Chess

[DarthFed]

Didn't happen unfortunately. The arrangement had originally been scheduled for sometime around August, and he had to prepare for (I think) the Sinquefield Cup.

That's too bad, well maybe some time in the future. It's cool that a lot of the elite guys play online. MVL is LyonBeast in chess.com, maybe if he goes to your club he'd also be willing to play you and others online.

 

[Federberg]

It's non stop on the chess front. Grenke started has started today. And irony of ironies it's Caruana v Carlsen to start of with. Magnus looking good in this game.

 

[DarthFed]

Pretty shocked that Caruana and Aronian would play this just days after the Candidates Tournament. Do they need money that bad??

Caruana is toast vs Carlsen with white but really any game between these two from now until their match is pretty meaningless.

 

[Federberg]

Pretty shocked that Caruana and Aronian would play this just days after the Candidates Tournament. Do they need money that bad??

Caruana is toast vs Carlsen with white but really any game between these two from now until their match is pretty meaningless.

I thought he was toast, but the commentators are going through lines that need to be so accurate to ensure that Magnus keeps his edge. I would say that surprisingly there's a 40% chance Fabi might escape with a draw. He really should have resigned ages ago. This now takes on a special meaning. If he somehow holds it would be some message he's sending Carlsen

 

[Federberg]

And I agree. Simply can't understand what they're doing there.

 

[DarthFed]

I guess the way the tournament went for Aronian it isn't the worst thing to get right back in there and play, but with these tournaments they would've signed up in advance. And I can't understand that at all. I guess Caruana could've dropped out right before this but chess isn't like tennis where you can invent a BS injury

 

[Federberg]

I guess the way the tournament went for Aronian it isn't the worst thing to get right back in there and play, but with these tournaments they would've signed up in advance. And I can't understand that at all. I guess Caruana could've dropped out right before this but chess isn't like tennis where you can invent a BS injury

Lol! I'm trying to think of injury excuses now!

 

[Federberg]

Magnus... oops! A very understandable error. Rh7 has to look way more passive than a5

 

[Federberg]

Draw! That was super impressive from Fabiano.

 

[DarthFed]

You were right! I didn't follow until Rf1 and Kd4, which Magnus played, looked really straightforward but must not have been. Will have to play over this game later.

 

[DarthFed]

Carlsen in trouble after Bg4. Clearly he missed that one, as did I. I figured Ra1 instead which left it looking equal

 

[DarthFed]

And then Meier misses Be6 after Kh8. Now it is a draw

 

[Federberg]

Wow! You had to think Meier should have found that!

 

[Federberg]

Fabiano looks to be in a spot of bother with Yifan today. Still expect her to blunder away her edge at some point. That seems to be what normally happens

 

[DarthFed]

Well played by Hou but still should be a draw here. If she wins it'd be the best win of her career given the type of slow positional game it turned into. Usually she's on the losing end of those against elite players.

 

[Federberg]

Looks like Magnus is trying to bleed time out of Vitiugov

 

[Federberg]

Oh wow! Magnus playing the Sicilian against Vishy?? Never thought I would see the day

 

[DarthFed]

Should be fun. Magnus will probably press hard today to try to catch Caruana.

 

[Federberg]

damn! This is an interesting strategy by Magnus. Walk the king to the queenside and set up a rook battery against the white king. It looks slow though. Very old school

 

[DarthFed]

Was wondering if Rc7 was for the purpose of castling by hand queenside and sure enough. Looks a lot like a poisoned pawn game but black is not up a pawn and both castled queenside.