Game 1 of FIDE WCC: Topalov vs. Anand

pulern

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24 Apr '10 14:06

Paul Leggett
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25 Apr '10 00:07
Originally posted by Gatusso
Hmm, very peculiar, unexpected from Anand, you would think in those 30 minutes he would have calculated Nxf6.
This is what made me think that Anand is way way off form, and that travel may be the culprit. Nxf6 was one of the first things I thought about looking at the position, and I'm a hack nobody fighting a cold (and playing like it the last two days).

At the WC level, I would expect the moves we saw today to be in the notes, not on the board. And I hope this does not sound disrespectful, because I intend the opposite- these are great players, so expectations are high all around, I think.
Artardo
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25 Apr '10 00:312 edits
Peter Svidler believes Anand had prepared 23...Bd7 (connecting the rooks so that he can answer Rh3 with ...Rh8), followed by 24...Kf7, but forgot to make the bishop move.
ChessPraxis
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25 Apr '10 05:26
Very entertaining game IMO
But not the type of game one expects from GMs during formal WCC play. More like a coffee house blitz game, from my perspective.
greenpawn34
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25 Apr '10 08:19
Yup those nasty cunning Bulgarians.

They planted 2000 lbs of TNT in that Icelandic volcano so it would erupt and
wreck Anand's prep for game one.

I wonder what their plans are for game 2. Perhaps they will get the world to
spin faster when it's Anand's move so he losses on time.

Good change to see a smash up in a WC match. Cannot understand why
people are complaining about it.
Do they want another Kramnik - Kasparov (yawn) style match.

Incidently have you noticed everyone calls it that 'Icelandic Volcano,'
it's becasue no one can pronounce it's real name. Eyjafjallajokull.
caluma
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25 Apr '10 08:37
Originally posted by greenpawn34
I wonder what their plans are for game 2. Perhaps they will get the world to
spin faster when it's Anand's move so he losses on time.
Sorry to be pedantic but time would slow down, not speed up.🙂
greenpawn34
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25 Apr '10 09:13
OK. I stand corrected.

The plan for Game 2 is to speed up the spin of the planet when it's Topolov's
move and slow down the planet when it's Anand's move.

This can be done using a Gravity Death Ray that I saw Ming use
in a Flash Gordon episode. Ming and the Gravity Death Ray

(Would it not be brilliant if Anand DID lose the next game on time!).
vipiu
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25 Apr '10 09:20
they are not that great, they only know a loooot of theory...
They blitzed 22 moves of preparation(I just suppose this, based on they play speed until that move), after that Anand thought for 20 minutes on the first move and he blundered...

I am wandering what would happen in a FR(chess 9600) game where they should start THINKING from the very first move...
pulern
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25 Apr '10 10:54
The main theory today is that both player had prepared for the line,
but that Anand had mixed up his move order or simply forgotten the line.

In the above position Anand played the fatal 23...Kf7,
while he should have gone for 23...Bd7

A) 23...Kf7?? 24.Nxf6!
B) 23...Bd7 24.Rg3 25.Nxf6? Qxg3
wormwood
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25 Apr '10 11:35
Originally posted by greenpawn34
Incidently have you noticed everyone calls it that 'Icelandic Volcano,'
it's becasue no one can pronounce it's real name. Eyjafjallajokull.
jökull means glacier. 'eyjafjallajökull volcano' is like saying that 'icelandic volcano', except that you're being slightly more precise with the location. 🙂 I don't think the fissure itself even has a name...
atticus2
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25 Apr '10 11:39
Fischer fissure
michael liddle
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25 Apr '10 12:11
fischer fissure forsure
Varenka
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25 Apr '10 12:13
Originally posted by caluma
Sorry to be pedantic but time would slow down, not speed up.🙂

Please explain. 🙂
Varenka
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25 Apr '10 12:19
Originally posted by pulern
The main theory today is that both player had prepared for the line,
but that Anand had mixed up his move order or simply forgotten the line.
I can believe that theory. But if true, it gives some insight into the balance between "rote learning" and "understanding" of opening moves for some GMs. Did Anand not understand why Bd7 was required initially?! Or maybe he did, but was too lazy at the board to check his understanding?! Psychologically, maybe both players were trying to prove to the other that their preparation was better (by moving almost instantly) and Anand was just a bit too quick.
Gatusso
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25 Apr '10 12:33
Anand is playing the catalan in game 2, really surprising. Maybe he wants to psychologically tickle Topalov by bringing up memories of Ellista?
wormwood
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25 Apr '10 13:19
Originally posted by Varenka
I can believe that theory. But if true, it gives some insight into the balance between "rote learning" and "understanding" of opening moves for some GMs. Did Anand not understand why Bd7 was required initially?! Or maybe he did, but was too lazy at the board to check his understanding?! Psychologically, maybe both players were trying to prove to the othe ...[text shortened]... heir preparation was better (by moving almost instantly) and Anand was just a bit too quick.
I lost a game to gatecrasher very similarly. it was one of those standard deep dragons that people always go for in CC (because that's where the db leads), and at some point quite deep in I forgot we were in a Kb1/Re8 line (I don't use dbs), and sacced the e2 exchange at move 25 or something. the lines are otherwise identical, except that the sac doesn't work. after a few futile attempts to complicate matters I resigned.

the reason I made the mistake wasn't because I hadn't worked both lines thoroughly. it was because I had worked on them so much that the autopilot took over.

I think the same happened to anand. he would've never missed the knight sac if it was a random position. because that's pretty much the first move you look at, the brutal axe murder attack. but because he knew the lines, and knew the king was supposed to end up in f7, he simply mixed up the move order getting there.

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Game 1 of FIDE WCC: Topalov vs. Anand