Paul the Human

Good evening to all the readers! The 12th game of the World Chess Championship 2018 is going to begin in around 30 minutes. I here make my predictions for the openings of the Round 12 Games. I will update the Game 11 Report( which again ended in a draw!) after this game.   I have a strong premonition that the match is going to end today with a decisive result. I think that Caruana is today going to be the 17th World Chess Champion with a very strong game and hence also take over the World Number 1 spot that Carlsen has been holding for about 7 years now.  Here is how I think the opening battle is going to shape up: 1.) Caruana would like to go for some pressure with the White pieces having the momentum( because he drew rather effortlessly yesterday with the Black pieces in a Petroff Defense) and Carlsen's preparations for the World Championship have been severely put into question. I think Caruana is going to continue with 1. e4 for today's game. Playing 1. d4 is possible, y

Good evening to all readers! We would be viewing the game 10 of the World Chess Championship 2018 being held at The College, London. Fabiano Caruana was playing White with Carlsen again retorting to the Sveshnikov Siccilian which he played in Round 8( although getting into trouble). I had predicted for Caruana to go for the Open Siccilian yet believed that Carlsen would deviate and not play the Sveshnikov Siccilian as Caruana would have something in mind there. All of this happened with Caruana getting a slight edge in the ensuing positions. My prediction score hence: 7/10! He repeated the lines though having found improvements over 12. Bd2 that had been played in Game 8. This time Caruana came up with a new idea: This is a theoritical novelty(played first time in a tournament game) according to the database! Pretty surprising for one to play a novelty at the World Chess Championships! Caruana tried to sharpen up the play and got another of his ideas into the game when it seems to

Good evening to all! Wish that all of you are having a good day!The heading pretty much sums up how the 9th round of the Championships went! Now let us look at the Round! Round 9: Carlsen v/s Caruana 1/2-1/2 Carlsen began with the English Four Knights Opening( as I had predicted) yet continued with 4. g3 instead of 4. e3 when I had suggested that any of these options can be good- based on where Carlsen has better preparations.  Carlsen showed a relatively new idea which however, Caruana had analysed in the comforts of his home: Carlsen played this relatively rare idea which quiet probably is not a part of  GM Avrukh's repertoire book mentioned in the Game 9 Predictions. This was done to get Caruana out of book( which did not manage to be the case) and to get a fresh position over the board and let the surprise factor guide him through for the rest of the game. Credits: Sagar Shah This is a rather typical move in the Siccilian Dragon with the Black pieces and hence Caruana

Good evening all! The World Chess Championship 2018 is definitely heating up. There have thus far been 10 draws with two classical games still left to play. White has come out on top in the last three games in the opening tussle( controversial to say in the 10th game however, although White did have the Initiative at first). Carlsen according to me has the Initiative going into these last two games due to the following reasons: 1.) For the major part of the last two rounds, Carlsen has been the one pressing- whether it be round 9 or Round 10( with the Black pieces!). He does seem to have got the Initiative in both these games yet Caruana's tenacious defense helped him to remain solid. A report of Rounds 8 and Round 9 would be published very soon. 2.) Caruana did not get much with the White pieces in Round 10 while Carlsen repeated the Sveshnikov Sicillian. This initially looks a bit surprising considering that Caruana has won many of the opening battles in this year's Worl

Good evening readers! The 10th round of the World Chess Championship 2018 being held in The College, London is heating up with all of the 9 games of the Championship thus far having been drawn! I was extremely happy to see Carlsen repeating the line I had predicted( The English Four Knights). He played 4. g3 although I expected 4. e3 if he had some more improvements there. As it transpired, Caruana had already seen this possibility back home yet could not remember the intricate details during the game although the position was equal. The key moments of the game and the Round 9 Report would be published yet here are the predictions:   Carlsen was happy with his position out of the opening but quiet unhappy with the fact that he could not make most of the opportunities he got. However, he seemed pretty displeased and unhappy in the press conference due to the missed chances yet for the first time, he got something tangible with White. Credits: Nikolai Dunaevsky 1.) Carlsen won the

Good afternoon to all! Wish that you all are having a very good day! The World Chess Championship Match 2018 is nearing it's completion with both players tied at 4-4 games a piece with 4 rounds still left. Today is Game 9 which will begin at 8:30 PM IST. Carlsen is White and here is why I think he has an advantage in the upcoming battles: 1.) Carlsen has a very good Tiebreaker score. This for me indicates that Carlsen choses his openings very accurately in accordance to his opponent which poses more practical problems to them and Carlsen puts consistent pressure hence getting the most of the situation. Carlsen has an enviable record having won Tiebreakers against : (Maxime Vachier Lagrave twice won 1.5-0.5; once last year and once in late 2015, won against Anish Giri earlier this year 1.5-0.5, one World Championship 2016 on Tiebreakers 3-1, won against Karjakin, once won against Caruana in 2012 2-0, won against Yu Yangyi 2-0 in Qatar Masters 2015, won against Naiditsch in Grenke