Anand v Gelfand

[Paul Cooksey]

Boris caught in preparation in a rapid game, must be a nightmare

Svidler "as the saying goes, castles cannot be a bad move it can only be badly timed". Unfortunately he did not know who said it.

I hadn't heard it. I'm voting Tartakower, as a percentage bet.

[Paul McKeown]

I'm voting Tartakower, as a percentage bet.

[Paul McKeown]

Going to stick my neck out here: White to win.

[Paul Cooksey]

Going to stick my neck out here: White to win.

Svidler "white is much, much better" plus hugely up on the clock. So yes, expecting Vishy to convert

[Paul McKeown]

One endgame rule I have heard before is (where you good pawns on one side and bad pawns on the other side) to have a good pawn structure where you have the majority, so White's weakish kingside pawns are, by that measure, of less importance to the game, than his three excellent queenside pawns. Never mind the great activity of White's position and his extra pawn. Anand will have to have a seizure not to win this one.

[Paul McKeown]

Mind you, Anand *does* appear to be going backwards here. Is Anand really going to have a seizure in front of our screens?

[Paul Cooksey]

Bc8 again!

[Paul McKeown]

Going to stick my neck out here: White to win.

Clearly I was backing the wrong horse. Bc8 with Rh6 to follow. It's going to be another draw.

Anand has really messed up here. Probably.

[Paul Cooksey]

Anand looking exasperated on the webcam

[Paul McKeown]

Bc8 again!

Vishy is going to be seeing that move in his dreams!

[Paul Cooksey]

Boris might be playing for a win!

[Paul McKeown]

Vishy is really playing badly (by his standards).

[Paul Cooksey]

Vishy is really playing badly (by his standards).

But quickly. Svidler rating whites chances again. Stating the obvious, time a factor in rapids...

[Paul McKeown]

Absolutely. Time is clearly a factor. Lots of mistakes in this game.

[Paul Cooksey]

More incredible defence from Boris, including this ending with 4 mins vs 30 seconds most of the way through.