It was an incredible recreation (Recreation 6). Even Magnus (Carlsen) mentioned that folks would possibly keep in mind him as somebody who received a World Championship recreation after 5 years; the primary decisive recreation in classical chess after such an enormous hole. It was a fairly tongue-in-cheek remark. The final decisive recreation occurred in 2016.
I used to be commentating with Judit Polgar and for eight hours and 45 minutes, it was a incredible expertise. The sport was performed at a really, very excessive degree. It was a roller-coaster. It’s very simple to get fully confused, solely while you begin analysing deeper do you perceive the intricacies and problems.
In some unspecified time in the future, Nepo (Ian Nepomniachtchi) was taking a little bit of initiative. On various events, he averted simplifications. If he needed to push for a draw, he might have additionally achieved that initially. After the opening section, Nepo had a barely preferable place, the place he might have simplified issues in sure circumstances. However he didn’t, selecting a posh line as a substitute. It regularly turned extra difficult and after a degree, Magnus took over.
At this time’s ‘Twitter query’ on the press convention got here from @Dai_Wales:
There have been quite a lot of nice world championship matches over time, however if you happen to might watch one match between any two gamers of any period, who would you select? pic.twitter.com/f8uX1YLsbo— Worldwide Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 4, 2021
Then, there was a section when in response to the pc world, Magnus blundered. However from a human standpoint, it was insanely troublesome to see that form of geometry; bringing your lively rook again to be able to defend your rook. Then you definitely put your knight in a nook and return to assault the opponent’s king, whereas within the course of you might be sacrificing your whole queenside military. As a participant and as a commentator, you know the way inhuman that individual mixture is. It was comprehensible that Magnus missed it.
Then once more, for a big section, the pc saved on saying it’s a draw, and me and Judit saved screaming how troublesome the place was for black. Think about a place the place white has 10 completely different strikes and each transfer is a draw, no matter he performs he could make a draw. Now, black has the identical place, the place he has to make 10 correct strikes and solely then it’s a draw. So from a human standpoint, would you name this beneficial for white or black? Clearly, it’s beneficial for white, for white can play something and it’s nonetheless a draw, however from black’s standpoint, he has to search out all appropriate strikes after which it’s a draw. Laptop doesn’t analyse on this method. It’ll say 0.00. Even when it’s a must to play 100 appropriate strikes after which it’s a draw, it’s nonetheless 0.00 on laptop analysis. So that may be very difficult, significantly for individuals who aren’t skilled chess gamers or not taking part in at a sure degree. They may assume, it was equal on laptop evolution and Nepo misplaced from an equal place. However virtually, it was very troublesome.
Maurice Ashley: “Did yesterday’s recreation make any affect in your alternative of opening right now?”
Ian Nepomniachtchi: “Completely not.” pic.twitter.com/pRxuzVG6Ew— Worldwide Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 4, 2021
Choices give problems
All through the sport, we might see the gamers had been giving one another decisions, a cause why they had been consuming quite a lot of time, as the whole lot regarded comparable they usually needed to take choices. It’s all the time simple to take choices which are compelled, in life in addition to in chess. Having completely different choices makes issues difficult.
The opening (in Recreation 6) was a fantastic psychological transfer by Magnus. The third transfer, when he performed g3, I’ve by no means seen this earlier than in a World Championship match. He was aiming for a Catalan opening however with a special transfer order, not very talked-about. Nepo selected to play his set-up (in opposition to that), which he employed in Recreation 2. He thought for some time, however caught to an identical set-up. It gave Magnus a special form of a line, just like Catalan, however we will’t precisely name it a Catalan. When Nepo got here with a really attention-grabbing transfer, b5, the positions received neutralised and as I mentioned, Nepo had zero points within the opening.
I feel Magnus is a big favorite now as a result of a recreation like this saps your power like something, significantly if you’re on the dropping facet. You play a recreation for eight hours and 45 minutes, you then attend a press convention and by the point you get to your room, your seconds will likely be ready. When you consider this recreation… chess is a recreation the place you’ll be able to determine one explicit mistake. You understand precisely the place you went mistaken and the way you went mistaken. So by the point you fall asleep, it’s already late within the night time. Then it’s a must to get up within the morning and put together once more (for the subsequent recreation). And let’s not overlook that Magnus all the time has extra power than his opponent.
Understanding Magnus, I do know he won’t shut up store, simply because he has the benefit now. The second he is aware of he has an opportunity, he’ll attempt to squeeze the utmost out of it. In Recreation 7, he’ll play with black and possibly received’t thoughts a brief draw (it panned out like that). However usually, he want to have as many lengthy video games as potential.
Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly was certainly one of Viswanathan Anand’s seconds and assisted him in successful the World Championship matches in opposition to Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov. He spoke to Shamik Chakrabarty
