Oct-03-23
 | | PawnSac: Great game ! This is Nakamura in his element.
His conversion / trade of B for 2 pawns is a brilliant strategy. Not many players would have the guts to opt for it, especially against Carlsen.
They may see if of course, but it's a little scary since at this clock speed its hard to anticipate all the permutations, but if you reduce it to simple counting of squares, it seems within reach. The whole tactic with burying the B on b8 makes it look like
37...Bf4 look like a blunder. I bet Magnus thought he was winning at that point. Cunning trap; Excellent play |
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Oct-04-23
 | | Sally Simpson: 
click for larger viewNaka's 39...Bb8 is forced else White mates with Ra7. The alternative 37...Ra2 is passive and takes the Rook off the b3 pawn and the draw is no longer in hand. After the white pawns disappear White has no hope of winning and here 
click for larger viewEven a slob like me can see 48.Nxc5+ bxc5 49.Rh6 is a cold dead draw. Why we store chess.com's meaningless games with good players fannying, making a move a second and blundering is beyond me. See Carlsen's Helpmate 160th! move in https://www.chessgames.com /perl/chessgame?gid=2574393&m=160.5 |
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Oct-04-23
| | Sally Simpson: Ah...that last link had a gap in it. this should work. Nakamura vs Carlsen, 2023 Carlsen can defend that linked game in his sleep, he obviously got bored flicking out a move every two seconds and self- mated. We now have over 300 Nakamura - Carlsen games (whoopee!) in most of them the players have not been in the same room. |
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Oct-05-23
| | PawnSac: < Even a slob like me can see 48.Nxc5+ bxc5 49.Rh6 is a cold dead draw. > Oh! I see. Well my friend, I'll have to message Magnus and tell him he's less than a slob because he missed the draw while the whole world watches. |
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Oct-05-23
| | PawnSac: <Why we store chess.com's meaningless games with good players fannying, making a move a second and blundering is beyond me.> Uh.. Geoff, these aren't just any blitz games. These are two world champions. They represent the best of the best in quality blitz. These games are far from meaningless. I think that's a little short sighted. There is a lot to be learned from them. |
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Oct-05-23
| | PawnSac: For example:
We have all played games where we came out of the opening with a bad position, but after hanging in there and taking every opportunity to improve, and finish with a sparkling victory. Even in OTB games at classical time limits, very strong players can actually have a lost
position and due to blind spots in their opponent, were able to salvage a game and draw or win. That's the whole point. Magnus had a momentary blind spot but they are playing on average more than 10 moves per minute. So one critical mistake lost the game.
But Hikaru took his only window of opportunity and ground out a +1 Learning resourceful defensive is important.
When down material one has to maximize all the remaining pieces and grind out a stubborn defense, or a powerful attack to win back material, space, time, whatever. Watching Hikaru play the rediculous Botez gambit is also instructive. One learns how to cover up and punch through where the other guy is weak. And watching him get occasional bad positions on Titled Tuesday, and still pull off a win, while all the time seeing the main strategical ideas of the current opening and middle games at video speed is great. It's like speed reading. I have learned many cunning ideas watching Hikaru's play. He's a monster over the board, that's fact. Now, I agree it would be a waste of time to post a blitz match between you and me. I'm sure stockfish would have a holiday with our games. But these my friend are noteworthy. And just because they were posted on a rival site means nothing to me. I'm glad they are posted. Why? Because I can contribute and enjoy the contributions of others. And if they were not here, I'd have to go get a membership on chess.com, and if i did that I would spend the majority of my time there in order to stay current. Just sayin'... |
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Oct-06-23
| | Sally Simpson: Hi PawnSac,
If you enjoy watching these games fair enough and if you are picking up ideas then I cannot argue with that. I'll just add the same tricks and ideas appear in countless OTB games and because of the longer time controls they are often deeper, more cunning and dare I say, even more instructive. <'I have learned many cunning ideas watching Hikaru's play. He's a monster over the board, that's fact.'> I agree Naka's OTB games are indeed worth looking at, there his OTB back to wall swindling attempts, sly shots, and gambles can be very instructive. See Naroditsky vs Nakamura, 2015 A wonderful face to face OTB gamble. I'm sure you and me could play online blitz blunder ridden cartoons games just as 'entertaining' as these two and you do not have to be a member of chess.com to see these lampoon games anyone can see them here; https://www.chess.com/news/view/202... |
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Oct-08-23
| | PawnSac: < Sally Simpson: if you are picking up ideas.. the same tricks / ideas appear in OTB games..
@ longer time controls.. >
Yes of course! I agree with all that.
But watching video streaming in real time with live commentary adds a whole new dimension.
And if I see something that catches my interest I pause the video and look in the openings database or do related game search etc. I'm a strong enough player to catch mistakes and strategical wrong turns on both sides, and take that into consideration. I don't expect perfection. But I live alone and do not watch public broadcast TV. It get's pretty quiet around here, so it's occasional chess-ertainment. |
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Oct-08-23
 | | beatgiant: White still had a draw with <49. Rh6> to answer 49...c3 with 50. Rc6 Rd3 51. Ke4 Rg3 52. Kf4, etc. Placing the rook behind the passed pawn is a typical motif, but supporting it with a trapped knight on the rim is unusual. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 40...Kb7