Anand-Carlsen 0.5-0.5

[Event "Morelia/Linares 2008"]
[Site "Linares"]
[Date "2008.03.01"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B33"]
[WhiteElo "2799"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[Annotator "Ubiyca"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "2008.03.01"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "21"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8.
Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 Bg5 12. Nc2 Ne7 13. a4 bxa4 14. Ncb4 O-O
15. Qxa4 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 Bd7 17. Qa2 a5 18. Bd3 Bc6 19. O-O Qb8 20. Bc4 Kh8 21.
b3 f5 22. exf5 1/2-1/2

Mig, a couple of corrections, which are largely my fault for miscommunicating:

1) In Ivanchuk-Carlsen (Round 8), Chucky actually had 35 second for 10 moves (not 18). He was going by the display screen in that game (not against Leko) which contributed to his flagging. The display screen is about 2-3 seconds behind the clock.

2) Against Leko, he WAS going be the clock, but it shows 1:00, after move 40, automatically advancing to the next time control, so he checked with the arbiter to see if Leko had seconds left.

These issues are clarified in my latest video.

-Macauley

check out the video of shirov's last move:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYE7DNxPKlg

we've all been there, haven't we?

Yes, the look of Shirov's face is priceless. You really feel sorry for him after almost 7 hours of play.

The video actually reminds me of a picture published on ChessBase a few years ago when Carlsen was on the "early" rise, and he had just beaten Shirov. The look of Shirov's face at that picture is pretty much the same as his face in this video. Total devastation!

http://gambit.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/is-karjakin-being-treated-unfairly-what-about-nakamura/

Has Ivanchuk has a won position in almost every one of his games? If he would just put in some serious work with a sports psychologist ... Magnus might have to wait a few years longer to assume his crown.

Ivanchuk spoke of running with sports shrinks before his match with Ponomariov, which may have soured the idea. It's too late for his career now, which went from contender to curio pretty quickly. But he's in august company now: Timman started giving away wins like psychocandy at about that age.

Macauley, that video is just unbearable, an operating theatre disaster in slow motion.

Bravo to Chessbase for doing an article on Segovia while the tournament proceeds in Linares. Listen to the Video's and appreciate genius; a word all too often tossed around these days.

Listen to the Videos. Not Video's.

It's just a plural.

Kittens will thank you if you stop apostrophe abuse.

S'' O' A B'''', where in the hell did I put my gun?

Carlsen seems to be OK with black against Anand, but gets owned with white. Kind of odd.

Its amazing that Radjabov has used the Schliemann so effectively at the very highest levels. Can this really be an answer to the Ruy Lopez? No need to bother with the Berlin the Marshal or all these long closed variations then
!

"Its amazing that Radjabov has used the Schliemann so effectively at the very highest levels. Can this really be an answer to the Ruy Lopez? No need to bother with the Berlin the Marshal or all these long closed variations then!"

It's actually pretty logical for Black to play 3....f5 against 3.Bb5. After all, while Bb5 does many useful things, including indirectly pressuring Black's e5 pawn, White is making a decision to not aim for f7. So, Black can maybe afford to play f5, which is suicide vs. 3.Bc4

Radjabov and his Schliemann have yet to experience the full brunt of Elite preparation from his peers. The 4.d3 line has some bite, but it is not the main line, nor is it the sharpest.

I doubt that 4.d3 will be the move to knock the Schliemann back into oblivion.

I respect Timor's willingness to utilize "out of fashion" chess openings. Recall that Kasparov was the one who started using the Scotch, and reintroduced it to top level chess.

"Has Ivanchuk has a won position in almost every one of his games? If he would just put in some serious work with a sports psychologist ... "

Ivanchuk's issues are so severe that a psychologist might not be so effective. Perhaps he ought to consult a "Sports Lobotomist" instead?

If a decent time bonus was being used from move 1, I have no doubts that there would be fewer blunders being played in time pressure. There would also be fewer decisive games, something that might not please the fans

I agree that 4 d3 is not that impressive against the Schliemann but do you mean to say Toplaov and anand played e4 against radjabiov without prpearing against the Schliemann - difficult to beleive. So in the main line 4 Nc3 fxe4 5 Nxe4 Nf6 6 Nxf6 (6 Qe2 d5 led to a draw in Polgar Radjabov at Wijk) Qxf6 and now 7 0-0 does not seem to give white much against Be7 unless 8 Qe2 0-0 9 Qc4+!? is something or 9 Qe4 d5!? If there is not some way for white to keep an edge in these lines then we are going to see a lot more of the Schliemann. Radjabov has played this against Topalov Anand and Polgar and got 3 draws it will be interesting to see what shirov would have played but then having thrashed Teymours KID I guess we will have to wait.

"Perhaps he ought to consult a "Sports Lobotomist" instead?" lol, true.

ivanchuk is amazing. to bad he will never be champ. he had all the talent.

Recap:

1. Anand is being Anand.
2. Carlsen is showing serious class; he definitely deserves to be in this company. Of course, he's played 50% chess and been handed his +2. But 50% is good at Linares. Leko made his entire reputation doing that.
3. Ivanchuk needs to bloody well move pieces in the opening. He isn't Anand, he can't make instantaneous correct moves in time trouble.
4. Nice knowing you, Mr. Leko. It looks like you're going to win the Alexei Shirov Award for the player who's going to need to toil among lesser GM's for a year before coming back.
5. Yes, 2005 was a fluke. Sorry, Veselin. Enjoy being the target of the 10 best brilliancies of the decade. Again.
6. After Qa4 against Leko, I think Aronian is one of the strongest three players in the world. He's always been a great middlegame player, but coming up with innovations like that is what makes you Kramnik. Too bad he has to wait for 2010 to play a WC match.

7. How much of the fact that Radjabov has been successful with the KID is the simple fact that no one playing top level chess has ever played it now that Kasparov is gone? Heck, Carlsen probably never heard of it until Radjabov brought it back up. Am I alone in thinking that Kramnik and Ivanchuk would love to trot out a couple of the innovations they never got to use in the 90's when the opening disappeared? Too bad Anand plays e2-e4 exclusively.

8. Shirov is playing good chess again. Too bad Kramnik isn't around, he's always taken points from Vlady.

When Nakamura has a rating that qualifies him to play in the same room as these guys, he'll get invited. Until then, he's Sergei Movsesian.

@gmc: Of course you laud Shirov the day he loses his 3rd straight game (Anand, Carlsen 79 ... Kf6-e5??, and Topalov) and denigrate Leko the day he wins a beautiful technical endgame against Carlsen.

Actually, I think the problem is that it seems gmc prepared his report several days ago, so it looks outdated now.

I want Magnus to win all his games like he beat Topalov today, just to hear gmc lament about "gift-wrapped" Carlsen victories.

gmc, I'll send you my address, can you send me a vial of your tears? I want to put them in my coffee.

Carlsen back to no 4 on the unofficial ratings list.

I want Magnus to win all his games like he beat Topalov today, just to hear gmc lament about "gift-wrapped" Carlsen victories.

--Posted by: Zevon at March 4, 2008 14:22

Shirov has a draw and then he plays 79 ... Kf6-e5??.
Topalov is by 3 pawns up and then plays 34 ... Na5-c6??.

So instead of getting 0.5/2, Magnus gets 2/2.

Really makes you wonder.

Mig are you alright? It's March 4th

"Shirov has a draw and then he plays 79 ... Kf6-e5??.
Topalov is by 3 pawns up and then plays 34 ... Na5-c6??.
So instead of getting 0.5/2, Magnus gets 2/2."

Your outrage and your analysis are both suspiciously selective.

The Shirov ending was not clearly drawn before his Ke5??, and Kaidanov said in the game of the day analysis that if Topalov had played Qd5 instead of Nc6?? the game would have been drawn by perpetual. Yet you somehow give Topalov the hypothetical full point because he was three pawns up, ignoring the rest of the board.

Do you lament that Magnus threw away good drawing chances against Leko, and give him a mental half point for that? Nah.

Face it, the kid puts heavy pressure on opponents, and one after the other cracks. It's phenomenal.

DOug wrote:
{
If a decent time bonus was being used from move 1, I have no doubts that there would be fewer blunders being played in time pressure.
}

In Turkey's upcoming women's event, the time control includes +30 seconds per move. This is good; makes more sense than the +5 seconds that is too common.

i think magnus is luckly not more i think if he played with 2600 he lose

anyone know where i can watch the anand-topalov match today?the official site does not seem to work

Game is over. Anand Topalov 1/2 -1/2

Dominating performance from the World Champion!

Congrats Anand!!

Yes, very commanding performance 2008 in Moralia/Linares from Anand, the world's leading player the last 12 years , as much as 0.5 pts ahead of an unafraid, energetic, not draw-aholic mr Carlsen. What a long-wanted refreshment in top chess from Magnus !!! Wish all the best.

I'n curious, did you mean last 12 years, or last 12 months?

gmc about the kid (the defence)

"Carlsen probably never heard of it until Radjabov brought it back up."

heh, the kid carlsen played the kid against kasparov himself in their 2nd 2004 reykjavik rapid game. not very successfully, that must be admitted, his own verdict being "in the 2nd game i played like a child!" - carlsen (13). :o)

For me it looks like Carlsen has difficulties against the young generation of players, like Radjabov, but does quite well against older players.

It could be just a matter of time though.