Good afternoon to all readers! The eighth game of the World Chess Championship 2018 being held in The College, London again ended in a draw as Carlsen admitted ' he felt he got away with murder.' Hikaru Nakamura, one of the top players commented during the game that Caruana should go on to win as he is very good in positions wherein there is only calculation wherein also conceded that Caruana would reproach this game particularly if he does not go on to win the World Championship. He also predicted that Carlsen would win the World Championship if he gets away(draws) this game. We would have to see if his prophecy turns out to be true, yet one must admit Nakamura for his straightforward honesty at all times.
You can have a look at the post-game press conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z0eMoMDT94&t=507s. You can follow the live games of the World Championship here:
https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2018-wcc
Caruana again opened with 1. e4 with Carlsen responding with the Siccilian Defense( 1...c5). Caruana continued with 2. Nf3 Nc6 and played 3.d4!? The open Siccilian which I predicted Caruana would play if he does not find anything much convincing in the Rossolimo- and so he does! This was an extremely important strategy and something I think Carlsen did not manage to do with his own White games- repeating the Queen's Gambit in Game 7 only to be surprised back followed by looking for 'safe options' leading to equality. This was especially appreciated as Caruana plays the Open Siccilian only in Game 8- with 'Team Caruana' having plenty of time to discuss the labyrinths of Carlsen's preparations for around two weeks now. It turns out also, that they did a pretty good job with it!
Carlsen replied with the Sveshnikov Siccilian. I am pretty much sure that Carlsen does have Boris Gelfand in his team as he is an expert in this line. I had said that Carlsen would play the Siccilain Dragon with Black in case of 3. Nc3 ( which Mr. Gelfand is again an expert on!) while I had predicted 3... Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 in case of 3. d4. The latter decision however was made keeping in mind that Carlsen should be prepared in event of 5. Nc6 dc6 6. Qd8+ Kd8 7. Bc4. This prediction of the Accelerated Dragon appearing on the board was also made by Jonathan Speelman, but it was not to be. However, I am quiet sure this is the reason Carlsen did not go for this line and ventured into the Sveshnikov Siccilian, also called the 'Lasker-Pelikan'. As was noted earlier, ' Team Caruana' had around two weeks to prepare against this and came up with an interesting plan. Maxime Vachier Lagrave's prediction of the day before did come true after all!
First of all Caruana played 7. Nd5 instead of the main line. This was followed by 9. a4, the second most popular move in the position which has garnered interest in recent years and also good results. Credits: Sagar Shah. Also 9. c4, the most popular move in the position was played by Caruana's coach Rustam K. against Carlsen himself in 2007!
Playing 7. Nd5 instead of the main line 7. Bg5 was a good ploy as the game results in more middlegame like positions, and deprives Carlsen's preparations for the match to a good extent. This was appreciated all over the Internet by esteemed Grandmasters and seemed like a very good practical move. Caruana had also played the Sveshnikov Siccilian with Black in 2003-2005, 2010(quiet some important games) and last year also. This way he could also pose maximum problems to the World Champion. This also shows the importance of playing different opening systems, with however, having proper understanding of the positions they result in. Vladimir Kramnik, former World Chess Champion had also played it very recently in the Batumi Olympiad 2018 and this move has been played by top top players.
Carlsen continued playing quickly and that continued until move 10. Then came this:
Caruana played the relatively rare 11. Bd2!? with Caruana now spending 9 minutes on it's reply with 11... f5. Nakamura told that Kasparov has once told him that ' Magnus does not like to play his pawns forward and create more weaknesses'. This move was played by Oparin last year against Mr. Gelfand! Credits: Sagar Shah
While Nakamura is known to be a person who does not mince his words, it is probable Kasparov would have told him that. Kasparov had coached Nakamura earlier. Kasparov also coached Carlsen for one year and assisted him giving advice in the World Chess Championship 2013 and 2014. Top players also believe that Kasparov gave help to Anand during the World Chess Championship 2010. This may even hint that Kasparov may have given advice to Carlsen because Carlsen does consider Caruana to be 'his most difficult opponent' said many times in the last 2-3 years, especially before the match. The fact that Carlsen took 9 minutes in replying with 11....f5 hints at that this move may not have been checked properly by ' Team Carlsen' despite my premonition of Mr. Gelfand being a part of the team. Caruana also led in time management at one point having more than a 30-minute advantage on the clock. A good position+ better time management is definitely brilliant opening preparation by the dynamic challenger!
Carlsen then played quickly yet played 18...g5!? which would probably be a case of 'mixing up one's opening notes'. What this means is that the move ....g5!? would be prepared against another move(s) or may generally be a very good move yet is not effective in this particular instance. There are also instances in Chess wherein a particular standard move does not work against a concrete variation only. Grischuk, another of World's top players commented that 'Carlsen must be hating his position currently( at the time of live commenting) and that he does not like tactical positions with his King weakened'.
Now came two extremely critical moments of the game after good play by both sides.
Caruana played this move after thinking for 33 minutes. He later said that he did not consider any other move besides 21. c5! This makes the time management extremely questionable and was criticised in the mass media. Credits: Sagar Shah
The mass media believed that Caruana should have played this move and only then have thought( in his opponent's time as it is his time that would be ticking! However, Caruana with his move tried to calculate all the way to the end and may have missed a detail near the tail end. Commentators and the press also added that Caruana should have played this move out because it is easier to calculate with a position on the board than on your head. This was occasional time management, although Caruana has taken occasional 30-minute thinks during the games in the World Championship without being much punished for it( except in Game 1, wherein he came under tremendous time trouble). However, noted Chess analyst and one of the strongest players in the world Peter Svidler commented that it is tougher for Magnus to think here than after a few moves.
Carlsen struggled again in Game 8 while Caruana looks to be the one taking up the Initiative with both colours while just not being able to give the decisive blow. This may mean Carlsen has to change something concretely to get the initiative on the break. Credits: Niki Riga
I do not entirely get that because Magnus would have to think straight off after 21. c5 and that too on his own move from the very beginning! Svidler also said that one of the best chess coaches of all time late Mr. Mark Dvoretsky once commented in his lecture: 'One of the best advice I always give to provide lesson or idea to make one a better player is if there is only one good move in the position then you make it and then think on your opponent's time'. One of the best chess authors and coaches today Jacob Aagard, a student of Mr. Dvoretsky also talks about this concept in his books.This was beautiful wisdom behind these words and if Caruana followed it, he may have been even leading the match at this point! Carlsen continued with 21... Nf3+ and 22... dc5 in less than a minute, which shows how the practical momentum with Caruana( more time) was now diminishing a little.
Here is the second moment:
Caruana played 24. h3 here which is clearly inferior to the alternatives mentioned on the screen. Both of them give White a clear advantage making it very difficult for Carlsen to continue. Credits: Sagar Shah
This move was played probably as a consequence of Caruana's long think on move 21 yet here is where 2 practical concepts( if applied by Caruana could have got Carlsen seriously in trouble. I had once heard my friend tell that to me yet I have not actually read it. One is that if you did not expect your opponent to make a move and he/she makes it, think again fully afresh'. It is easier said than done yet I believe this was the sequence of events and Caruana still continued with 24. h3? without having paused for a thought. Another principle which my friend once told me was that several very good authors( including Mr. Jacob Aagard) say that 'you must make a move even if you have not solved all of it's complexities but are sure that it is the strongest move'. This has been done by various very strong players also. If Caruana was in such a fix and tried to calculate all the way to the end, this was one practical piece of advice he may have not taken into account. This is one frequent drawback of being exceptionally good calculators- not being able to adjust to new situations appropriately and quitting lines if not found a convincing answer. Nakamura during his live broadcast also said that ' Caruana is not a natural player as Magnus is' which makes this decision more understandable. Caruana said that he does not feel comfortable talking about his style(?) yet I think Nakamura's comments about Caruana's chances during the match( 80-20 in favour of Carlsen) and some comments during the tournament(such as these) may lead to tensions between both the player's relationship. After 24... Qe8!? preventing 25. Qh5 Carlsen held the draw rather comfortably then.
Caruana said he could not make 24. Qh5 work which is a typical case with extremely strong calculators- difficult to evaluate in critical situations at the end of long variations. Caruana did not give much about the details of his calculations after 24. Qh5. Caruana later said that today was a minor disappointment while Carlsen was relieved.
The World Chess Championship is heating up quiet a lot with only 4 games still left. There was a lie-detector test given to the players to be used if there was suspicion if they were giving any secrets to the enemy camp( as has been suspected in the past) yet that is extremely unlikely.
Would Caruana's consistency help him get to the World Championship Title or will his missed chances haunt him for days to come? Credits: Niki Riga
Carlsen's seconds came into question because after Game 1, Carlsen has not been able to put Caruana on pressure in any consequent game with Caruana being exceptionally prepared with Black and showing good ideas with the White pieces also( Game 3 and Game 8 serving as good examples).
Some people are predicting a potential tiebreaker while Peter Svidler rightly commented: ' Magnus takes so much pride in beating everyone else that a tiebreaker would not be his priority before the match nor would it be his priority now'. Even Carlsen commented that there would be quiet some action according to him before the Tiebreakers( in event of a 6-6 draw) and that it needs to be seen.
. Carlsen would be White today while getting something in the opening for him looks to be imperative. Yesterday was a rest day with today's actions beginning at 8:30 PM IST today.
Stay Tuned.
Thanks!
You can have a look at the post-game press conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z0eMoMDT94&t=507s. You can follow the live games of the World Championship here:
https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2018-wcc
Caruana again opened with 1. e4 with Carlsen responding with the Siccilian Defense( 1...c5). Caruana continued with 2. Nf3 Nc6 and played 3.d4!? The open Siccilian which I predicted Caruana would play if he does not find anything much convincing in the Rossolimo- and so he does! This was an extremely important strategy and something I think Carlsen did not manage to do with his own White games- repeating the Queen's Gambit in Game 7 only to be surprised back followed by looking for 'safe options' leading to equality. This was especially appreciated as Caruana plays the Open Siccilian only in Game 8- with 'Team Caruana' having plenty of time to discuss the labyrinths of Carlsen's preparations for around two weeks now. It turns out also, that they did a pretty good job with it!
Carlsen replied with the Sveshnikov Siccilian. I am pretty much sure that Carlsen does have Boris Gelfand in his team as he is an expert in this line. I had said that Carlsen would play the Siccilain Dragon with Black in case of 3. Nc3 ( which Mr. Gelfand is again an expert on!) while I had predicted 3... Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 in case of 3. d4. The latter decision however was made keeping in mind that Carlsen should be prepared in event of 5. Nc6 dc6 6. Qd8+ Kd8 7. Bc4. This prediction of the Accelerated Dragon appearing on the board was also made by Jonathan Speelman, but it was not to be. However, I am quiet sure this is the reason Carlsen did not go for this line and ventured into the Sveshnikov Siccilian, also called the 'Lasker-Pelikan'. As was noted earlier, ' Team Caruana' had around two weeks to prepare against this and came up with an interesting plan. Maxime Vachier Lagrave's prediction of the day before did come true after all!
First of all Caruana played 7. Nd5 instead of the main line. This was followed by 9. a4, the second most popular move in the position which has garnered interest in recent years and also good results. Credits: Sagar Shah. Also 9. c4, the most popular move in the position was played by Caruana's coach Rustam K. against Carlsen himself in 2007!
Playing 7. Nd5 instead of the main line 7. Bg5 was a good ploy as the game results in more middlegame like positions, and deprives Carlsen's preparations for the match to a good extent. This was appreciated all over the Internet by esteemed Grandmasters and seemed like a very good practical move. Caruana had also played the Sveshnikov Siccilian with Black in 2003-2005, 2010(quiet some important games) and last year also. This way he could also pose maximum problems to the World Champion. This also shows the importance of playing different opening systems, with however, having proper understanding of the positions they result in. Vladimir Kramnik, former World Chess Champion had also played it very recently in the Batumi Olympiad 2018 and this move has been played by top top players.
Carlsen continued playing quickly and that continued until move 10. Then came this:
Caruana played the relatively rare 11. Bd2!? with Caruana now spending 9 minutes on it's reply with 11... f5. Nakamura told that Kasparov has once told him that ' Magnus does not like to play his pawns forward and create more weaknesses'. This move was played by Oparin last year against Mr. Gelfand! Credits: Sagar Shah
While Nakamura is known to be a person who does not mince his words, it is probable Kasparov would have told him that. Kasparov had coached Nakamura earlier. Kasparov also coached Carlsen for one year and assisted him giving advice in the World Chess Championship 2013 and 2014. Top players also believe that Kasparov gave help to Anand during the World Chess Championship 2010. This may even hint that Kasparov may have given advice to Carlsen because Carlsen does consider Caruana to be 'his most difficult opponent' said many times in the last 2-3 years, especially before the match. The fact that Carlsen took 9 minutes in replying with 11....f5 hints at that this move may not have been checked properly by ' Team Carlsen' despite my premonition of Mr. Gelfand being a part of the team. Caruana also led in time management at one point having more than a 30-minute advantage on the clock. A good position+ better time management is definitely brilliant opening preparation by the dynamic challenger!
Carlsen then played quickly yet played 18...g5!? which would probably be a case of 'mixing up one's opening notes'. What this means is that the move ....g5!? would be prepared against another move(s) or may generally be a very good move yet is not effective in this particular instance. There are also instances in Chess wherein a particular standard move does not work against a concrete variation only. Grischuk, another of World's top players commented that 'Carlsen must be hating his position currently( at the time of live commenting) and that he does not like tactical positions with his King weakened'.
Now came two extremely critical moments of the game after good play by both sides.
Caruana played this move after thinking for 33 minutes. He later said that he did not consider any other move besides 21. c5! This makes the time management extremely questionable and was criticised in the mass media. Credits: Sagar Shah
The mass media believed that Caruana should have played this move and only then have thought( in his opponent's time as it is his time that would be ticking! However, Caruana with his move tried to calculate all the way to the end and may have missed a detail near the tail end. Commentators and the press also added that Caruana should have played this move out because it is easier to calculate with a position on the board than on your head. This was occasional time management, although Caruana has taken occasional 30-minute thinks during the games in the World Championship without being much punished for it( except in Game 1, wherein he came under tremendous time trouble). However, noted Chess analyst and one of the strongest players in the world Peter Svidler commented that it is tougher for Magnus to think here than after a few moves.
Carlsen struggled again in Game 8 while Caruana looks to be the one taking up the Initiative with both colours while just not being able to give the decisive blow. This may mean Carlsen has to change something concretely to get the initiative on the break. Credits: Niki Riga
I do not entirely get that because Magnus would have to think straight off after 21. c5 and that too on his own move from the very beginning! Svidler also said that one of the best chess coaches of all time late Mr. Mark Dvoretsky once commented in his lecture: 'One of the best advice I always give to provide lesson or idea to make one a better player is if there is only one good move in the position then you make it and then think on your opponent's time'. One of the best chess authors and coaches today Jacob Aagard, a student of Mr. Dvoretsky also talks about this concept in his books.This was beautiful wisdom behind these words and if Caruana followed it, he may have been even leading the match at this point! Carlsen continued with 21... Nf3+ and 22... dc5 in less than a minute, which shows how the practical momentum with Caruana( more time) was now diminishing a little.
Here is the second moment:
Caruana played 24. h3 here which is clearly inferior to the alternatives mentioned on the screen. Both of them give White a clear advantage making it very difficult for Carlsen to continue. Credits: Sagar Shah
This move was played probably as a consequence of Caruana's long think on move 21 yet here is where 2 practical concepts( if applied by Caruana could have got Carlsen seriously in trouble. I had once heard my friend tell that to me yet I have not actually read it. One is that if you did not expect your opponent to make a move and he/she makes it, think again fully afresh'. It is easier said than done yet I believe this was the sequence of events and Caruana still continued with 24. h3? without having paused for a thought. Another principle which my friend once told me was that several very good authors( including Mr. Jacob Aagard) say that 'you must make a move even if you have not solved all of it's complexities but are sure that it is the strongest move'. This has been done by various very strong players also. If Caruana was in such a fix and tried to calculate all the way to the end, this was one practical piece of advice he may have not taken into account. This is one frequent drawback of being exceptionally good calculators- not being able to adjust to new situations appropriately and quitting lines if not found a convincing answer. Nakamura during his live broadcast also said that ' Caruana is not a natural player as Magnus is' which makes this decision more understandable. Caruana said that he does not feel comfortable talking about his style(?) yet I think Nakamura's comments about Caruana's chances during the match( 80-20 in favour of Carlsen) and some comments during the tournament(such as these) may lead to tensions between both the player's relationship. After 24... Qe8!? preventing 25. Qh5 Carlsen held the draw rather comfortably then.
Caruana said he could not make 24. Qh5 work which is a typical case with extremely strong calculators- difficult to evaluate in critical situations at the end of long variations. Caruana did not give much about the details of his calculations after 24. Qh5. Caruana later said that today was a minor disappointment while Carlsen was relieved.
The World Chess Championship is heating up quiet a lot with only 4 games still left. There was a lie-detector test given to the players to be used if there was suspicion if they were giving any secrets to the enemy camp( as has been suspected in the past) yet that is extremely unlikely.
Would Caruana's consistency help him get to the World Championship Title or will his missed chances haunt him for days to come? Credits: Niki Riga
Carlsen's seconds came into question because after Game 1, Carlsen has not been able to put Caruana on pressure in any consequent game with Caruana being exceptionally prepared with Black and showing good ideas with the White pieces also( Game 3 and Game 8 serving as good examples).
Some people are predicting a potential tiebreaker while Peter Svidler rightly commented: ' Magnus takes so much pride in beating everyone else that a tiebreaker would not be his priority before the match nor would it be his priority now'. Even Carlsen commented that there would be quiet some action according to him before the Tiebreakers( in event of a 6-6 draw) and that it needs to be seen.
. Carlsen would be White today while getting something in the opening for him looks to be imperative. Yesterday was a rest day with today's actions beginning at 8:30 PM IST today.
Stay Tuned.
Thanks!
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