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

**Neil Frarey** · Friday, 11th November, 2016, 12:47 AM

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

Carlsen wins the W.C.C. match in 9 rds. I'd say 7, but I think Karjakin can manage a couple of draws.

**Wayne Komer** · Friday, 11th November, 2016, 03:21 PM

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

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

November 11, 2016

The first game has started. It seemed to be delayed on World Chess. They had the wrong starting time on their countdown clock - 1 p.m and had to reset it.

The first moves:

Round 1, Nov. 11, 2016
Carlsen, Magnus - Karjakin, Sergey
A45 Trompovsky Attack

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.e3 c5 4.Bxf6 gxf6 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Bb5 e6 7.c4 dxc4 8.Nd2 Bxc5 9.Ngf3 O-O 10.O-O Na5 11.Rc1 (game in progress)

Carlsen is 24 minutes ahead of Karjakin on the clock

Woody Harrelson of Cheers fame played the ceremonial first move for Magnus. He said instead of playing 1.d4 he thought of tipping his king down but thought no one would appreciate that.

Karjakin took a lot of time on his sixth move.

Carlsen's father says that the opening is a Magnus joke. The Trumpovsky because Trump won the presidential election. Now everyone is talking about the Trump Opening!

(to be continued)

**Egidijus Zeromskis** · Friday, 11th November, 2016, 03:58 PM

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

Originally posted by Wayne Komer View Post

Carlsen's father says that the opening is a Magnus joke. The Trumpovsky because Trump won the presidential election. Now everyone is talking about the Trump Opening!

N.Short posted a picture with D.Trump making the first move. Just type in google "intel chess short trump" for more :)

**Wayne Komer** · Friday, 11th November, 2016, 04:39 PM

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

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

November 11, 2016

The chess24.com coverage is going full steam ahead. The commentators are Robin van Kampen and Eric Hansen since Peter Svidler is playing in the European Teams right now.

At move 11, Eric says that he prefers Karjakin’s position over Carlsen’s.

Online Comments

- Has the Trompovsky been played in a World Championship Match before?
- I like how the commentators are dressed up like going to a cocktail party. Classy!
- robin is a fantastic teacher! i really love the way he explains the ideas
- Karjakin has pawn structure damage but manage to keep Bishop pair .. game is almost equal
- shocking coverage - don't pay to watch, the commentary is far better here!
- 2 GMs commenting on here, no need to spend $15
- I thought Svidler was to commentate?
- svidler commentating on the last few days
- I need to see bill gates
- we're only at move 14 guys. magnus gonna grind him down in another 70 moves or so
- totally dead drawn position, engine says 0.00..so clear win for Magnus
- carlsen throwing in the trompowsky attack as a trompe-l'œil for the next games
- Laughing at everyone trying to compare this to Trump vs. Hillary.
- Carlsen has a winning position already. Karjakin's kingside is waiting to get assaulted.
- Woody Harrelson is at the venue chilling with the Norwegian team. Having interview with the Norwegian Tv right now.
- Imagine if you paid 600 dollars for seats to see Magnus Carlsen, and he messed around and played this GMJoey1 opening? I would be livid
________

The guys are speculating on Magnus Carlsen dating Taylor Swift and when they eventually break up, she writes a song and that is good for chess!

Have to stop writing and spend my time watching the game!

**Neil Frarey** · Friday, 11th November, 2016, 06:04 PM

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

At move 29 with just a maneuver or two to be played, it looks like a classic winning endgame for Carlsen.

**Vlad Dobrich** · Friday, 11th November, 2016, 06:58 PM

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

Originally posted by Neil Frarey View Post

At move 29 with just a maneuver or two to be played, it looks like a classic winning endgame for Carlsen.

WTF you talking about? Neither the GMs commenting the game nor Carlsen it seems saw any way to win. In the end the game was drawn.

**Wayne Komer** · Friday, 11th November, 2016, 08:39 PM

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

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

November 11, 2016

World Championship
New York City
Round 1, Nov. 11, 2016
Carlsen, Magnus – Karjakin, Sergey
A45 Trompovsky Attack

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 d5 3.e3 c5 4.Bxf6 gxf6 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Bb5 e6 7.c4 dxc4 8.Nd2 Bxc5 9.Ngf3 O-O 10.O-O Na5 11.Rc1 Be7 12.Qc2 Bd7 13.Bxd7 Qxd7 14.Qc3 Qd5 15.Nxc4 Nxc4 16.Qxc4 Qxc4 17.Rxc4 Rfc8 18.Rfc1 Rxc4 19.Rxc4 Rd8 20.g3 Rd7 21.Kf1 f5 22.Ke2 Bf6 23.b3 Kf8 24.h3 h6 25.Ne1 Ke7 26.Nd3 Kd8 27.f4 h5 28.a4 Rd5 29.Nc5 b6 30.Na6 Be7 31.Nb8 a5 32.Nc6+ Ke8 33.Ne5 Bc5 34.Rc3 Ke7 35.Rd3 Rxd3 36.Kxd3 f6 37.Nc6+ Kd6 38.Nd4 Kd5 39.Nb5 Kc6 40.Nd4+ Kd6 41.Nb5+ Kd7 42.Nd4 Kd6 1/2-1/2

From Mike Klein at chess.com:

https://www.chess.com/news/carlsen-p...ound-draw-4191

Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson made the first move of the 2016 World Chess Championship, but his principled 1. d4 wasn't the story. Rather, it was what followed one move later.

Less than a minute into the biggest chess match of the year, World Champion GM Magnus Carlsen answered 1...Nf6 with 2. Bg5. The Trompowsky! The provocative opening rarely graces the Norwegian's board these days, as lately in a series of rapid and blitz games Carlsen has preferred to stop the bishop one square short on f4.

Forty moves later, the two reached an impasse and agreed to a draw in round one.

According to Chess.com's research, today was the very first time the Trompowsky has been played in a world championship match. That's a collection of almost 1000 games. Challenger GM Sergey Karjakin said he was not surprised by the line; he'd had plenty of time to study the champion's past catalogue.

"It was not a revolution to me," Karjakin said afterward.

Twitter was more surprised, and broke out in various puns of jokes like: "The U.S. has been Trumped and Tromped in the span of four days."

Carlsen Tromped a few opponents in open tournaments in his junior days, but he also selected 2. Bg5 to beat GM Vladimir Kramnik at the 2013 Tal Memorial. The opening led off the bullet game that generated the famous "Too weak, too slow" quip from Carlsen against his friend GM Laurent Fressinet.

https://www.chess.com/blog/SonofPear...-trash-talking

**Brad Thomson** · Friday, 11th November, 2016, 09:06 PM

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

Originally posted by Vlad Dobrich View Post

WTF you talking about?

He doesn't answer questions.

**Gordon Ritchie** · Saturday, 12th November, 2016, 06:09 PM

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

Game two ended in a forced draw after 33 moves as both players chose to play very conservatively, feeling one another out. For fun, I ran game one through the computer (Stockfish7 with 150 seconds per move) and the mighty silicon had no improvements to suggest. I expect the same will be true for today's contest.

**Wayne Komer** · Sunday, 13th November, 2016, 12:59 AM

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

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

November 12, 2016

World Championship
New York City
Round 2, Nov. 12, 2016
Karjakin, Sergey – Carlsen, Magnus
C84 Ruy Lopez, Closed

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a3 O-O 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Ba2 Be6 11.d4 Bxa2 12.Rxa2 Re8 13.Ra1 Nc4 14.Re1 Rc8 15.h3 h6 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bb2 Bf8 18.dxe5 dxe5 19.a4 c6 20.Qxd8 Rcxd8 21.axb5 axb5 22.Ne2 Bb4 23.Bc3 Bxc3 24.Nxc3 Nbd7 25.Ra6 Rc8 26.b4 Re6 27.Rb1 c5 28.Rxe6 fxe6 29.Nxb5 cxb4 30.Rxb4 Rxc2 31.Nd6 Rc1+ 32.Kh2 Rc2 33.Kg1 1/2-1/2

Colin McGourty at chess24:

After Game Two, Magnus pleaded for our understanding: “This is a long match and there aren't going to be fireworks every game!” That was almost an understatement. On move 3 he sparked hopes by responding to the Ruy Lopez with the classical 3…a6, not the infamous Berlin Defence, but after a tense few moves in which Karjakin seemed to be getting the upper hand he released all the tension and sent the game careening towards a draw. A solid start for both players, but little to write home about.

Normally it would be a great thing for a chess venue to be packed with spectators, but it turned out that not only had the tickets been sold, but locals with complimentary tickets for one game had chosen to turn up as well. That exposed the limitations of the venue, with Agon’s trademark “industrial cool” design ethos apparently less appealing when you’re waiting for an hour to catch a glimpse of the players and don’t have anywhere to sit. The Star Tribune quotes Carl Fisher as saying, “This is the worst-organized event I've been to in my life”, before later adding that he’s 82 years old!

https://chess24.com/en/read/news/car...in-no-thriller
________

Tomorrow (Sunday) is a rest day.

Monday should be interesting on chess24.com – both Peter Svidler and Eric Hansen will be commentating on Game Three. Magnus will have the white pieces. Game starts at 2 p.m. EST.

**Wayne Komer** · Sunday, 13th November, 2016, 01:48 PM

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

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

November 13, 2016

Chess is often written up in the Philippine and Indian newspapers by sports columnists. This gives the descriptions a different flavor from which we are accustomed in the staid chess journals.

Now, I refer you to ESPN's sports column 538:

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/...-championship/

Draws and Politics at the World Chess Championship

by Oliver Roeder

A couple of excerpts:

This year’s chess venue is sparse and sleek, heavy on concrete and hypermodern black-and-white branding. Large flat-screen televisions dot the open floor, providing live views of the tense and slowly unfolding games. The sellout crowd mills around, stealing meaningful-looking glances at the game on TV, listening to live commentary on headphones, eating sandwiches and playing their own games of speed chess in the cafe’s Eames-style dining chairs.

The two grandmasters play alone in a separate room, accompanied only by two stoic match arbiters. On the inside, the room resembles the bridge of a sci-fi spaceship. To the spectators on the outside, though, it evokes a reptile house in a zoo. You enter the dark, hot and humid viewing gallery through thick black curtains. You’re hushed as you enter and reminded to silence your phone. The lights inside are dimmed, and an eerie purple light glows from behind the thick glass of the one-way mirror. You can see Carlsen and Karjakin, leaning in close to each other over the board in deep thought. They can’t see you.

In chess, and at this championship, what’s old is new again, and moves and characters are strangely familiar. Donald Trump made the ceremonial first move at a qualifying event for that 1995 New York championship, at Trump Tower. And Rudy Giuliani, then the mayor and now rumored to be high on the list to be Trump’s attorney general, made the ceremonial first move in those finals. (Giuliani was late — and made the wrong move.)

**Gordon Ritchie** · Monday, 14th November, 2016, 10:07 PM

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

Round three was a fascinating struggle lasting 78 moves in over 6:40 in which Magnus had winning chances but Sergey managed to hang on to draw. Magnus will be kicking himself this evening when, with the help of their high powered computers, his seconds show him where he missed the opportunity to take the lead. Sergey, on the other hand, may wait until the rest day to kick his seconds for failing to give him a clear answer to Magnus's rather unusual but not unprecedented opening line against the Berlin. Very interesting for the chess playing viewer. Rather like watching grass grow for the general public they are trying to attract.
I remain convinced that the only way to take high level chess to television is along the lines of the British series some years ago when the game was taped and then edited to cut the long thinks and to interlace the players' own commentaries.
Still, I found it thrilling and it whetted my appetite for the games to come. These are two very tough combatants.

**Wayne Komer** · Monday, 14th November, 2016, 10:41 PM

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

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

November 14, 2016

Game Three

Peter Svidler and Eric Hansen are the commentators on chess24.com. Fiona Steil-Antoni takes over for them when they are on breaks.

There has been a lot of buzz on the Internet about how boring the match is. Here are some of the comments online at chess24 during the first two hours:

"Pit two players against each other who both have perfect technique, who both avoid weaknesses, and what is left? -a sorry caricature of chess" -Emanuel Lasker

- Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat - Sun Tzu

- a cricket match would be more lively than this match so far and that is quite telling

- You know Silman moved to Japan, maybe he saw the Trump win before everyone else

- Karjakin happy to draw and draw; hoping to take 1-0 lead and hold it

- Apparently, Sergey K spent 1 million on this......Could have spent it on some good food but no.

- oh for goodness sakes guys...these are unbelievable players with pretty much error free chess...what else do we expect from a WC match ?

- Magnus will win this match in the rapid

- Speed chess tiebreaks are an atrocity

- It's like Karpov playing himself. There's too much prophylaxis, though. They should be more tactical instead of POSITIONAL.

- This game........time passes like a kidney stone when you watch this.

- the interaction between Peter and Eric is really comfortable--great combination of commentators

- the Master and Padawan commenting

- This is what chess has become at the top levels. All prep, no fight
___________

Mark Crowther at TWIC - Magnus Carlsen will be cursing himself after allowing Sergey Karjakin to escape with a draw after a nearly 7 hour game.

Carlsen found an unusual idea on the white side in a normally drawish variation of the Berlin Defence to the Ruy Lopez. Carlsen probably wasn't accurate after setting Karjakin serious problems but his main idea was eventually rewarded after inaccuracies before move 40 which allowed Carlsen to win a pawn.

Carlsen had a favourable position but he again didn't play accurately. Late in the game the position was clearly winning for Carlsen again but tiredness set in and mutual mistakes followed.
_________

- With no adjournment playing straight through, today's game was simply astounding in its quality.

- Both players have basically been chess pros since at least age 12, more than half their lives. One has to learn something with that devotion to one's craft ...

- sergey won't always have chance to escape like today

- This type of narrow escape IS Karjakin's game as Black.

- If MC can't win positions like these...
this will haunt him if he loses the match.

- I think it was an incredible feat of concentration for 6+ hours. It helps both men well under age 30.

Carlsen: "Maybe I could've won at some point, Didn't see a forced win. It wasn't easy at any event Certainly disappointing"

(Teymur Rajabov )

- Last 7 moves of Carlsen's technical part in today's game, are the worst I have seen in ages from him. Others yes, almost everyday, but him..

- It's crazy, 3.58 am

- I do not regret a single minute spent today without sleep, because I love this game

World Championship 2016
New York City
Game 3, Nov. 14, 2016
Carlsen, Magnus – Karjakin, Sergey
C67 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence, Open Var.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O Nxe4 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 O-O 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re2 b6 11.Re1 Re8 12.Bf4 Rxe1 13.Qxe1 Qe7 14.Nc3 Bb7 15.Qxe7 Bxe7 16.a4 a6 17.g3 g5 18.Bxd6 Bxd6 19.Bg2 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 f5 21.Nd5 Kf7 22.Ne3 Kf6 23.Nc4 Bf8 24.Re1 Rd8 25.f4 gxf4 26.gxf4 b5 27.axb5 axb5 28.Ne3 c6 29.Kf3 Ra8 30.Rg1 Ra2 31.b3 c5 32.Rg8 Kf7 33.Rg2 cxd4 34.Nxf5 d3 35.cxd3 Ra1 36.Nd4 b4 37.Rg5 Rb1 38.Rf5+ Ke8 39.Rb5 Rf1+ 40.Ke4 Re1+ 41.Kf5 Rd1 42.Re5+ Kf7 43.Rd5 Rxd3 44.Rxd7+ Ke8 45.Rd5 Rh3 46.Re5+ Kf7 47.Re2 Bg7 48.Nc6 Rh5+ 49.Kg4 Rc5 50.Nd8+ Kg6 51.Ne6 h5+ 52.Kf3 Rc3+ 53.Ke4 Bf6 54.Re3 h4 55.h3 Rc1 56.Nf8+ Kf7 57.Nd7 Ke6 58.Nb6 Rd1 59.f5+ Kf7 60.Nc4 Rd4+ 61.Kf3 Bg5 62.Re4 Rd3+ 63.Kg4 Rg3+ 64.Kh5 Be7 65.Ne5+ Kf6 66.Ng4+ Kf7 67.Re6 Rxh3 68.Ne5+ Kg7 69.Rxe7+ Kf6 70.Nc6 Kxf5 71.Na5 Rh1 72.Rb7 Ra1 73.Rb5+ Kf4 74.Rxb4+ Kg3 75.Rg4+ Kf2 76.Nc4 h3 77.Rh4 Kg3 78.Rg4+ Kf2 1/2-1/2

**Brad Thomson** · Tuesday, 15th November, 2016, 03:36 PM

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

Svidler and Hansen are fantastic together! The deference and humility shown by Hansen commands my respect.