Good afternoon to all the readers!
Today is Game 6 in more than 5 hours and let's see what the gladiators might have in mind for the opening choices.
Yesterday was a rest day and hence Caruana would probably want to strike today as Carlsen has White in Game 6 and Game 7. Caruana must try to strike now also as Carlsen had some unpleasant moments in Game 3(when he last had the Black pieces).
I am quiet sure that Sveshnikov is the variation that Carlsen has prepared for this match as it was his mainstay repertoire in 2007-2008. It is also considered very difficult to play against and to obtain any advantage. Am pretty certain Mr. Gelfand to be part of Team Carlsen( which can also reason Carlsen's Game 4 choice of 1. c4). Mr. Gelfand, after World Chess Championship 2012 remarked that it had come to him as a surprise that it is difficult to outprepare someone who has spent the last six months in preparing an opening variation( The Chebanenko Slav for Mr. Anand and the Sveshnikov Variation for Mr. Gelfand). I am pretty sure that it is very dangerous for Caruana to play the Open Siccilian. If White plays 1. e4 I think Carlsen will play 1... c5 again opting for the Rossolimo with improvements down the road. That would most certainly be met with 2.Nf3 Nc6. I am sure that Carlsen would have something well-prepared against 3. Bb5 now(as it has already been played twice in the match). I think Caruana should now play 3. Nc3!? It would make it clear whether Carlsen has the Sveshnikov as part of his repertoire. If Carlsen plays 3...Nf6 to play the Sveshnikov, Carslen can play 4.Bb5 to try to convert to Rossolimo positions while having provoked 3...Nf6. Am somehow quiet sure Carlsen would not have looked at this move order as much and have prepared Sveshnikov much more in detail. The question however is that why did Caruana not play this earlier in Game 3? I think it is because he may not have been as satisfied with 3...e5!? which is often the drawback of the 3. Nc3 move order. Caruana can now play 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3 which gives rise to lot of complex theory. Am not fully sure if Carlsen has it covered right. I am quiet sure that Caruana should go for this shall Carlsen play 2...Nc6.
It can also be an interesting strategy for Carlsen to spring in the French( 1...e6) now in order to flabergast Caruana and to surprise him as was also noted in the previous article. Carlsen however may do it later in the match after having analyzed it much more in detail. Normally players take two opening repertoire's for the World Championship Matches- one main repertoire and the other one as backup. It is possible for Carlsen to play the French yet I think he would not have had it analyzed as much as the Sveshnikov Siccilian. Caruana said that a lot of his opening choices are player specific, which makes me think that he may not play 1. d4 as much in the entire match( also as he has already started with 1. e4 twice). Even Karjakin brought this strategy on in the 2016 Match Game 7 yet reverted back to 1.e4 as it did not bring much success. https://chess24.com/en/read/news/carlsen-karCjakin-game-7-new-move-same-result. This also shows one of the reasons why players normally do not trust their back-up repertoires as much- it is backup for a reason!
Caruana however playing 1. d4 is much more understandable than Karjakin playing it. I think that Carlsen would play 1...d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6( like he did v/s Karjakin) or he may even play 4...e6 to convert to the Semi-Slav Defense! Peter Hienne Nielsen( Carlsen's coach) is an expert on it preparing it extensively for V. Anand, who popularized it extensively. Carlsen has already played it earlier in his career. It also seems to match Carlsen's 'all-in strategy' for this match.
I find little reason for Fabiano to venture into 1.Nf3 and 1. c4. 1. c4 however is interesting to know what hand Carlsen has against 1. d4 although Fabiano would have to be well-armed against 1...e5!
It is going to be a very exciting match! Stay tuned!
Today is Game 6 in more than 5 hours and let's see what the gladiators might have in mind for the opening choices.
Yesterday was a rest day and hence Caruana would probably want to strike today as Carlsen has White in Game 6 and Game 7. Caruana must try to strike now also as Carlsen had some unpleasant moments in Game 3(when he last had the Black pieces).
I am quiet sure that Sveshnikov is the variation that Carlsen has prepared for this match as it was his mainstay repertoire in 2007-2008. It is also considered very difficult to play against and to obtain any advantage. Am pretty certain Mr. Gelfand to be part of Team Carlsen( which can also reason Carlsen's Game 4 choice of 1. c4). Mr. Gelfand, after World Chess Championship 2012 remarked that it had come to him as a surprise that it is difficult to outprepare someone who has spent the last six months in preparing an opening variation( The Chebanenko Slav for Mr. Anand and the Sveshnikov Variation for Mr. Gelfand). I am pretty sure that it is very dangerous for Caruana to play the Open Siccilian. If White plays 1. e4 I think Carlsen will play 1... c5 again opting for the Rossolimo with improvements down the road. That would most certainly be met with 2.Nf3 Nc6. I am sure that Carlsen would have something well-prepared against 3. Bb5 now(as it has already been played twice in the match). I think Caruana should now play 3. Nc3!? It would make it clear whether Carlsen has the Sveshnikov as part of his repertoire. If Carlsen plays 3...Nf6 to play the Sveshnikov, Carslen can play 4.Bb5 to try to convert to Rossolimo positions while having provoked 3...Nf6. Am somehow quiet sure Carlsen would not have looked at this move order as much and have prepared Sveshnikov much more in detail. The question however is that why did Caruana not play this earlier in Game 3? I think it is because he may not have been as satisfied with 3...e5!? which is often the drawback of the 3. Nc3 move order. Caruana can now play 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3 which gives rise to lot of complex theory. Am not fully sure if Carlsen has it covered right. I am quiet sure that Caruana should go for this shall Carlsen play 2...Nc6.
It can also be an interesting strategy for Carlsen to spring in the French( 1...e6) now in order to flabergast Caruana and to surprise him as was also noted in the previous article. Carlsen however may do it later in the match after having analyzed it much more in detail. Normally players take two opening repertoire's for the World Championship Matches- one main repertoire and the other one as backup. It is possible for Carlsen to play the French yet I think he would not have had it analyzed as much as the Sveshnikov Siccilian. Caruana said that a lot of his opening choices are player specific, which makes me think that he may not play 1. d4 as much in the entire match( also as he has already started with 1. e4 twice). Even Karjakin brought this strategy on in the 2016 Match Game 7 yet reverted back to 1.e4 as it did not bring much success. https://chess24.com/en/read/news/carlsen-karCjakin-game-7-new-move-same-result. This also shows one of the reasons why players normally do not trust their back-up repertoires as much- it is backup for a reason!
Caruana however playing 1. d4 is much more understandable than Karjakin playing it. I think that Carlsen would play 1...d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6( like he did v/s Karjakin) or he may even play 4...e6 to convert to the Semi-Slav Defense! Peter Hienne Nielsen( Carlsen's coach) is an expert on it preparing it extensively for V. Anand, who popularized it extensively. Carlsen has already played it earlier in his career. It also seems to match Carlsen's 'all-in strategy' for this match.
I find little reason for Fabiano to venture into 1.Nf3 and 1. c4. 1. c4 however is interesting to know what hand Carlsen has against 1. d4 although Fabiano would have to be well-armed against 1...e5!
It is going to be a very exciting match! Stay tuned!
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