Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

As predicted, game eleven was a relatively short draw (34 moves) setting up the grand finale on Monday or, if needed, the tie breaks on Wednesday.

[John Coleman]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Well, I told you I was exhausted. Too exhausted to spell, clearly.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Carleson wins game 10, match tied. I watched the whole thing, I'm exhausted.

Who's that Carleson guy you're exhaustly talking about?

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

November 24, 2016

Game Ten

For those who like to watch American television on their Thanksgiving, this game stretched alongside of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Dog Show, and three football games (Detroit, Dallas and Pittsburgh).

World Championship
New York City
Game 10, Nov. 24, 2016
Carlsen, Magnus – Karjakin, Sergey
C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 O-O 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 Be7 8.O-O d6 9.Nbd2 Nh5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Nc4 Nf4 12.Ne3 Qf6 13.g3 Nh3+ 14.Kh1 Ne7 15.Bc4 c6 16.Bb3 Ng6 17.Qe2 a5 18.a4 Be6 19.Bxe6 fxe6 20.Nd2 d5 21.Qh5 Ng5 22.h4 Nf3 23.Nxf3 Qxf3+ 24.Qxf3 Rxf3 25.Kg2 Rf7 26.Rfe1 h5 27.Nf1 Kf8 28.Nd2 Ke7 29.Re2 Kd6 30.Nf3 Raf8 31.Ng5 Re7 32.Rae1 Rfe8 33.Nf3 Nh8 34.d4 exd4 35.Nxd4 g6 36.Re3 Nf7 37.e5+ Kd7 38.Rf3 Nh6 39.Rf6 Rg7 40.b4 axb4 41.cxb4 Ng8 42.Rf3 Nh6 43.a5 Nf5 44.Nb3 Kc7 45.Nc5 Kb8 46.Rb1 Ka7 47.Rd3 Rc7 48.Ra3 Nd4 49.Rd1 Nf5 50.Kh3 Nh6 51.f3 Rf7 52.Rd4 Nf5 53.Rd2 Rh7 54.Rb3 Ree7 55.Rdd3 Rh8 56.Rb1 Rhh7 57.b5 cxb5 58.Rxb5 d4 59.Rb6 Rc7 60.Nxe6 Rc3 61.Nf4 Rhc7 62.Nd5 Rxd3 63.Nxc7 Kb8 64.Nb5 Kc8 65.Rxg6 Rxf3 66.Kg2 Rb3 67.Nd6+ Nxd6 68.Rxd6 Re3 69.e6 Kc7 70.Rxd4 Rxe6 71.Rd5 Rh6 72.Kf3 Kb8 73.Kf4 Ka7 74.Kg5 Rh8 75.Kf6 1-0

(Robert Hess at chess.com):

After 20. Nd2 we got the critical moment in the game and perhaps the whole 2016 World Championship: 20…Nxf2+! would end the game quickly after 21. Kg2 Nh4+! 22. Kg1 (22. gxh4 Qg6+ and White is down a pawn with a shattered structure) 22…Nh3+ 23. Kh1 Nf2+ and a repetition. Sergey said he’d seen 20…Nxf2, but after 21. Kg1 Nh3+ 22. Kg2 he’d missed that Black can fork the queen and king by putting either knight on f4. Play could potentially continue, but Black would at least be no worse and Magnus wasn't planning to enter a line that might all but end the match.

56. Rb1 Rhh7?? Oh no. After defending for many moves, Karjakin cracks. This is the mistake Carlsen was waiting for. Black is totally stuck, and can't defend b7 and e6.

(56... Nh6 kept the status quo. White would love to play g4, but it doesn't quite pan out: 57. g4 (57. b5 cxb5 58. Rxb5 Rc8is needed to keep the rook from entering on b6.) 57... g5! and Karjakin would exchange kingside pawns, giving him necessary activity and a clear path towards equality.)

57. b5! Crashing through.

62. Nd5 Carlsen must have calculated that exchanging the rooks in this manner -- where the black king gets stuck on the back rank -- was superior to capturing the pawn on g6. This is not a purely objective assessment, but that there are fewer pitfalls along the way to victory.

(62. Rxg6 Rxd3 63. Nxd3 Rc3 64. Rf6is an important inclusion, protecting the pawn on f3. (64. Nf4 Rxf3 65. Nxh5 Rf1allows drawing chances. The passed d-pawn and the threat of Ne3 followed by Rh1 (mate) keeps Black in the game.))

Notes:

Chess.com also learned the specifics to the appeal filed by Team Carlsen, which was resolved today. According to the regulations, Carlsen was imposed a 10 percent fine of his prize money for skipping the round eight press conference. Half the fine was to go to FIDE and half to Agon, and the amount would range from $40,000-$60,000 USD depending on the result.

FIDE Press Officer Anastasia Karlovich told Chess.com that the appeal did not seek to waive the fine, but only to reduce it. She said the appeals committee upheld this request and reduced the fine to five percent. It was her understanding that both organizations would now receive 2.5 percent.
___________

Mark Crowther in The Week in Chess:

http://theweekinchess.com

Magnus Carlsen won an extremely tense six and half hour struggle against Sergey Karjakin to equalise the match at 5-5. In a game with many turning points it looked for a long time like Karjakin would hold out for a draw but Carlsen eventually showed some of the skills that make him the best player in the World and finally broke the resistance Karjakin.

Carlsen returned to the quiet 4.d3 against the Berlin and hoped to outplay his opponent in a long positional game. Karjakin looked to be under a small amount of pressure before Carlsen erred with 19.Bxe6 which computers immediately pronounced as an equal position with 20.Nxf2 and 21.Nxf2. After this an extremely long endgame resulted where Carlsen could press at will it seemed and Karjakin had to wait. Karjakin could have tried to play g5 at some point but clearly felt his position was a fortress.

Carlsen showed his great experience in winning endgames against the best by waiting and waiting for his only breakthrough try with b5. He eventually played it under the best circumstances after 56...Rhh7? and was winning after second time control. Karjakin gambled with 61.Rhc7 and was rewarded with the inferior 62.Nd5 but even so the defensive task was beyond him.

This was a far from perfect game but was at times an unbearably tense struggle which leaves the match tied at 5-5 with two games to go and possible rapid and blitz tiebreaks after that.

Rest day Friday 25th November.

Game 11 Saturday 26th November

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

We are getting our money's worth. The pressure must be incredible on both players. I am exhausted just watching them. I know they are young and fit but this is crazy stress and it is amazing they can think at all in these conditions.

[John Coleman]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Carleson wins game 10, match tied. I watched the whole thing, I'm exhausted.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Wonder if the players are both quite amenable to a mere 12 game match? Go down just one game and you are on the ropes. I'm old though and therefore am probably quite in the minority in my chess views. I remember the golden days of chess: full and proper 24 game matches with draw odds to the champ (to prevent matches from slipping into farcical speed chess).

This wouldn't do in our fast paced world. Can't have an event last a whole month or more. Media interest would fade.

But I agree that 12 games is on the short side. 16 games would be fine, IMO.

And for a tiebreak, I would have them play rapid games at 20m + 10s until a winner emerges.

[David Bowers]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Wonder if the players are both quite amenable to a mere 12 game match? Go down just one game and you are on the ropes. I'm old though and therefore am probably quite in the minority in my chess views. I remember the golden days of chess: full and proper 24 game matches with draw odds to the champ (to prevent matches from slipping into farcical speed chess).

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

I don't read it like you do. This was a bit of bullying by Karjakin to me. "I'm winning and there's nothing you can do about it." Cocky little so-and-so. And good for him. Let's see what Magnus is made of. Either result is good to me but, I must confess, a Russian World Chess Champion is like the Montreal Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup. Or Scuderia Ferrari winning the F1 Ch'ship. All is well in the world.

Well, to be fair Magnus is also to blame here because he's among those who started this trend of grinding out drawn endgames.

Some of the games were fine, but they've been playing out these drawn endgames way too much. The commentators look like they badly need a drink or something to remain interested.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Another draw...But a very exciting game. Just as they approached the 40-move time control, with Carlsen down to one minute, Karjakin took over 20 minutes on the critical move 39.Bxf7+, which the computers calculate is the second best move in the position, with seconds before the flag. While the other move, Qb3, might have given serious winning chances, Karjakin had to settle for a clear but insufficient advantage. In classic match style, he then pushed the World Champion around the board for another 35 moves before conceding the draw. Fascinating.

I don't read it like you do. This was a bit of bullying by Karjakin to me. "I'm winning and there's nothing you can do about it." Cocky little so-and-so. And good for him. Let's see what Magnus is made of. Either result is good to me but, I must confess, a Russian World Chess Champion is like the Montreal Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup. Or Scuderia Ferrari winning the F1 Ch'ship. All is well in the world.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

November 23, 2016

Game Nine

World Championship
New York City
Game 9, Nov. 23, 2016
Karjakin, Sergey - Carlsen, Magnus
C78 Ruy Lopez, Archangel Variation

[1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.axb5 axb5 11.Na3 O-O 12.Nxb5 Bg4 13.Bc2 exd4 14.Nbxd4 Nxd4 15.cxd4 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Nh5 17.Kh1 Qf6 18.Be3 c5 19.e5 Qe6 20.exd6 c4 21.b3 cxb3 22.Bxb3 Qxd6 23.Ra6 Rfd8 24.Rg1 Qd7 25.Rg4 Nf6 26.Rh4 Qb5 27.Ra1 g6 28.Rb1 Qd7 29.Qd3 Nd5 30.Rg1 Bc7 31.Bg5 Re8 32.Qc4 Rb5 33.Qc2 Ra8 34.Bc4 Rba5 35.Bd2 Ra4 36.Qd3 Ra1 37.Rxa1 Rxa1+ 38.Kg2 Ne7 39.Bxf7+ Kxf7 40.Qc4+ Kg7 41.d5 Nf5 42.Bc3+ Kf8 43.Bxa1 Nxh4+ 44.Qxh4 Qxd5 45.Qf6+ Qf7 46.Qd4 Ke8 47.Qe4+ Qe7 48.Qd5 Bd8 49.Kf1 Qf7 50.Qe4+ Qe7 51.Be5 Qe6 52.Kg2 Be7 53.Qa8+ Kf7 54.Qh8 h5 55.Qg7+ Ke8 56.Bf4 Qf7 57.Qh8+ Qf8 58.Qd4 Qf5 59.Qc4 Kd7 60.Bd2 Qe6 61.Qa4+ Qc6 62.Qa7+ Qc7 63.Qa2 Qd6 64.Be3 Qe6 65.Qa7+ Ke8 66.Bc5 Bd8 67.h3 Qd5 68.Be3 Be7 69.Qb8+ Kf7 70.Qh8 Qe6 71.Bf4 Qf6 72.Qb8 Qe6 73.Qb7 Kg8 74.Qb5 Bf6 1/2-1/2

Robert Hess at chess.com

38... Ne7 Played with under two minutes left, Carlsen aims to reroute the knight to f5. The knight was hoping to reach this square many moves ago, but there was never time. It may seem that the time is now, but there are tactical issues on the seventh rank.

39. Bxf7+ And Karjakin plays - to my eyes - the incorrect continuation. He finds a way to regain the piece and go up a pawn, but must have underestimated Carlsen's drawing chances.

(39. Qb3 Was the other option that Karjakin was weighing. This variation had to offer better winning chances than the game continuation, which is easy to hold. 39... Nf5 40. Bxf7+ Kg7 (40... Qxf7 41. Qxf7+ Kxf7 42. Rxh7+ Ke6 43. Rxc7 Nh4+ (43... Nxd4 44. Rg7is the main issue here. The bishop gets to c3 and prevents the king from protecting the g-pawn.)

39... Kxf7 40. Qc4+

40... Kg7 The only move that does not lose immediately.

https://www.chess.com/news/view/carl...in-game-9-1492

On-line Comments

(Nigel Short) - You need all the help you can get when one point down, so Magnus has asked an archangel to watch over him

- Caruana is only 15.1 rating point away from Carlsen in the live rating.

- I had the privilege of being there today. Indeed, I thought, as well as others around me, that 39.Qb3 was the most natural move.

- Magnus again has taken more risk. The whole black pawn sacrifice meant that black had to carry compensation through a minefield of possibilities, and lost that compensation very soon after a tiny inaccuracy (...g6 instead of Qd7, allowing Rg4/h4), leaving him with a hard to defend position (you have to find complex moves like ...Bc7 all the way). And before the time control both players missed opportunities, keeping the time trouble zone extremely tense.

Some may focus on the fact now, that Magnus was close to big trouble again. Although that's true, I don't agree with that as main perception. Once more it was Magnus' own choice to risk a tight rope walk. Doing so, immediately after your self-confidence is shaken by weak moves in the game before, and now doing so with black, is extremely courageous from my view.

My impression is that he was quite relaxed while analyzing in the press conference, and seemed to have seen more of the really critical lines than Sergey (for example the whole Qb3 line including the incredible Bg8 and the resulting endgame 2 pawns down). Both hadn't seen the Qf1 resource, and none of them discussed ...Rb4 (instead of ...Ra8 Robert Hess: engine analysis indicates that this is not just another plausible move, but a significantly better one and quite a safe drawing line). After his excellent defensive achievement, acknowledged by Karjakin, and carried throughout time trouble, he will be much more confident than he was before.

No idea if he will win a game of the last three, but now I'm sure he won't crack.

Magnus is back in the game.

- 39.Bxf7+ looks stronger than 39.Qb3

- Maybe another move entirely is best. Carlsen will be frantically analysing his responses to Qb3, and a quiet move may leave him panicking over his final two moves. We've all been there!

(Or Sergey is preparing a double move, first move 39 and then an almost-immediate response on move 40 to see if Magnus can find the right 40th move in his time trouble.)

EDIT: Sergey must be trying to convince himself to play 39.Bxf7+. Nearly out of time.

- Fascinating. Have to say, I was beginning to doubt whether Carlsen would survive in the melee leading up to move 40.

- The engines are struggling to understand the position (move 46). I'll predict a draw.

(Nigel Short) - The most natural move. 41...Nf5 looks like a draw. Some slight difficulties for Black but nothing serious

(Teymur Radjabov) - Black holds after Nf5 now. And it's much easier for the human than g5.
________

I rather think that Anish Giri will be annotating Game 8 for New In Chess after these two tweets:

- A delightful evening ahead: going to sit on the couch and annotate game 8.

- As usual, all my "brilliant" thoughts that don't fit into 140 characters can be found in the next issue of New In Chess.
_________

(Tarjel J. Svensen) - Team Carlsen has confirmed that the 10 % fine for not attending the press conference has been appealed

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Another draw...But a very exciting game. Just as they approached the 40-move time control, with Carlsen down to one minute, Karjakin took over 20 minutes on the critical move 39.Bxf7+, which the computers calculate is the second best move in the position, with seconds before the flag. While the other move, Qb3, might have given serious winning chances, Karjakin had to settle for a clear but insufficient advantage. In classic match style, he then pushed the World Champion around the board for another 35 moves before conceding the draw. Fascinating.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Svidler and Gustafsson are simply running out of things to talk about. They're just going on, ranting about random stuff, comic books and movies. I have to give them credit, because there's not much to talk about when the two guys are just grinding drawn endgames.

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

November 23, 2016

I agree with you 100%, Gordon. Who keeps the World Champion waiting while the Challenger is on home town TV? Their joint press conference should be the first one.

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: Games of the Carlsen-Karjakin W.C.C. Match

I do hope this chickenshit nonsense goes no farther. It is simply not appropriate to keep the World Champion waiting on stage while his challenger crows about his win with his home country media. Magnus was not his classy best but after the 8th game disaster it was understandable. Move on.