Carlsen vs Nepomniatchi: Game 2: Exciting, bizarre, tense game!

/ 

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

                                                                                                            - Robert Frost

....all these attempts at watching the game live and analysing the game subsequently and writing articles, doing podcasts......are nothing but...."giving the bells a shake and ask if there is some mistake".....for, as Savielly Tartakover said, "Chess owes its existence to mistakes"! What is the move? We think we know....amidst the woods and frozen lake....
.....but moves keep escaping the attention, positions keep looking bizarre .....crazy... and the players swim through current and muddy waters most of the time!

Tartakover on Chess and the art of mistakes

This is the pure art of Chess, my friend! Like in life, we never know where we are going, what we are doing....except for that inkling which is mere delusion! Acceptance is the key, be it chess or life and that doesn't preclude our trying..... 'effort' (if you may wish to use this term!) over the board!

It was an intensely fought game ....the above was a rare occasion where both players stayed on the board with deep focus! At times, the clock was running and the playing arena looked.....

Well .....let us move on into the game!

Carlsen - Nepomniatchi, WC - Game 2

1.d4 Nf6  2.c4 e6  3.Nf3 d5  4.g3 Be7  5.Bg2 OO  6.OO dc4  7.Qc2 b5  8.Ne5 c6  9.a4 Nd5  

Lot has been spoken about Catalan and the order of moves that happened in this game. You may watch the video of commentary on youtube. Vishy was phenomenal as usual with his positional insights, witty remarks and anecdotes! Though, to a quirky question by a reporter - I donno why and how most reporters come out with such questions - on whose commentary would Carlsen and Nepo prefer to listen if they are not the players (.....huh!?), Carlsen's reply was point blank ".....hmm...aa....hmm..I am really sorry.... I don't even remotely care"

And so we are.....!

10.Nc3 f6  11.Nf3 Qd7  12.e4 Nb4  13.Qe2 Nd3 

Appears as if something serious happened so early as we don't get to see opponent Knight perched so deep into our terriory every other day! Let me put it this way, this Knight on d3 is a thorn in White's flesh taking away some important squares from White's Rooks and we actually don't know where to develop that Bishop on c1 (the proverbial saying that the Queen's Bishop is already well developed on c1 itself in many lines, does not hold good here as it really hinders coordination amongst the Rooks to the least.

At best we can say, Black is very comfortable.

14.e5 Bb7  15.ef6 Bf6  16.Ne4 Na6 

The critical moment from White's angle. 

Carlsen did mention in the post game conference that, the move 18.....Nac5! escaped his attention and it was an unpleasant surprise to see that Knight there!

Perhaps, this was the moment for the Bishop to develop to e3.....or even 17.Nf6 comes to consideration. But the position is very comples and when a player of the calibre of Carlsen can feel confused.....then.....

But 17.Ne5 Be5 18.de5 and the White Knight landing on d6 like his counterpart reaching d3, is definitely a sensible way to approach this position. Only on hindsight, we find it wasn't good and chess is never played with the knowledge of hindsight nor we live and decide things every moment with the knowledge of hindsight!


17.Ne5 Be5  18.de5 Nac5  19.Nd6 Nb3  20.Rb1 Nbc1  21.Rbc1 Nc1  22.Rc1 Rab8  23.Rd1 Ba8  24.Be4 

That expression says it all! The move perhaps eluded Nepo when he chose to play 23.....Ba8 and hence in a state of confusion, he pushed his pawn to c3. Vishy in the commentary box was favouring the move 24......ba4! when Black appears to be pressing hard for a big advantage.

Carlsen felt that his Bishop on e4 with the great Knight on d6 and the prospects on the light squares around the King are sufficient to keep Black busy and not think about his material plus on the other side of the Chessboard!

Let me digress a bit here.....

"What then is the meaning of the whole world? We do not know what the meaning of existence is. We say, as the result of studying all of the views that we have had before, we find that we do not know the meaning of existence; but in saying that we do not know the meaning of existence, we have probably found the open channel - if we will allow only that, as we progress, we leave open opportunities for alternatives, that we do not become enthusiastic for the fact, the knowledge, the absolute truth, but remain always uncertain. Muddling through - although a rather silly, stupid sounding thing - is the most scientific way of progressing. To decide upon the answer is not scientific. In order to make progress, one must leave the door to the unknown ajar - ajar only" - Richard Feynman (from The pleasure of finding things out)

The meaning of moves, ideas on the Chessboard is no different from the above! Muddling through is the way in Chess too! We grope through darkness for the most part allowing channels to open for both the players. To decide on a particular move is not the path - thought that is what we seemingly do. But in effect it is the pieces that move around and we only provide open channels for their manoeuvres!

Give a damn to the engine suggestions here on what could Black have played instead of 24.....c3

I am certainly not going to give alternatives or variations here ....both are futile!

....but this Queen manoeuvre is exquisite! What Carlsen said about this and his subsequent moves is also equally beautiful - the mind of the master: "I didn't feel I had great chances per say.....but did feel that my position was improving a bit and when I went for this 37.Qg4, my time was ticking a bit as I couldn't see a way to comfortably improve my position and that's why I decided to basically force a draw there.....But if it had been a must win game, I would have treated it differently!"

That is the essence of chess and chess mastery. The choices of moves has a bearing on the situation in a match or tournament and there is no objectively best move in any position other than the concrete one's like combination and endgames where there is a finish.

Rest of the game, I give without any comment.

24......c3  25.Qc2 g6  26.bc3 ba4  27.Qa4 Rfd8  28.Ra1 c5  29.Qc4 Be4 30.Ne4 Kh8  31/Nd6 Rb6  32.Qc5 Rdb8  33.Kg2 a6  34.Kh3 Rc6  35.Qd4 Kg8  36.c4 Qc7  37.Qg4 Rd6  38.ed6 Qd6  39.c5 Qc5  40.Qe6 Kg7  41.Ra6 Rf8  42.f4 Qf5  43.Qf5 Rf5  44.Ra7 Kg8  45.Kg4 Rb5  46.Re7 Ra5 47.Re5 Ra7  48.h4 Kg7  49.h5 Kh6  50.Kh4 Ra1  51.g4 Rh1  52.Kg3 gh5  53.Re6 Kg7  54.g5 Rg1  55.Kf2 Ra1 56.Rh6 Ra4  57.Kf3 Ra3  58.Kf2 Ra4 Drawn

....players getting up to leave for the press conference after a tense game!

And one of the questions that came their way...."about the time the players spend time on the board after the game, discussing the moves"

Carlsen replied: "Well, it is interesting to talk to someone who understands chess very well and unwinding" 
Nepo's reply aptly summed up the game and the question: "Well, I am actually puzzled with the game today and now even more puzzled with your question....to be honest"

I Remain