA cycle in 1994/5, I should think that it's not just you!

[IM Jack Rudd]

The Candidates was an all-play-all tournament from 1950 to 1962, of course; it was changed to a match format as a result of the notorious 1962 tournament in which Fischer believed the leading Russian players to be fixing results against each other. Whatever the rights and wrongs of his accusation, a set of matches does avoid the potential for it to be a problem. On the flip side, all-play-alls will probably give more exciting chess, because you can't win them with a score barely above 50%.

[Jon D'Souza-Eva]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think the matches have been the greatest advert for top level chess both in terms of either format or quality (the latter no doubt being affected by the former). As a commercial sponsor I would be wondering whether funding something like this would be the best use of my money.

No competition to decide the challenger for the World Championship should involve rapidplay, blitz or, god help us, Armageddon games. As for four game matches - they're just too short for any tension to build up. Most of the time the first person to win just sits on their lead.

[LozCooper]

According to Shipov 28...Qh5? (Qd7!) could have been met by 29 Bxc4 dxc4 30 Qb6! with big advantage to White

38...Qh5! wins for Black as Loz says

41 Qd2! instead of 41 Qxf2 keeps the queens on and the BK is worse. Now the rook ending is better for Black due to the passed f7 pawn and the passive WK.

"41.Qxf2 This wasn't the only move in this position, and perhaps Kamsky should have taken a few minutes away from the board after making time control so he might have considered: 41.Qd2 Qf6 42.Rxf2 Qxh4 43.Rdf1 Qe7 44.b3 Rf8 although he does eventually hold without too many traumas." TWIC 14 May

[Jonathan Rogers]

Gelfand starting to think at move 17 but one wonders whether he is just looking for forced wins ...

[LozCooper]

Gelfand starting to think at move 17 but one wonders whether he is just looking for forced wins ...

You think he has some compensation then

[Jonathan Rogers]

good to see that Kramnik v Grischuk is still going, though

[LozCooper]

good to see that Kramnik v Grischuk is still going, though

Well Kramnik is white so he'll try as long as he feels there's a risk free way of doing it. We'll prob know in 10-15 moves what his assessment is.

[Jonathan Rogers]

sure but I'm not optimistic of a long struggle right now.