Carlsen vs Nepo - WC game-1
"We enjoy playing Chess" - Carlsen and Nepo
......may be you do! But we hope you both make us all enjoy the games and not like the previous two matches - Carlsen vs Karjakin in particular! They had to run strong engines and write some 'deep' books to show that those matches and certain moves were good!
Nepomniatchi - Carlsen, Game: 1
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.OO Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 OO 8.h3 Na5!?
Whatever be the name.... it is a big relief that it does not carry the name "Berlin".....
9.Ne5 Nb3 10.ab3 Bb7 11.d3 d5
Striking the centre, trying to open it up as Black has two Bishops
12.ed5 Qd5 13.Qf3 Bd6
Ideally, Black would want to keep his Queen to backup his initiative for the sacrificed pawn.
14.Kf1!?
A curious computer move.....perhaps! It removes the King from a spate check on h2 and defends the Rook on e1, as with his last move, Black was threatening 14.....Qe5!
14......Rfb8!?
Defending the Bishop on b7 and renewing the threat of .....Qe5!
15.Qd5 Nd5 16.Bd2 c5 17.Nf3
Played with the intention of pushing d4 at some point. Perhaps, 17.Ng4-e3 deserved consideration.
17....Rd8 18.Nc3 Nb4 19,Rec1 Rac8!?
Typical of Carlsen: puts his pieces especially Rooks in seemingly innocuous places and does not hesitate to regroup it subsequently, if he finds nothing happening with it! The Rook on d8 is well placed targetting d3
20.Ne2 Nc6 21.Be3 Ne7 22.Bf4?!
This move is not in the spirit of fighting for initiative. Getting a position with fractured pawn structure after you exchange the Black's Bishops, is not in the spirit of fighting for initiative as the pawns are potentially weak. Not that it is easy to suggest a very good alternative....but a move like say.... 22.Ng3 could be a better substitute for Bf4
22......Bf3
Carlsen said this move is counterintutive in the post match press conference. But the move speaks for itself as Black now gets easy moves manoeuvring his Knight and Rook, whilst White has to be guarded and manage to neutralise Black's initiative, which he does subsequently by returning the extra pawn. "Chess is a fine art of knowing how to punch and when to duck" said Fischer!
Should I say, "the moves speak for themselves"!? Yes they do and I always get the feeling when I watch the World Championship events or even when going through the games played in World Championships, the game of Chess looks very simple! We know, it is an illusion. When we go and sit on the board in front of an opponent and the same moves look hazy and confusing!
Practical Chess in tournaments and matches and practicing chess at home are two different things; though we may not be able to pin point and say what is the difference!
40.Ne3? Rd7?!
Perhaps a key moment in the game! Anand was analysing 40.....Nf4! with some interesting ideas like ......Rb2 followed by .....Nd3 and if White defends that, then bringing the Rooks to bear on the d3 pawn!
Therefore, instead of the tempting 40.Ne3 with the intention of going to a dominant c4 square, a prophylactic 40.Ra2! would have been better, which perhaps maintains the equilibrium!
Having missed this, the game quickly drifts into repitition of moves
41.Nc4 Re7 42.Ne5 Rd6 43.Nc4 Rc6 44.Ne5 Rd6 45.Nc4 Drawn
After the world was paralised for a couple of years by Covid, it is nice to have this great event happening and perhaps reinstating normalcy in the world of chess and the hope that we get back to OTB tournaments again!
The match has begun and hoping for more action and hard fights!
I Remain
Comments
Post a Comment