Newsblog WCC Carlsen-Karjakin, 2016-11-18

by ChessBase
11/18/2016 – After one and half hours game six ended in a draw. Tiger Hillarp Persson on game No. 6 - Carlsen played a gambit with ...d5 in an 8.h3 Anti-Marshall and started a highly theoretical battle. The game soon headed towards an opposide coloured bishop endgame which was drawn in a completely equal position after 32 moves. Check out our Newsblog.
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World Chess Championship News - 2016-11-18

Game No. 6 - Notes by Tiger Hillarp Persson:

 
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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---
Notes by Tiger Hillarp Persson - 1.e4 e5 I spent my entire life as a chess player, trying to find assymetry where I can find it. Magnus and Sergey operate from a more elevated view-point than mine, and although they both occasionaly flirt with assymmetry, I do not get the feeling that they believe it merits a proper relationship. 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 In a sense the Ruy Lopez is a little more ambitious than the G-whatever Piano (In Swedish we call it "the Italian", so I'm excused for not acing the spelling bee). If we continue down the rabbit hole with 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d3 0-0 , there is a big difference between... this position, compared to the more easily spelled sibling; that Black has still not moved the pawns on the queenside. This difference means that Black has fewer weaknesses to take care of and it could turn out to be the whole difference between a win and a big advantage (for White) later in the game. 3...a6 I believe it was Julian Hodgson who said that the only problem with 1.e4, compared to 1.d4, is that the e4-pawn is hanging. After 3...Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 we reach one such position, the Berlin Defence. (The Petroff is another) 5.Re1 Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0-0 was seen in game three of the match. Black argues that a reasonably symmetrical position makes White's extra tempo less important. Time has told it is a decent argument. 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a3 was played in the second game of the match. The main difference here is that Black can play d6 before 0-0 with having to fear a rapid c3/d4, which would lead to the one of the old main lines. 8.a4 is also played frequently, but after Bd7 has been doing quite well lately. 6...b5 7.Bb3 0-0 It sounds ridiculous to call such a move "critical", but in a sense it is. The reason is that 7...d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 leads to a one of the biggest theoretical tablelands in chess, whereas the game move avoids that altogether by meeting 8.c3 with 8...d5. In days of old, this line, the "Marshall Attack", led to sluggerfest bonanzas, but in the age of engine-guided preparations it has a tendency to end in draws. This explains why a defensively minded wielder of the dark forces is naturally drawn to the Marshall Attack. 8.h3 The consequences of Karjakin's last move is that White is forced to play this move, unless he is happy to enter the "old" lines after 8...d6 9.c3. 8.a4 After Bb7 9.d3 Re8 9...d6 is more popular. 10.Nc3 Nd4 11.axb5 Nxb3 12.cxb3 axb5 13.Rxa8 Bxa8 14.Nxb5 d5 , Black equalized with ease, in Dominguez Perez,L (2730)-Carlsen,M (2850) World Rapid 2015. 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 is the starting position of the above mentioned Marshall Attack. I'm too old to try to get familiar with it. Perhaps I would, if jailed by nazis and left with only a monograph (written by Peter Svidler) to fend for my sanity, eventually be able to say something sensible about this position. And although the likelyhood of this scenario has increased lately, I'm afraid that you'll have to wait until some time next year, at least. (Seeing the draw looming twenty moves ahead, you'll have to excuse me for trying to pump up the drama a bit.) 8...Bb7 The most natural move if Black wants to avoid 9.d3 9.c3?! d5! is nice for Black. It is not recommended to play 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxe5? 11.d4 11...Nxe5 12.Rxe5 Nf4 , when catastrophy strikes the white camp. Reading about the unredeemed expectations of some kibitzers, I get the feeling that they expect something like this, and nothing less. Sorry guys. You should stick with risk. 9...d5!? This Marshall Attack-inspired gambit can hardly have come as a surprise for Karjakin, partly because it is a main line and partly because it is played to draw. Especially the latter reason should have appealed to Magnus after yesterdays rather wobbly performance. In a rapid game against Zhigalko last year, Magnus played 9...d6 10.a3 Nb8 11.Nbd2 Nbd7 12.Nf1 Re8 13.Ng3 Bf8 14.Ng5 d5 15.exd5 Nc5 16.c4 and had to fight to equalize. 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxe5 None of the players has room to deviate. Here 11.a4 Nd4! equalizes immediately. 11...Nd4! Compared to the Marshall Attack, Black doesn't have as much of an attack here. The compensation is a more positional character. While the bishop on b7 roams freely, Black's queenside pawns doesn't have to worry about a2-a4 (since Nxb3 would completely ruin White's pawn structure) and c7-c5 will take a lot of space. From a White perspective, the c2-pawn has to be taken care of and the knight on e5 turns out to be in a rather awkward position... 12.Nc3 Nb4 An instructive illustration of my last comment about the knight on e5: 12...Nxb3 13.axb3 Nb4 14.Bd2 f6! 15.Ng4 f5! The pawn is accelerated forward as it attacks the knight. 16.Ne5 Bd6 17.Na2 Bxe5 18.Rxe5 Nc6 19.Re1 f4 20.Bc3?! Black also has a strong attack after 20.f3 Nd4 21.Rf1 Rf6 20...f3 21.Re4 a5!? 22.b4 and now, instead of axb4 which was unclear, in Timofeev,A (2658)-Sokolov,I (2655) Sarajevo 2007, Black should have played 22...Ne7! , with a very strong attack. 13.Bf4 Perhaps there is nothing better here, but this move doesn't feel right to me. Why? There is something about putting the bishop in the line of fire (g5/Nd5) and striving to tuck it in on h2, that rings false. I'd prefer to put it on c3. On the other hand the bishop is not obstructing the queen and could come to e5. After weighing the pros and cons, I must disagree with my first instinct. It does indeed make sense. I'd probably spend some time on 13.Bd2 according to the principle "less is more" (and "don't put the bishop on square where it is likely to be attacked"). 13.Ne4 has been played a number of times and the lines after Nxb3 14.axb3 Qd5 15.Nf3 f5 seem to hold no danger to Black. 13...Nxb3 14.axb3 c5 15.Ne4 Karjakin is trying to prove that the inclusion of Bf4 and c5 somehow favours White. f6! According to the reports I read, Carlsen continued to blitz out the moves even now, so it's pretty clear that this was all part of his preparations. 16.Nf3 f5! A recurring idea leaving White with little choice. 17.Neg5! 17.Ng3 Bxf3! and it becomes obvious why the attack on the c2-pawn is a problem for White: 18.gxf3 18.Qxf3 Nxc2-+ 18...Bf6 17.Ned2 is the most ambitious move, since it keeps some pieces on the board. After Bf6 18.Be5 Re8 19.Rc1 h6 20.Re2 What else? Bxe5 21.Nxe5 Nd5 White cannot let the knight land on f4 and 22.g3 f4 gives Black a nasty initiative. So, it seems that the most ambitious move was less than good. 17...Bxg5 18.Nxg5 h6! 19.Ne6 Qd5 20.f3 Rfe8 The last five moves have basically been forced, but now White has two alternatives; one human and one non human. 21.Re5 21.Nc7 Qd4+ 22.Kh1 Rxe1+ 23.Qxe1 Qxf4 24.Nxa8 Nxc2 looks like absolute disaster for White from afar, but in fact White can get a draw in more than one way. One pretty line is 25.Qe8+ Kh7 26.Nb6‼ Nxa1 27.Nd7 and Black has no defence against the Nf8/ Nd7-pendulum. 21...Qd6 22.c3 The challenger goes for the draw in the most solid manner. The more complicated 22.Re2 also ends up in equlity after Qd7 23.Nc7 23.Nxc5? Qd4+ 23...Rxe2 24.Qxe2 Rc8 25.Re1 Qd4+ 26.Qe3 Nxc2 27.Qxd4 Nxd4 28.Re7 Alas, how forced! Nc6 29.Rd7 Rd8 30.Rxd8+ Nxd8 31.Bd6 Kf7 32.Bxc5 Ne6 33.Nxe6 Kxe6 is a most drawish draw. 22...Rxe6 23.Rxe6 Qxe6 24.cxb4 cxb4 If White was allowed to play d4, Be5 and then put the queen or rook in such a place from where it would keep an eye on g7; then White would be better. 25.Rc1 Rc8 But Carlsen will not let White have three moves for free. 26.Rxc8+ Qxc8 27.Qe1 Qd7 28.Kh2 a5 29.Qe3 Bd5 30.Qb6 Bxb3 31.Qxa5 Qxd3 32.Qxb4 Be6 Next Black will put the queen on d7 and the position will reach a state of zero entropy. So, draw agreed. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karjakin,S2772Carlsen,M2853½–½2016C88World Championship6

23:59 / 5:59 pm: After a quick draw we have a quick video analysis. Daniel King's sums things up in his summary of game 6.

21:40 / 3:40 pm: The game ended in a draw. After three fascinating games in rounds three, four and five the players didn't excite the audience today. Tomorrow is a rest day, so Sergey has enough time to prepare something against Carlsen's ...d5!

Play Magnus design compared to official WCC 2016 artwork

Draw agreed after Carlsen's 32...Be6

21:24 / 3:24 pm: 

Play Magnus design compared to official WCC 2016 artwork

Both players seem pretty relaxed while the game is heading for a draw

20:58 / 2:58 pm: Nigel Short already has an explanation why this game could become a pretty short one.

Play Magnus design compared to official WCC 2016 artwork

20:58 / 2:58 pm: As yesterday we can again expect an opposide coloured bishop endgame.

20:54 / 2:54 pm: 

Play Magnus design compared to official WCC 2016 artwork

20:32 / 2:32 pm: Giri seems to have had this on the board:

Play Magnus design compared to official WCC 2016 artwork

20:20 / 2:20 pm: After Carlsen's novelty 14...c5 Karjakin takes his time.

Play Magnus design compared to official WCC 2016 artwork

20:12 / 2.12 pm: Both players are very well prepared and blitz out their moves. Carlsen has is a pawn down but can rely on his bishop pair and space advantage.

20:05 / 2.05 pm: Again Spanish and Karjakin choses again 8.h3 against the Marshall. But this time Carlsen opts for the more forcing 9...d5 instead of the calmer 9...d6 which he has chosen in the 4th game.

19:53 / 1.53 pm: What opening to expect today? Not easy to guess...the last two games Karjakin opted for 1.e4 and Carlsen chose 1...e5 and headed for the Marshall-Attack, an opening we can expect for this game again - but the world champion has a very wide repertoire and could easily surprise his opponent today.

19.37 / 1.37 pm: Starting at 20.00 Hamburg Time / 2.00 pm New York Time: Game No. 6!

 

15.10 / 9.10 am: Here are the highlights of the press conference. Click here.

14.15 / 8.15 am: Rumors say that team Carlsen wants the break room cam to end. No confirmation by team Carlsen yet. According to unconfirmed information Carlsen wasn't aware of the fact that the stream is published world wide. Some coverage of vgtv.no as well.

Update 23.41 / 5.41 pm: The cams are reportedly gone now.

 

13.12 / 7.12 pm: Here you find some filmed impressions of game 5:

 

 

11.52 / 5.52 am: Our special service for you: Simon Williams's video analysis from playchess.com about game 5. Click here to watch.

7.00 / 1.00 am: Updates with commentary will follow. Soon after the game ChessBase India has been providing Sagar Shah's perspective on the game ('A perfect draw'). Also, this demonstration of using the names in the media differently is going to stop here, no worries. And don't miss our coverage in yesterday's news blog during the game.

6.55 / 0.55 am: It's not that we like one player more than the other, it's just that we would like to believe there is some kind of fairness in the coverage. By the way: if you like to learn something about Sergey's story, you might like to check out the documentary "Sergey". Don't be disappointed though if you can't understand the quotes in Russian (no subtitles). But you'll get the picture and it is worth the three or four US-Dollars (watch the trailer here)

6.29 / 0.29 am: As pointed out by Garry Kasparov, it's the level of resistance which distinguishes a good player from an extraordinary player. Mr. Carlsen also gets the chance to display extraordinary defensive skills in this game. The Giuoco Piano (pronounciation like this) was a little too soft to cause Black enough problems. Mr. Carlsen reminded Sergey that he was aware of the fact that the challenger had been spanked pretty seriously by Pentala Harikrishna at the Olympiad in Baku as Shank pointed out.

5.47 / 11.47 pm: In the room for the official commentators, motion picture director Bennett Miller ('Capote') was talking to Sam Shankland (Judit Polgar was busy and couldn't attend according to sources) and the other man, who is not very inspiring in his commentary. Mr. Miller also executed the first move by Mr. Carlsen. Also notable was the appearance of Lev Alburt, the conversation with Shanks got a little tense sometimes. What else can we expect? Roman Dzindzichashvili showing up? 

Why is it that official commentators in the cabin refer to Mr. Carlsen most of the time as 'Magnus' ('I don't think Magnus has overlooked this'), whereas they talk about Sergey always as 'Karjakin' ('Well played by Karjakin'). Lack of distance or lack of experience? Biased commentators? Agon made a deal with the Norwegian Cable Network NRK, the art work of the Play Magnus product the same as the art work of the World Chess Championship. Why is that? We are going to ask the press officers. 

Play Magnus design compared to official WCC 2016 artwork

The design concept of Agon's site for the Fide match resembles the design concept of the Play Magnus product. But why?

 

5.31 Hamburg / 11.31 pm New York: Sometimes a video snippet says more than 1000 Tweets.

8.00 Mumbai/ 3.30 Hamburg/ 9.30 pm New York: Sagar Shah analyzes the key positions and the fifth round encounter on the ChessBase India website. According to his analysis, Sergey Karjakin played an excellent game and held Magnus Carlsen with ease.

Official statement by the organizers:

"It was the first time in the match that Karjakin had Carlsen in real trouble, and Carlsen was clearly not happy with his performance. He grimaced and scowled in the press conference, giving short and curt answers. As soon as the press conference was over, he bolted the stage.

Not surprisingly, Karjakin, who was a 3-to-1 betting underdog prior to the start of the match, was in a much better mood. Though he was in deep trouble in Games 3 and 4, he has managed to avoid any losses thus far.

Five draws to start a World Championship match is far from unprecedented. The first six games of the 2012 title match between Viswanathan Anand and Boris Gelfand were also draws. And the first eight games of the 1995 match between Anand and Garry Kasparov – the last World Championship match to be held in New York City – were also drawn. That match, however, was a best-of-20, not best-of-12."

P.S. (7.50 / 1.30): Some advice for arm wrestling

+ + +

1.15 / 7.15 pm: Draw agreed. The fifth draw in a row but the first, in which Karjakin had serious chances.

 

 

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scoobeedo scoobeedo 11/19/2016 05:43
Maybe it would be for coming world championships good to include this option:
- - -

The initial match length is 12 games.
If the first 8 games are all draw, the games to play get extended to 16 games.

If the match was to 16 games extended:
If the first 12 games are all draw, the match get extended to 20 games.

If the match was to 20 games extended:
If the first 16 games are all draw, the match get extended to 24 games.

If the match was to 24 games extended:
If all 24 games are draw the world champion will keep his title.

- - -

This will protect the quality of the match and dont change the games to casino games.

- - -

This extensions of the match could be later played, on a other place, and maybe one month later..

- - -

To find sponsors which dont need to pay for the price money should be easy.
vinniethepooh vinniethepooh 11/19/2016 04:12
there will be only one decisive game. whoever wins that wins!
vincero vincero 11/19/2016 02:58
carlsen is obviously starting to feel pressure as he has yet to win a game .....a position he did not anticipate.....in fact..i am now ready to say karjakin...is now the small favorite to win the match...based on his confidence at having held the line against the world champion and the starting odds...which were against him.
prediction.....i do not see more than 3 decisive games possible ...--and i do not believe karjakin can win 2 games against magnus...so..either karjakin wins the match 1-0...or will lose it 2-0
sicilian_D sicilian_D 11/19/2016 01:15
for us in Japan, the start time is much too late/early at 4 am. waking up at nine on the saturday, first though that crossed my mind before checking the site was "they must have already drawn it"... and so it was!!
vladivaclav vladivaclav 11/18/2016 11:26
6 draws in a row. everybody underestimated karjakin's drawing power. giri in danger...
gulilero gulilero 11/18/2016 11:08
So far this has been a very disappointing match.
X iLeon aka DMG X iLeon aka DMG 11/18/2016 10:34
I agree with Andrew Martin. 12 games is ridiculous - it should be 20 at least. And as per the earlier convention, a draw should leave the title with the holder. After all he's already earned it! It's up to the challenger to stir things up and snatch it! Cos deciding on weird blitz games is more luck than chess... Nonsense!
flachspieler flachspieler 11/18/2016 06:51
The analysis of game 5 - by John Nunn - is not bad. However, the commentaries on games 1 to 4 were better.
turok turok 11/18/2016 06:48
so even though this is a drawn championship is Karjakin gaining rating points with each draw since Carlsen is a much higher rated opponent? Just curious.
prail prail 11/18/2016 04:50
Unfortunately, the cartoon portraits are dreadfully soulless and unimaginative.
libyantiger libyantiger 11/18/2016 02:28
clash of titans
sicilian_D sicilian_D 11/18/2016 02:27
very nice analysis.
fcotovalm fcotovalm 11/18/2016 01:36
I also agree with toma that 24 games match would the best for this WC.
Roggenossi Roggenossi 11/18/2016 01:23
It looks like that Xavier, that a short match is a blessing - having such players. But I want the old times back, going for six wins without counting draws for example. That means open end. They say it is not possible nowadays, but that is wrong. Choose a less expensive venue, remove useless luxury nobody needs, and so on. 12 games only are a joke for the major title of chess. I do not have any respect for it anymore.
toma toma 11/18/2016 01:10
@proffesor xavier

Ridiculous!! 12 games, really??

24 games match is the only WC match deserving to be called one. That is a real chess war, where novelties and pre-match strategies eventually dry out, and real chess and character strength has to be shown.

Bill Alg Bill Alg 11/18/2016 01:10
@ plancton2260 "Karjakin is then a pawn dawn and Carlsen pawns are all on the rverse color of the bishop and the same for Kajakin". Chess is not so simple as you try to argue in this sentence. There are many other factors that affect the evaluation of a position. Hint: piece activity, King safety
professor xavier professor xavier 11/18/2016 12:41
Now five games and five very lengthy draws that go through the night as its London time here. We can at least be thankful there is not the old format of 24 games. 12 games is quite enough. They will get tired and will make simple errors or I myself will have to change my name.
plancton92260 plancton92260 11/18/2016 09:40
I don't understand where Karjakin could play for a win. Without engine I didn't see how this position could be other things that a draw and engines confirm it to mee. And even if d4 is interesting to activate the bishop Karjakin is then a pawn dawn and Carlsen pawns are all on the rverse color of the bishop and the same for Kajakin. For me this game was equal all the time. But is is right this time Karjakin was better then his 2 previous games where Carlen could really play for the game.
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