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, yet I do not see any reason for Caruana to deviate from 1. e4 having had opening success in the last two White games now( both in the Sveshnikov Siccilian). I hence think that Caruana is going to stick with 1. e4.
2.) As has been mentioned in my earlier reports, Carlsen is known for his 'situationism' because he plays openings depending on the situation there is. This has also been detailed in the Round 9 Predictions+ why Carlsen holds the edge in the upcoming battle. Hence it is not necessary for Carlsen to play the Siccilian Sveshnikov. Carlsen, am quiet sure that Carlsen will not play 1...e5 as one of his Black strategies has been to limit Caruana's White preparations considerably by not going for 1.... e5 for which Caruana would be thoroughly prepared. He can play that yet this would be extremely risky, bold and something I am quiet sure Carlsen would like to avoid. Vishy Anand, a five-time World Chess Champion also said Carlsen is a player who likes to avoid risk.
2.) As I have also noted in my previous reports, Carlsen has reasons to go for the French Defense now in order to surprise Caruana with something he would not have prepared for as much. Caruana however has shown great results against the French Defense this year and this is a risky strategy. Carlsen can play this yet I think Carlsen will avoid this as he said Caruana is one player who does not rely on opening theory as much as some other strong players like Sergey Karjakin and Vishy Anand rely on which is an addition to his chess prowess.
Karjakin was on hand to play the first move before the start of the 11th game of the World Chess Championship. He played 1. b4!? as a little joke which raised a chuckle from both the World Champion and the Challenger. The trio enjoyed a light moment which was fun to watch for all spectators! Credits: Mike Klein
3.) I believe that Carlsen will stick to the Siccilian Defense. I believe Caruana would continue with 3. d4 again as he could not get much with the Rossolimo in his first three White games- Games 1, 3 and 5. He got more in the openings in Game 8 and Game 10 and hence I think he will stick to the Open Siccilian. Another option is to play 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3!? yet this allows 3...g6 which Caruana has in the past been struggling against. He does not usually plays Nc3 in the Siccilian Dragon and hence I think Caruana would not play this.
4.) Caruana hence has more reasons to play 3. d4 cd4 4. Nd4. I think Carlsen will play 4... Nf6 and can meet 5. Nc3 with 5... e6!? Carlsen has struggled to play against the 7. Nd5 in the Sveshnikov Siccilian and if Caruana plays 6. Ndb5 d6 White cannot play 7. Nd5! and will have to play the absolute main line. Carlsen can play 5... e6 to prevent the 7. Nd5 option altogether( as played by Vidit Santosh Gujrathi recently, an elite chess player). The drawback of this move is that it allows 6. Bf4!? and 6. Nc6!? which transpose into deep sharp theory which Carlsen himself would have to be prepared for in order to play.
5.) I think Carlsen can play like this knowing by his 'situationism' attitude. Caruana may also play 5... e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 with improvements in mind although this can be done only if he is properly prepared. I personally do not believe Carlsen should go for this having struggled in this opening thus far. Having said that, he did play it in Game 10 having struggled in Game 8 and may repeat it yet again.Also important to know is that Carlsen would be satisfied with a draw thus far and would not like to go for such a character of fight. I think Caruana can focus on 9. c4!? instead of 9. a4 if he does not get as clear opening ideas. If he continues with 9. a4, it looks to be very similiar to the Rossolimo Siccilian in Game 5 wherein his opening strategy was not as successful. He should go for 9. a4 only if he is fully sure and has good preparation or else alternate to 9. c4 where there can also be very interesting strong ideas.
6.) Carlsen can play 5.. e6 which I consider Carlsen to do yet is something I do not think Carlsen prepared much attetion to before the match and is hence very difficult. 1...c6 is also a possibility yet a very rare one as Caruana has faith in his overall chess strength considerably, which Carlsen would not like to challenge.
Caruana was extremely happy with the results of the opening in the match so far and with his Black games in particular. Today he has time to go for the highest chess title of all- the World Chess Championship. He has the strength yet can he go the distance? Credits: Niki Riga
7.) For today, the players will try to be well-rested and extremely strong-willed and mentally prepared today. Their teams have definitely worked very hard for the entire match and especially the whole match. Carlsen can stick to the Sveshikov only if having strong belief in his preparations thus far.
Let's look forward to the games. Thanks!
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, yet I do not see any reason for Caruana to deviate from 1. e4 having had opening success in the last two White games now( both in the Sveshnikov Siccilian). I hence think that Caruana is going to stick with 1. e4.
2.) As has been mentioned in my earlier reports, Carlsen is known for his 'situationism' because he plays openings depending on the situation there is. This has also been detailed in the Round 9 Predictions+ why Carlsen holds the edge in the upcoming battle. Hence it is not necessary for Carlsen to play the Siccilian Sveshnikov. Carlsen, am quiet sure that Carlsen will not play 1...e5 as one of his Black strategies has been to limit Caruana's White preparations considerably by not going for 1.... e5 for which Caruana would be thoroughly prepared. He can play that yet this would be extremely risky, bold and something I am quiet sure Carlsen would like to avoid. Vishy Anand, a five-time World Chess Champion also said Carlsen is a player who likes to avoid risk.
2.) As I have also noted in my previous reports, Carlsen has reasons to go for the French Defense now in order to surprise Caruana with something he would not have prepared for as much. Caruana however has shown great results against the French Defense this year and this is a risky strategy. Carlsen can play this yet I think Carlsen will avoid this as he said Caruana is one player who does not rely on opening theory as much as some other strong players like Sergey Karjakin and Vishy Anand rely on which is an addition to his chess prowess.
Karjakin was on hand to play the first move before the start of the 11th game of the World Chess Championship. He played 1. b4!? as a little joke which raised a chuckle from both the World Champion and the Challenger. The trio enjoyed a light moment which was fun to watch for all spectators! Credits: Mike Klein
3.) I believe that Carlsen will stick to the Siccilian Defense. I believe Caruana would continue with 3. d4 again as he could not get much with the Rossolimo in his first three White games- Games 1, 3 and 5. He got more in the openings in Game 8 and Game 10 and hence I think he will stick to the Open Siccilian. Another option is to play 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3!? yet this allows 3...g6 which Caruana has in the past been struggling against. He does not usually plays Nc3 in the Siccilian Dragon and hence I think Caruana would not play this.
4.) Caruana hence has more reasons to play 3. d4 cd4 4. Nd4. I think Carlsen will play 4... Nf6 and can meet 5. Nc3 with 5... e6!? Carlsen has struggled to play against the 7. Nd5 in the Sveshnikov Siccilian and if Caruana plays 6. Ndb5 d6 White cannot play 7. Nd5! and will have to play the absolute main line. Carlsen can play 5... e6 to prevent the 7. Nd5 option altogether( as played by Vidit Santosh Gujrathi recently, an elite chess player). The drawback of this move is that it allows 6. Bf4!? and 6. Nc6!? which transpose into deep sharp theory which Carlsen himself would have to be prepared for in order to play.
5.) I think Carlsen can play like this knowing by his 'situationism' attitude. Caruana may also play 5... e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 with improvements in mind although this can be done only if he is properly prepared. I personally do not believe Carlsen should go for this having struggled in this opening thus far. Having said that, he did play it in Game 10 having struggled in Game 8 and may repeat it yet again.Also important to know is that Carlsen would be satisfied with a draw thus far and would not like to go for such a character of fight. I think Caruana can focus on 9. c4!? instead of 9. a4 if he does not get as clear opening ideas. If he continues with 9. a4, it looks to be very similiar to the Rossolimo Siccilian in Game 5 wherein his opening strategy was not as successful. He should go for 9. a4 only if he is fully sure and has good preparation or else alternate to 9. c4 where there can also be very interesting strong ideas.
6.) Carlsen can play 5.. e6 which I consider Carlsen to do yet is something I do not think Carlsen prepared much attetion to before the match and is hence very difficult. 1...c6 is also a possibility yet a very rare one as Caruana has faith in his overall chess strength considerably, which Carlsen would not like to challenge.
Caruana was extremely happy with the results of the opening in the match so far and with his Black games in particular. Today he has time to go for the highest chess title of all- the World Chess Championship. He has the strength yet can he go the distance? Credits: Niki Riga
7.) For today, the players will try to be well-rested and extremely strong-willed and mentally prepared today. Their teams have definitely worked very hard for the entire match and especially the whole match. Carlsen can stick to the Sveshikov only if having strong belief in his preparations thus far.
Let's look forward to the games. Thanks!
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