
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.
![]() |
World Cup10th September – 5th OctoberBaku, Azerbaijan
|
Another incomprehensible game in the finals of the World Cup. Peter Svidler's play today was very sedate, trying to trade off pieces and not creating complications. Sergey Karjakin desperately went for the throat, a move that usually doesn't work in top level chess. Svidler comfortably defended against the threats and it was clear that Karjakin's knight had overstepped his boundaries and was now stuck in the enemy camp. Svidler had more than one move to capture it, or at least get a decisive advantage, but instead of that he horribly blundered and Karjakin simply picked up a free rook:
Karjakin catches a break: if he wins tomorrow he forces rapid playoffs
A determined Karjakin beat Svidler. Or rather he was gifted a full point...
The finals become more interesting as Karjakin schemes his way of defeating Svidler with white
As you can see from this picture, Svidler wasn't in
particular time trouble to have blundered this way
Personally, the quality of the games that we have seen on this final show why the massive KO format is a poor way of determining a World Champion, as it did in the past. The players are clearly beyond exhaustion, outside forces are influencing the quality of the game to a greater extent than acceptable. I cannot imagine Svidler and Karjakin, such prominent and powerful players over the board, playing at this level with so many blunders in only three games in any other tournament.
In a completely unrelated note, Nicholast Pert just came out with a wonderful DVD!
|
The Odyssey continues tomorrow from Baku.
Player | Rtg |
G1
|
G2
|
G3 | G4 | G5 | G6 | G7 | G8 | G9 | G10 | G11 |
Pts
|
Peter Svidler (RUS) | 2727 |
1
|
1
|
0
|
-
|
2.0
|
|||||||
Sergey Karjakin (RUS) | 2762 |
0
|
0
|
1
|
-
|
1.0
|
Photos and information from the official website and their Facebook page
LinksThe games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |