| Mar-24-08 | | Pjalle: I was just clicking through the moves and suddenly Magnus had one rook more than Shak, it was so smooth I didn't even notice what happened, or maybe it's just because I'm such a bad player. |
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| Mar-24-08 | | Atking: No <Pjalle> you are not a bad player. The game was good very good indeed. The most incredible is the game was played blindefolded. |
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| Mar-24-08 | | Cactus: To me it just seems like Mamedyarov blundered a rook :P |
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| Mar-24-08 | | boo1: After 22.Qd3 the game is over. 25...Bxf3+ is forced. 27...Rxg3+ isn't forced, but Mame is dead lost already, and going for the perpetual was probably best in practice. |
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Mar-24-08
 | | Jimfromprovidence: Black blundered with 24...Kf7, allowing white's 25 Qb3, which pins and wins the bishop.
click for larger view
Black should have played 24...Qa8 instead. There's no pin, and the match is even.
click for larger view |
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| Mar-24-08 | | acirce: <‘A rare case of domination’, Magnus Carlsen called the supremacy of his dark-squared bishop over the poor light-squared bishop of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in their blindfold game. The Norwegian won an excellent game and, as in his blindfold win over Gelfand, one got the impression that one single mistake of his opponent sufficed for him to claim the point. Black’s misguided plan was 8…Rb8 followed by the capture of the b2 pawn, where 8…Ne7 would have been the right move. In the post-mortem the players searched for improvements of Black’s play, but time and again the attempts were refuted. For instance, one suggestion (which the players had seen as well) from the kibitzing grandmasters in the hospitality lounge was 18…Rd5 instead of 18…Rxh2. However, after 19.cxd5 Qxd6 20.f4 Rxg7 21.dxe6 Qb6+ 22.Rf2 White would have also been better. Very strong was Carlsen’s 22.Qd3 which emphasized the paralysis of the black position. Mamedyarov tried to break free by sacrificing material and hoping for perpetual check, but soon he had to admit that his position was hopeless.> http://www.amberchess2008.com/2008R... |
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Mar-24-08
| | Jimfromprovidence: <acirce> The chess reporting gods got it wrong this time. 24...Qa8 works. |
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| Mar-24-08 | | acirce: <Jimfromprovidence> Maybe, but Rybka does not agree ;-) White is still going to dominate decisively (and quite instructively) on the dark squares. The lines are not easy to find though. Can you improve on this for Black: 25.gxf5
a) 25..gxf5 26.Qe3 (idea Qg5) Kf7 27.Qg5! Bxf3+ 28.Kf2 Bh5 29.Rb3 Qe8 30.Rh3 Kf8 31.Bf6 Qg6 (31..Qf7 32.Be7+ Ke8 33.Qg2, or even better 33.Rxh5! Rxh5 34.Qg2) 32.Rxh5! 
click for larger view32..Qxg5 (32..Qxh5 33.Be7+ Kf7 34.Qf6+) 33.Rxg5 
b) 25..exf5 26.Qe3 Kf7 27.Kf2! (threatens 28.Qg5; this time, 27.Qg5 Bxf3+ 28.Kf2 Bh5 is not as convincing) Rh5 28.Rxb7! Qxb7 29.Bf6! (not necessary or even the best bishop move, but the nicest ;-) ) 
click for larger viewThe best chance might be 27..Bxf3 28.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 29.Kxf3 and hope for a miracle in the endgame. |
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Mar-24-08
| | Jimfromprovidence: <acirce> Thanks for the excellent analysis. I cannot refute it. In your first scenario <beginning with 25.gxf5
a) 25…gxf5 26.Qe3 (idea Qg5) Kf7 27.Qg5!> I thought I had the position covered with 26..…f4, seeing 27 Bxf4 Bc6. I simply overlooked 27 Qxf4, which wins handily. <25..gxf5 26.Qe3 (idea Qg5) Kf7 27.Qg5! Bxf3+ 28.Kf2 Bh5 29.Rb3 Qe8 30.Rh3 Kf8 31.Bf6 Qg6 (31..Qf7 32.Be7+ Ke8 33.Qg2, or even better 33.Rxh5! Rxh5 34.Qg2) 32.Rxh5!> is just an awesome combination. I never would have seen it coming. In your second scenario...
<b) 25..exf5 26.Qe3 Kf7 27.Kf2! (threatens 28.Qg5; this time, 27.Qg5 Bxf3+ 28.Kf2 Bh5 is not as convincing) Rh5 28.Rxb7! Qxb7 29.Bf6! (not necessary or even the best bishop move, but the nicest ;-) )
The best chance might be 27..Bxf3 28.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 29.Kxf3 and hope for a miracle in the endgame.> I agree with you here that this combination, 25..exf5 26.Qe3 Kf7 27.Kf2 Bxf3 28.Qxf3 Qxf3+ 29.Kxf3 is black’s best, slim hope. I’ll take very minor solace in the fact that this latter line seems slightly better than the text (maybe 1/2 pawn’s worth) and that white will have to work harder for the win. |
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Mar-24-08
 | | egilarne: <acirce> Thanks, very nice and instructive variations. I have a feeling that Magnus might have found most of it :) |
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| Mar-25-08 | | SniperOnG7: Magnus' style is so smooth and clear-cut (looking from after the game anyways ;) ). He has a plan, then directs every piece harmoniously like a conductor of an orchestra. There are no random strange-looking superfluous moves, and the concerto of a game that results is breathtakingly beautiful. This is classical chess at its best - like a game from Bobby's collection. |
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| Sep-13-08 | | notyetagm: <SniperOnG7: Magnus' style is so smooth and clear-cut (looking from after the game anyways ;) ). He has a plan, then directs every piece harmoniously like a conductor of an orchestra. There are no random strange-looking superfluous moves, and the concerto of a game that results is breathtakingly beautiful. This is classical chess at its best - like a game from Bobby's collection.> Yes, this is a *stupendous* game from Carlsen.
18 g2-g4!
click for larger viewhttp://chessmind.powerblogs.com/fil...: <18.g4! Putting the bishop on e5, where it secures the h2 square and the pawn on d6, is worth a tempo.> 18 ... ♖h5xh2 19 ♗g7-e5
click for larger viewAnd now the <MULTIPURPOSE> dark-squared White e5-bishop both supports the crucial, cramping White d6-pawn *and* defends the critical h2-square, securing the White castled king position. Just beautiful play by Carlsen.
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Kibitzing
