Chess

Interesting article on ditching the title of World Champion

http://en.chessbase.com/post/anand-vs-carlsen-no-more-kings-

This is probably a good idea. Human beings have very little incentive to play once they reach the highest peak (not in ability but external titles), as we have witnessed with Anand. On the other hand, having Majors like in tennis, encourages all players to play all the time since you are only as good as your last few grandslams. This keeps the best players constantly interested.

Another possibility is to keep the title World Champion, but the title would require not just winning a head to head match but scoring a certain percentage of the 4 "slams", say +1 and +2 at least even on the other two. Any prize fund would only be awarded on completion of the total of them.
 
Carlsen has won two games in a row. Game five and six were vintage Carlsen - Gain some slight but enduring advantage out of the opening and lead the game into an ending where he can pose lots of little but subtle problems for the opponent. Why not, they always crack. Here is a replay of game 5:

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The match is half way over, but it may as well be done today. Anand can't reinvent himself even if you gave him a year to do it. He will need to somehow get the match within one game, and then anything can happen.

But if he continues to stick his head in the lions mouth he will get decapitated. Why, WHY on earth would you ever give Carlsen a postion that has very low risk? Carlsen THRIVES in those positions. Anand needs to take risk, something he has not done in who knows how long. Anand needs steer the game into complications where there is great risk to both sides. He has nothing to lose at this point.

Carlsen is like an alligator waiting patiently for prey to step into his realm. Anand needs to become a python constrictor. You think the python has no chance, but watch...

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Black to move and find a draw.

I give this puzzle to all my students because it is a great way to get the blood flowing to the brain, and to get into the right frame of mind for a chess lesson. Mathematicians love these types of chess puzzles because these puzzles have only one forcing line, so pure logic works. What seperates a chess player from a mathematician is that in math there is only one way to put the rug down to fit a room (sort of), whereas in chess, there are many many ways. So they are creative arts with different optimization schema.

Elementary:

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Quote from nitro:

Black to move and find a draw.

I give this puzzle to all my students because it is a great way to get the blood flowing to the brain, and to get into the right frame of mind for a chess lesson. Mathematicians love these types of chess puzzles because these puzzles have only one forcing line, so pure logic works. What seperates a chess player from a mathematician is that in math there is only one way to put the rug down to fit a room (sort of), whereas in chess, there are many many ways. So they are creative arts with different optimization schema.

Elementary:

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Hint: make the white block their own pawn, thus gaining a tempo for the black.
 
The sale of chess sets has gone up several fold during this match. A good tournament set is something like this:

http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-sets...tic-marshall-chessmen-with-bag-and-board.html

and if you want to play chess with a clock (the best way) then this is a good combo:

http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-sets...eluxe-game-time-ii-chess-set-combination.html

You definitely want a clock that supports the "delay" option. The only thing I don't like about that clock is you have to turn it on/off in order to start a new game, and that button is on the bottom of the clock. This may be a better combo:

http://www.uscfsales.com/deluxe-saitek-chess-set-combination.html

A great alternative, get clock and bag seperately:

http://www.amazon.com/Staunton-Tournament-Pieces-Triple-Weighted/dp/B000N33HWM/ref=pd_sim_sbs_t_4
 
A very interesting game nine in the World Chess Championship, but a letdown by a blunder.

Analysis will be forthcoming, but a game like this is rarely seen at the top levels. Black's Q and light square bishop never moved, and it was a single pawn that held everything together by tunring into second queen, that gave the blow into the face of a pawn storm. You say those words to a chess player and they would want to see the game immediately.

Anand is now fighting and played a sharp variation of the Kings Indian (Saemisch), an opening that is only played when you are looking to pick a fight. It is Gung Fu - someone nearly always dies. While he has a nearly impossible task ahead of needing to win all three games to hold the title, he came to fight today and signs of the young Anand were on display. For the first time in this match he sees that any player can be put under great pressure, and you do that enough and eventually he cracks. That said, Carlsen is as cool as a cucumber, defending extremely accurately and worked hard at the board, and Caissa smiled on him once again.

But non of this is what is at stake anymore. For me, what is at stake is best said like this:

"Every man dies. Not every man really lives"

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Anand needs to play fighting chess, and if he loses he loses. He will have many regrets about this match, but he should leave no regrets about how he may go down. Expect a Dragon, or a Nadjorf poisoned pawn, or some other wild Sicilian where someone always dies. Thing is, Leko (his second) has no balls, so Anand has to find it in himself find his way in these labyrinths. Anand shoud come to the table with blue war paint on his face.

Advice to Anand, ditch Leko and go over a few Tal games tonight. Advice to Carlsen, don't back away from any fight, EVER. You are no longer playing this match, but matches against your future opponents. They are watching for any sign of psychological weakness.
 
Quote from nitro:
...Kings Indian (Saemisch)...
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Correction, Nimzo-Indian

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