Newsblog WCC Carlsen-Karjakin, 2016-11-13

by ChessBase
11/13/2016 – Game 2: Ruslan Ponomariov annotates the second game of the match Carlsen vs Karjakin: "18.de5 looks like a silent draw offer to me." - In his first game with White Karjakin opted for 1.e4 - a Ruy Lopez was on the board soon, and with 6.d3 Karjakin chose a quieter approach. Crowded house in New York. And among the commentating voices Garry Kimovich enters the scene. More...
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World Chess Championship News - 2016-11-13

Game 2 - Notes by Ruslan Ponomariov

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,187,37854%2421---
1.d4960,97355%2434---
1.Nf3287,04656%2440---
1.c4185,21656%2442---
1.g319,90856%2427---
1.b314,61554%2428---
1.f45,96148%2376---
1.Nc33,92350%2383---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25354%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
Comments by Ruslan Ponomariov - 1.e4 0 The last time Sergey played with White against Magnus was at the tournament in Bilbao this year. I was in Bilbao and commented the game live. Sergey played 1.d4 and Magnus chose a Ragozin, which led to a very short draw. I also expected 1.d4 by Sergey in this game - after all, he has Shakriyar Mamedyarov and Vladimir Potkin as seconds and both are 1.d4 players. So, I thought they might have found one or two or even more improvements on the line Sergey and Magnus tried in Bilbao. But no, Sergey decided to play 1.e4 - in his childhood this was his main weapon. We might see Sergey switching to closed openings in the next games - which would indicate how much they worked before the match to be ready for 1. e4 and 1.d4. e5 6 2.Nf3 0 Nc6 4 3.Bb5 0 a6!? 5 No Berlin this time. The mind games started.... 4.Ba4 0 Nf6 6 5.0-0 0 Be7 7 6.d3 17 The main idea of this line is to avoid lots of theory in the Classical Ruy Lopez. After 6.d3 you don't need to study the Marshall, the Breyer, Zaitzev, Chigorin etc. However, most people thought that Carlsen and not Karjakin would try to avoid the main lines. Normally Sergey plays 6.Re1 in this position. After e.g. b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 8...d6 9.c3 Be6 10.d4 Bxb3 11.Qxb3 also leads to an exchange of bishops but in contrast to the game White has a pawn and not a knight on c3. 9.d3 d6 10.a3 Na5 11.Ba2 c5 12.Nbd2 Bc8 we reach a position that is similar to the position we had in the game though there are differences: if you compare this line with the game continuation you will see that Black here spent more time to exchange the white-squared bishops. 6...b5 22 7.Bb3 4 d6 6 Black has a number of options. If you want to study this variation more deeply I would recommend to use the Reference button of your ChessBase program to see how the strongest players handled this position. 8.a3 19 0-0 0 9.Nc3 5 Na5 50 10.Ba2 9 Be6 9 11.d4 54 Bxa2 13 12.Rxa2 2 Re8 10 If one compares this position with the lines I mentioned in the comment to the 6th move, Black here is several tempi up and his position has no weaknesses. With pawns on d4 and e4 White has a strong pawn-center which gives him some space advantage but with each piece exchange this factor is less and less significant. Earlier this year Magnus played 12...Nc6 13.d5 Nb8 However, 12...Re8 is also the move many engines want to play. So, I don't know whether Carlsen's small refinement was really a surprise for Karjakin. 13.Ra1 7:58 Nc4 26:16 14.Re1 11:34 Rc8 4:41 The idea behind this move which puts the rook behind the pawn on c7 remains a little mystery to me. Probably Carlsen wanted to be ready meet d5 by White with ...c6. Probably Black didn't want to play 14...Bf8 immediately, because after 15.b3 Nb6 White can pin the knight on f6 with 16.Bg5 But there is nothing wrong with playing 14...h6 first, e.g. 15.b3 Nb6 16.Bb2 Bf8 17.d5 Qc8 18.a4 c6 19.dxc6 Qxc6 with counterplay. 15.h3 11:57 h6 2:00 16.b3 5:11 Nb6 9 17.Bb2 0 Bf8 4:18 18.dxe5 16:20 To me, this looks like a silent draw offer. Modern chess is becoming more and more pragmatic. I think if White wanted to keep chances for a fight he had to keep the tension in the center. 18.Qd3 c6 19.Rad1 Qc7 20.Ne2 d5 21.Ng3 exd4 21...dxe4 22.Nxe4 Nxe4 23.Qxe4 exd4 24.Qxe8 Rxe8 25.Rxe8∞ 22.e5 Ne4 23.Nxe4 dxe4 24.Qxe4 c5 I think this position is still equal but the pawn structure is asymmetrical and both players have chances for active play - White on the kingside, Black on the queenside. 18...dxe5 2 19.a4 6 c6 6:56 20.Qxd8 39 Rcxd8 0 As in game one we do see an early exchange of queens. 21.axb5 11 axb5 12 22.Ne2 6:52 Bb4 0 23.Bc3 4:29 Bxc3 2 24.Nxc3 6 Nbd7 8 25.Ra6 2:05 Rc8 32 26.b4 9:52 Re6 12:18 With 26...c5 Carlsen could have posed more practical problems, e.g. 27.Nxb5 cxb4 28.Nd6 and now the tactical trick 28.Ra4 Rxc2 29.Rxb4 Rb8 28...Re6 29.Nxc8 Rxa6 gives White something to think about. But after White's 18th move Carlsen was probably also happy with a draw. 27.Rb1 2:01 c5 16:23 28.Rxe6 15 fxe6 2 29.Nxb5 1:38 cxb4 0 30.Rxb4 48 Rxc2 9 31.Nd6 4:03 Rc1+ 34 32.Kh2 2 Rc2 8 33.Kg1 11 Well, as it turned out game two was even less exciting than game one. But Carlsen's choice of opening was smart. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karjakin,S2769Carlsen,M2857½–½2016C77AGON FWCM 20162

13.31 / 7.31 am: By the way: the first official World Championship began in New York, 130 years ago. The match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort took place from 11th January to 29th March 1886, and the first five games were played in the Manhattan Chess Club. Zukertort did well in New York and went 4-1 ahead. But then the match moved to St. Louis and New Orleans, and Zukertort suffered a reversal of fortune. In the end Steinitz won 12.5-7.5 to become the first official World Chess Champion.

Wilhelm Steinitz

10.46 / 4.46 am: Daniel King just finished his game 2 summary on playchess. Watch it once again here.

10.43 / 4.43 am: We added impressions of game 2 to our youtube channel. Click here to watch.

10.16 / 4.16 am: Don't miss the report by our man Albert Silver about the crowded house at Pier 16 in New York City.

8.39 / 2.39 am: In matches, you need experience and you will encounter situations that you don't expect to happen. So Garry Kimovich was told by Tal, Petrosian and Spassky in the early 80's before his match with Anatoli Karpow. The voice of the next generation:

8.33 / 2.33 am: Cpt. Martin wants more - 

7.49 / 1.49 am: Crowded house in the market hall. The Star Tribune reporter is detecting trouble in Manhattan. "This is the worst-organized event I've been to in my life," said Carl Fisher of Brooklyn. "It's a terrible disgrace."

7.39 Hamburg time / 1.39 am New York time: Garry Kimovich joins the show: 

2016-11-13 9.00 Mumbai time / 4.30 Hamburg time/22.30 New York time: Was it just a boring dull draw or were there deep points to learn from? ChessBase India offers in-depth analysis of game two. The title "Carlsen's Mysterious rook moves" indicates that there are plenty of things we can learn from the World Champion's play.

23.14  / 5.14 pm New York time: After the game, reporters urged Karjakin to reveal his preparation secrets. Karjakin insists not to talk about openings during the match. Carlsen is impressed and joins forces. A phalanx of two Kings against the international media. Updates within the next 12 twelve hours, including commentary. Game 3 on Monday. 

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