Blue Yodel No 9: T for Tiggler

The World vs Akobian, 2012

Well, my comments on the Norway super tournament can be read on the live game pages of <chessgames.com>. I admit, sometimes I don't say much, but sometimes less is more. ;-)

I hope it's fun today. Yesterday Carlsen displayed his typical unambitious opening against Anand and couldn't achieve anything. You know, this guy will have a problem in the future, if other top players will have seen through his positional style, and then he might easily get a draw but not more. It's not enough in chess to only obstruct the opponent's game, you have at least to try to get a seizable advantage, and not only in the later stages of the game, because it might be too late then. Maybe Anand will show him already in November, what a real opening preparation is worth of.

Apropos opening, no one has commented on my positional queen sac at move 13 that you can find here (DcGentle chessforum). I was discussing the Morra with <PawnSac>, but he lost connection due to technical problems... he has a forum himself now, too. :-) BTW, there I have explained how you can produce a link to any kibitz on your forum or elsewhere. You need the <search kibitzing> feature on the Premium Member Page for this.

I am still a bit surprised, that a guy of his caliber is content with mediocre opening variants... I mean, in the long run, these long games must be immensely exhausting, just this point alone should be an incentive for him trying to achieve something more positive for himself early in the game.

Your argument that it could be a kind of gambit gave me food for thought.

And even today's game against Hammer was not an exception, this guy being 240 ELO below Carlsen's level, had an equal game against him before he blundered at move 26 (!) with <27. Nb5?>. *hmmm*

I will study Carlsen's games later, I mean he knows something about positional play, and this is rather valuable. I have figured ONE part of positional play recently, that is creating and exploiting restrictions. But there is a positive side there as well, this is concentrating the own forces as preparation of the ensuing tactical action.

Working through opening lines can be tedious, I have done it myself, and regarding the Alekhine defense, where I just finished analyzing the first round, I know that I achieved something. But I also know that there remains to do something.

But on the other hand, chess can be like a bottomless pit in this regard. So openings relying on tactical play, where you have only some possible choices, can be more easily covered than the general case, where positional and tactical play are mixed.

And Carlsen prefers the positional part, there is no doubt about it. A positional move got Hammer flustered today, as <Eyal> reports on the game page, it was apparently so surprising that Hammer lost his train of thought.