| Jul-25-12 | | ninja warrior: awesome final position. the pawns sweep away everything in their path. |
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| Jul-25-12 | | FairyPromotion: Awesome final position indeed. Reminded me of "Topalov's Immortal," where two bishops and two passed pawns overpowered the rooks. Topalov vs Aronian, 2006 |
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Jul-25-12
 | | Stonehenge: They followed this game for 24 moves, and still Giri was better prepared: Van Wely vs Bacrot, 2012 |
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| Jul-25-12 | | Marmot PFL: <Stonehenge> I wondered how Giri played it so fast. At move 40 he still had over an hour. |
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Jul-25-12
| | Stonehenge: I wouldn't be too surprised if he has 'seen' most of the game at home, including 27...e4. I think at this level ...e4 was a blunder. |
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| Jul-25-12 | | abuzic: 34.e6
34.d7 wins faster |
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| Jul-25-12 | | Manders: Giri had used no time at all before 26bf8, which is a mistake. After this he used about 35-40 minutes on bd3 , so we can assume he was only out of prep after bf8. |
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| Jul-25-12 | | mrbasso: There is hardly a better move than 27...e4, otherwise black loses an exchange. |
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Jul-25-12
| | Stonehenge: Yes indeed, so 26...Bf8 was the mistake. |
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| Jul-25-12 | | Eyal: <I wouldn't be too surprised if he has 'seen' most of the game at home> According to the video in which Giri comments on the game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9rL...), he played moves 25-26 - which were quite critical – according to computer analysis (all the previous moves, as already mentioned, repeat the Van Wely vs Bacrot game from the previous month); he also remembered from this analysis that 26...Bf8? is a mistake but had to figure out (or remind himself) why at the board. Apparently Black made two consecutive mistakes on these moves - the best defence against the novelty 25.Be3 is the mysterious-looking <25…Kh8!>. The reason is prophylaxis – removing the king from the a2-g8 diagonal, thus preparing the strong Rd7, which wouldn't have worked in the game: 26...Rd7 (instead of Bf8) loses to 27.Bc4+ Kh7 28.Be6! After 25...Kg8! White can try the ingenious 26.Bxh6, but it should lead to a draw despite a pawn advantage by 26...Qxf5 (26...Qxh6 27.Rh2 Nh5 28.Qxg6 Qxg6+ 29.fxg6 and White is better) 27.Bd3 e4 28.fxe4 Qxc5+ 29.Qxc5 Rxc5 30.Rxg6 Bxh6 31.Rxh6+ Kg7. |
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| Jul-25-12 | | Eyal: <34.e6
34.d7 wins faster>
Well, 34.e6 won quickly enough in the game (the reason computers give a lower eval to e6 than d7 is because of the possibility of 34...Nf8 instead of Ng5). In the video mentioned in my previous post Giri explains why he avoided 34.d7 – he was worried about 34...Rcf8 35.e6 Ng5 (35...Rxf1+ 36.Kh2 and the king is safe) 36.e7 Nf3+ 37.Kf2 (37.Kh1? Rh4+ and mate) 
click for larger viewand here a computer nonchalantly shows that White is completely winning and there's no real danger from discovered checks, but a human would be understandably nervous about playing his king into such position. |
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Jul-25-12
| | Stonehenge: Thanks <Eyal>, excellent stuff as always. |
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Jul-25-12
 | | tamar: The whole variation appears mysterious to those raised in an earlier era. f3 combined with b4 and b5. When Giri was asked about why 13 b5 was played, he at first said he didn't know for sure, but quickly showed that it was preferable to playing Ne6 right away which allows the Black knight on e7 the square c6, eyeing d4. It is as though he is surfing on both theory and computer analysis in his preparation, trusting himself to find the explanation when needed, but not following all the laborious steps building one step on another like previous generations had to. The first new move to him was 26...Bf8, as noted by <Eyal>,but he could confidently deduce that it was an error by remembering it had not been the suggested move! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9rL... |
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| Jul-25-12 | | Eyal: <When Giri was asked about why 13 b5 was played, he at first said he didn't know for sure [...] It is as though he is surfing on both theory and computer analysis in his preparation, trusting himself to find the explanation when needed, but not following all the laborious steps building one step on another like previous generations had to.> Yeah, there was a rather funny moment when the host (who is he?) said "I'm 51 years old and for me a move like 13.b5 is difficult to understand", and Giri replied "I'm 18, but I still have trouble understanding it". Overall it's indeed a vivid illustration of the shortcuts that computer analysis allows to players who are very strong or gifted in the first place. Just think, for example, of how much analytical work it would have taken in the pre-computer era to establish with a similar degree of certainty that 25...Kh8 is the best move for Black and that it leads to a draw. |
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| Jul-25-12 | | Atking: Needless to say I respect the serious of your analysis <Eyal> but I have a special feeling for the last diag you posted...37.Kf2
It's something like a first love. You don't know where you are going but by the way of a superb attraction you go. |
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| Jul-25-12 | | Atking: With a more materialistic approach (I'm sorry for that) I will note that Giri is now at 2723 for his live rating his highest achieved. |
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Jul-25-12
| | tamar: Looks like Klaus Bischoff in the videos. |
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| Jul-26-12 | | Eyal: <tamar> You're right, thanks. |
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Jul-26-12
 | | keypusher: <tamar: The whole variation appears mysterious to those raised in an earlier era. f3 combined with b4 and b5.> 9.b4 still befuddles me. Thanks to everyone for their illuminating posts, Eyal especially. |
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| Jul-26-12 | | goldenbear: <keypusher> I agree. Why doesn't Black immediately play 9.a5, trying to "fix" White's queenside pawns and switching the play to the kingside where he is the better placed? Call me old-fashioned, but I think I'm going to stick to either the Averbakh or the Samisch; I just don't understand these positions for White. |
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Jul-26-12
 | | perfidious: <goldenbear> Whilst I'm no expert in this variation, White could then play 10.bxa5 to open the queenside another way. PS The Saemisch was my old favourite too, as I used it regularly against opponents up to GM level. |
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| Jul-27-12 | | Eyal: A small clarification to my previous post - I've mentioned that Giri said he avoided 34.d7 because he was worried about a counter-attack by Black starting with 34...Rcf8; after 34.e6, as played, which denies the f7 square from the black king and opens the long diagonal for the bishop, 34...Rcf8 simply leads to mate by 35.Rxg6. On the other hand, in case of 34.d7 Rcf8, 35.Rxg6+ isn't a good idea because of 35...Kf7 36.Rxh6 Ng5 and the white pawns are much more under control. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 35.Rxg5