A true artist on the Chessboard!

Who is an artist?

An artist is the one who paints and bestows certain importance over 'something' in the canvas which otherwise tends to pass out of ordinary perception...isn't it!? He makes the eyes talk, a smile to convey a million meaning, a lip which is more inviting...., a galloping horse to kick your back.....!

But it requires an artistic vision to 'read' that....appreciate that....enjoy the creation.

....and by his creation, the artist not only uplifts the art, but also elevates the onlooker to higher perception....if they are prepared to letgo off all the conditioning.....has the ability to stare with naked perception, with great innocence!

"Boy leading a Horse" by Pablo Picasso 

Primarily, what strikes when one looks at this masterpiece by Picasso is the "bareness" - the landscape is bare, the sky is bare and so is the horse and the boy.  The bareness camouflages the mood of the artist which made him put his brush on the canvas....

....no the art is never up for a detailed dissection, but only a holistic view...understanding....where the details reveal themselves in unison....never in isolation!

In this picture titled 'Boy leading a horse' the boy holds no strings, just a sign of holding!!  For, the leader - the boy - is in total command of that horse and look at that horse's eyes and countenance...which is nothing but an eager wait for a word of command from his 'master'!

"Painting is silent poetry...." said Plutarch and the poetry can be understood in multidimensional ways, corresponding to one's ability!

A great game of Chess is also a poetry!!  Carlsen's game against So belongs to this genre!

But before getting into this particular game, I wish to show one of his 'bluffs', as I committed in my previous post....

Carlsen - Vachier, Sinquefield cup, 2015

12.Be3!? 

Very normal here is 12.Nb3 and the Bishop on c1 has no urgency, rather it is better placed there defending the b-pawn!

The move played 'commanded the Horse' on f6 to move....

12.....Ng4

....and it moved!  Now, Carlsen starts to weave an invisible net and Vachier falls into it....and started walking like a somnambulist!

13.Nc2! Ne3; 14.Ne3 Qe6; 15.Nd5!?!!

 Incorrigible optimism!!  

The move played, could have waited for a preliminary Qd2, not as much as to defend the b-pawn, but not to have conceded the b-file!!  But....

Carlsen's moves 12.Be3!? and 15.Nd5!? are bluffs of the highest order!!  That he went on to win this game vindicates his approach - which is implicitly philosophical!

We shall now get to that 'poetry' that was created by Carlsen against So Wesley.

Carlsen - So, Sinquefield cup, 2015

Sicilian Najdorf - the most analysed, complex system, which players avoid getting into for the fear of stepping on potential 'country made' bombs!  And he said that he played the opening on common sense!!  ....he did say that...!!?  Acclaimed theorists, does that make any sense to you at all!!?

Lack of opening knowledge is a blessing in disguise for me -  for I can propound anything and get away with it!!

Well, for the sacrificed pawn, White has got a 'pawn rush' on the Kingside and control of 'd5' and the light squares.....and....probably and more importantly "a bit confused opponent by now"!

17....Nd7; 18.h4 a5; 19.g5 Rc8; 20.Bd5!

The focus is entirely on controlling this square, which the Bishop occupies now.

20.....Nb6; 21.Kb1 Qc7; 22.Rhf1!

A move which, after it appears on the board, would make Black feel uncomfortable as it apparently threatens to keep pushing the f-pawn as long as it is allowed and forces a 'reaction'! But Carlsen has other plans....  

22.....Nd5; 23.Nd5 Qb7; 24.f4 f5?!; 25.Qe3!

.....and because of this, Black would have done well to have relocated his Bishop from e7 instead of 24.....f5?!

25.....e4; 26.h5!

Carlsen induced Black to collude with him - this is the true ability of a great player. 

26.....Rc5; 27.h6!

A dream position!  The game revolves around the d5-square and the control of dark-squares f6, g7 conceded by Black!

27......g6; 28.Qb3 Rf7; 29.a4!!

What I call poetry is this; the moves like Rhf1, Qe3, h6, Qb3 etc hover over the board and land on the board ....into your position gracefully at appropriate times like the butterflies which fly into your garden beautifully when the flowers blossom!

Now that White gets time to pause, he pauses delectably with a move which hems Black's a-pawn and rendering it weak!

29.....Bd8; 30.Rd4 Kf8; 31.Rfd1 Rc6

Lasker once remarked that the secret of a mastery in Chess is never to make a move without a threat. For a threat, however mild and remote it may be, has the power to put the opposition under discomfiture and he even said that the "threat is more powerful than its execution"!!

There is reportedly an amusing incident involving this 'theme': during a tournament, Lasker's opponent had obtained his promise and permission from the tournament director that he would not smoke during the game.  During the middle phase of the game, Lasker pulled out a cigar from his pocket and kept it between his lips.  His opponent immediately called the tournament director and complained.  The director on arriving at the board, said, "but he isn't smoking, the cigar is not lit". The player replied, "but he is threatening to smoke"!!

32.Ne3 Bb6; 33.Nc4 Bd4

In hindsight, one may say that 34......Rc4; followed by 35.....Bd4 etc would have been better.  But, what the mind fears or how various options appear to the mind's eye during the heat of the battle is unique and unique to every individual corresponding to various other factors confronting them....  For chess is not mere wood pushing and the two men who are sitting across the board are not made of silicon and chips!

34.Na5 Qb6; 35.Nc6 Bc5; 36.Qd5! e3; 37.a5 Qb5; 38.Nd8 Ra7; 39.Ne6 Ke8; 40.Nd4

White has his pieces beautifully centralised - look at that queen standing majestically....look at the d5-square which came under White's grip since the time he played 17.Bc4!

And what can we say about this Knight, who undertook a great journey creating disharmony amongst Black pieces. He is so involved in the game that he refuses to depart now with 40.Nc5! which would have led to a quicker finish!

"Never mind mate, stay on....you delighted us"!

40....Qa5; 41.Qg8 Kd7; 42.Qh7 Kc8; 43.Qg8 Kb7; 44.c3!

Evading the final threat, White win is facile with the looming h-pawn!

44.....bc3; 45.Qb3 Qb6; 46.Qb6 Kb6; 47.bc3 Bd4; 48.Rd4 Kc6; 49.Kc2 Ra2; 50.Kd1 Rf2; 51.Ke1 Kd7; 52.Ra4 Ke6; 53.Ra8 Rh2; 54.c4 Kf7; 55.Rb8 Ke6; 56.Rg8    Black Resigned 

What can you say of this marvelous player, a modern artist on the chessboard....he may at times inadvertently paint an inappropriate stroke, as he did in the first round. But nevertheless it was meant not to be inappropriate, but only that his imagination at times carries him to the precipice! 

I remain.....!