World Chess Champion Anand defends his title.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 13 Nov 2013 00:59

Anand is a true SDRE - superbly talented, incredibly smart, has achieved so much yet incredibly humble with no sign of chest beating "I am the $hit" type egotistic displays which other "super stars" in the west are fond of indulging in including Kasparov.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 02:04

So Anand missed a great chance. Now all the Western experts who predicted a route of Anand by Carlsen; are recalculating their thinking and feverishly hoping Carlsen wins.

In the betting world, the odds were 3 to 1, on Carlsen winning. Do they change the odds as the match progresses?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2013 11:47

ladbrokes has them as 5/12 and 7/4 ... this traslates to 5/17 and 7/11 using fractional odds terms ie Carlsen:29% and Anand:63%

http://sports.ladbrokes.com/en-gb/Chess-c210000170

I am sure these big english bookies change them on the fly...

negi · Post by **negi** » 13 Nov 2013 13:08

^ I think Vladimir Kramnik is the nicest chap from the Soviet block. This is what Anand has to say about him "I don't know exactly how many lines he's established, but you get the impression that for the last 10 years we've only been using his ideas. ... His stamp on opening theory is much more significant than mine." For a guy suffering from AS playing a game that needs attention and focus for prolonged hours itself is a big feat.

I think his prime was when he beat Kasparov.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Nov 2013 13:27

how good was bobby fischer - maverick genius or a creation of the cold-war "hate ussr/miracle on ice" media machinery?

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 13:30

what smacktalk ?

singha ji, just look at fischer's win margins in the candidates. you'd know.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 13:48

well, anand's recent record is quite shoddy against MC. may be he went by that. now was vishy chankian in losing to MC to lull him into a false sense of superiority.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 13 Nov 2013 13:55

Fischer beat Bent Larsen in the 1970 Interzonal Semis 6-0. That's extraordinary at that level. Think about Interzonals and challenger matches in recent years - a 2 point margin is considered a drubbing; Fischer won all the first 6 games with no draws.

negi · Post by **negi** » 13 Nov 2013 14:00

Chess like many individual sports is all about match ups.

Look at any individual's head to head tallies. Kramnik has a positive score against Kasparov but a negative one against Anand .
Kramnik's most of the wins against Anand have been with whites and that is because openings are his strength . Carlsen on the other hand openly admits that he prefers playing Black.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 13 Nov 2013 14:08

Yes, he effectively ended Taimanov's career with that win. The Soviets responded to the loss of face by purging him from their team.

Fischer also won the US Championship 11-0 in one year, the only time such a score has ever been accomplished.

negi · Post by **negi** » 13 Nov 2013 14:09

One cannot compare greats across eras more so in Chess because back in those days if you knew some variation of an opening chances that your opponents would catch it early, break it , study it in detail and devise counter play against it were less. With advent of new Chess software and kind of attention given to post-match analysis with help of recorded tapes a significant part of the match play is all about preparation in terms of knowing all the openings and variations. Today in any sport there is not much that separates a #1 ranked player from say #2 or even #3 , most of the matches are today won because of a player making a mistake and not because someone came up with an entirely new move. The overall level of play is just so consistently high today that one sided matches at top level are a rare sight.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 15:12

anand heavily lagging on time.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 15:25

Just got up.....what is happening. Is Anand doing bad :-( ?

negi · Post by **negi** » 13 Nov 2013 15:37

The way Carlsen makes a move and just walks away makes you feel as if he played with same positions just yesterday evening.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 15:48

Anand's rooks are good. However his lone pawn on Queen's side is isolated; and is done a pawn (read that was a sacrifice). Anand is down on time. Carlsen has pawns on both sides of the board, Anand does not have bishops - which is bad. When one has pawns on both sides, Bishop is crucial. Advantage for Carlsen, now. Hope Anand does not mess up.....uh god. Cannot take a defeat after missing yesterday's win. Carlsen seems to be calculating better today? The body language shows Anand in a complex situation. Oh man.

Carlsen's King's safety is solid. The 3 pawns on that will do him good. Carlsen will open up the King side.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 15:58

Let us hope/pray, Anand is just roping in Carlsen into a quicksand. And pretty soon Carlsen does not know what happened.

Check out her images, she can model

. If Carlsen can model in the fashion industry. Tania with beauty and brains, definitely has a chance. She does occasional ramp walks. Can post an image after this game.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 15:59

I am not sure why he went for the a2 sacrifice, it gained him nothing and destroyed his kingside pawns, as well as allow MC to get rid of his doubled pawn.
anand is going to lose onlee

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 16:07

Yeah why onlee

Why destroy the pawns on your Q side, when Carlsen had castled on that side. He could have placed his pawns on white squares limiting the light squared bishop on Anand's Q side. Carlsen can in jiffy double up his rooks, after pushing trading pawns with White.

Carlsen in winning position. Only Muruga can now help. All is lost.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 16:13

20 min behind on time.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 16:22

All is not lost though. The Knights can hop around. Eventually, Anand might win with a Knight sacrifice (or exchange for some pawns

). Carlsen's one rook is not active, it will take one or two moves to make it active.

Carlsen is winning as per the engines and Tania. Oh no.

Anand starting to look confident. Hey, the dood copied me. I thought it first.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 16:28

Bring all jinxes, dhoti shivering, lungi shivering ......babu log, something is brewing. Next 3 moves from each decides the game.

Tania is more mature/wiser than the dood Lawrence. Or is it that I am just smitten over her?

Only 3-4 mins separating the two players. Time getting better for Anand.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 17:08

I agree, Carlsen has the decided edge with the pawn structure. But two pieces - rook and bishop of Carlsen are inactive. And by the time they become active - at least 2-3 moves; Anand can gain some tempo.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 17:24

Is Ramesh and Susan biased for Anand? Susan knows Anand for sometime now. Or is Carlsen's position so solid that they are not analyzing the position from his perspective. All their analysis points to Anand's comfortable position, or is Carlsen's position so passive that he has not many moves, until Carlsen makes the run.

Carlsen, got his Queen passive in yesterday's game as well. But he was able to get it out. However, Ananad allowed him to get away from the corner. On hindsight, Anand had a win yesterday that he did not see. Similarly the GMs now do not see what we see with engines and commentators.

Like I say, bring all your jinxes and get the win for Anand.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 17:26

time to move up the king now.

GM vidut has an interesting B sacrifice for MC.

MC goes for 31...g6

if anand plays 32.e6, ..BXg4, 33.NXg4, RXg4 34 RXg4 NXe5 and MC exchanges his inactive pieces for anand's active ones AND gets the dangerous passed pawn on e5

anand is surely going to lose

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 17:39

Susan had always the Bishop sacrifice for Carlsen.

Okay....Anand gonna lose now?

Fvking tense now.....

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 18:10

Either Carlsen is fvking master of deception and a genius beyond par......or he seriously can blunder like my 9-yr old. Anand now has a chance to draw - so it seems. Come on......Anand.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 18:14

Ladies and gentlemen, Anand back in the game. He now has the chance to get a draw if he plays good.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 18:19

damn, he is just one tempo short of a mate !

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 18:24

Twitter from Hikaru Nakamura.

Looks like Carlsen is cracking. As we say in Neapolitano, Anand stà nguoll nguoll a iss!

What does that mean?

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 18:28

Did Anand crack? KC3? Nakamura does not like it. Susan does not think it is optimal. So Anand's turn to blunder?

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 18:31

yup, he came between his doubled rooks.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 18:35

he (vishy) put the king between his doubled rooks, hampering their movement.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 19:04

I am not sure why Anand did not like Ke3. It prevents Carlsen from giving a check. Probably he wanted more King safety.

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 13 Nov 2013 19:17

Is the game over?

negi · Post by **negi** » 13 Nov 2013 19:26

going on; most probably is going to be a draw.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 19:33

bad move from anand, he is going to lose the pawn.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 19:38

Rahul: Is Anand going down again? Wow. Has really gone back and forth now.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Nov 2013 19:38

nah, wrong calculation on my part.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 19:41

From Susan's twitter:

70+ mil for each highlight show, twice a day x 12 games+48 other countries+webcast+youtube+newspapers+blogs, etc. Well over 1 bil.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Nov 2013 19:44

Rahul M wrote:nah, wrong calculation on my part.

I don't like the fact that Carlsen can bring his pawns and King closer, Anand's king will not have much room to go. Then the past black pawn can be critical. Of course has the pawn one square away from queening. But Anand's rook has to keep protecting the pawn.

The game is still on......Anand has to play well for a draw now. Carlsen keeps the pressure on.....Now Anand is low on time.