London chess classic 2012

64squaresofpain

The drunk knight

Only Chess

27 Nov 12 10:27

Marinkatomb

wotagr8game

tbc

Joined: 18 Feb 04
Moves: 61941

28 Nov 12 01:32

Originally posted by 64squaresofpain
Truuee, but.... wanna watch live! 😲

Only live games i seen up to now are from this years world championship Anand vs Gelfand....
we all know how gripping and intense THAT was, huh

I found myself watching 5 hours of commentary every night last time London was on. I wish every super GM tournie provided so much coverage. I completely ignored the WC after the first couple of games. I'm so pleased the format has changed to a double round robin (for the candidates). I'd actually prefer that to include the WC, but that's another debate.. 🙂

RJHinds

The Near Genius

Fort Gordon

Joined: 24 Jan 11
Moves: 13644

28 Nov 12 06:13

3 edits

-6

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
I like Carlsens games as well, he tends to avoid theoretical battles and simply gets his pieces out and outplays his opponents.

Carlsen v Polgar
[pgn]1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. Qe2 Nf6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O b5 8. exd5 exd5 9. d4 c4 10. Ne5 Nxd4 11. Qd1 Qb6 12. Be3 Bc5 13. Nc3 Be6 14. a4 b4 15. a5 Qc7 16. Na4 Bd6 17. Nxc4 Qxc4 18. Bxd4 B ...[text shortened]... e1 Qb6 34. Re3 a5 35. Rf3 Bg7 36. h4 h5 37. Ne4 Qd4 38. Ng5 Qxd5 39. Bxd5 Bc3 40. Rxf7 1-0[/pgn]

Here is my psychological analysis of the Calsen vs Polgar game you posted if you are interested.

PGN

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. Qe2 Nf6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O b5 {This advance on the queenside is premature.  I have found that getting the king to safety by castling is the best course of action for Black} 8. exd5 {A good psychological move} 8...exd5 9. d4 {The followup to the psychological plan} 9...c4 {Polgar falls into the psychological position for the trap} 10. Ne5 {Calsen sacrifices a pawn to gain more psychological pressure on polgar} 10...Nxd4 11. Qd1 Qb6 {Polgar violates Aron Nimzovich's praxis of prophylaxis, probably due to to the psychological pressure} 12. Be3 {The logical move pinning the Knight} 12...Bc5 {Unpinning the knight, of course} 13. Nc3 {Carlsen decides to put more psychological pressure on polgar by shifting attention to Black's d5 center pawn } 13...Be6 14. a4 {This move begins a plan to remove the black queen as a defender of the d4 knight} b4 15. a5 Qc7 16. Na4 {Calsen offers a knight to gain the two bishops} 16...Bd6 {Polgar chooses to keep her bishop but leaves the d4 knight undefended} 17. Nxc4 {Calsen regains his sacrificed pawn with this tactical move} 17...Qxc4 18. Bxd4 {Polgar now has an isolated queen pawn that Carlsen blockades according to another Nimzovich praxis} 18...Be7 {However, Polgar has the isolated queen pawn well defended at this point and after she castles she should be just fine} 19. b3 Qc7 20. c4 {Calsen apparently does not want a draw and decides to use some more psychology giving polgar a decision in hopes she will not take the pawn en passant} 20...Rd8 {Polgar falls for this psychological trick} 21. Bxf6 {Calsen is encouraged and violates Nimzovich's blockade praxis but gives Polgar another Psychological decision} 21...Bxf6 {Polgar apparently wants to keep things simple and falls for the psychological trick again} 22. cxd5 O-O {Polgar sees that taking the rook on a1 is not to her advantage and finally gets her king to safety} 23. Rc1 Qxa5 {Polgar has regained the pawn with a 3-way attack on Calsen's pawn} 24. Nc5 Bc8 25. d6 {Carlsen now hopes his advanced pawn will pay dividends} 25...Bc3 26. Qd5 Bg4 {Polgar's two bishops are too powerful} 27. h3 Be2 {It looks as though Polgar has her own brand of psychology and Calsen's rook is trapped} 28. d7 Bxf1 29. Rxf1 g6 {It appears that Pogar has become psychologically comfortable after her win of the exchanged and begins to play too passively with this move} 30. Rd1 Rb8 31. Bf1 Kh8 {Another passive move by Polgar that allows Calsen to begin building up a strong position} 32. Bc4 Bf6 33. Re1 Qb6 34. Re3 a5 35. Rf3 {With this move Calsen has gained a clear advantage} 35...Bg7 36. h4 h5 37. Ne4 Qd4 38. Ng5 Qxd5 39. Bxd5 {The psychological pressure becomes to great for Polgar and she finally makes the fatal blunder} 39...Bc3 40. Rxf7 1-0

kingshill

Mr Ring Rusty

Wales

Joined: 02 Jun 11
Moves: 28718

28 Nov 12 14:25

NO I AM NOT..!

Proper Knob

Cornovii

North of the Tamar

Joined: 02 Feb 07
Moves: 53689

28 Nov 12 14:30

Originally posted by kingshill
NO I AM NOT..!

Que?

atticus2

Frustrate the Bad

Liverpool

Joined: 01 Nov 08
Moves: 92474

28 Nov 12 15:09

-1

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
Really? Is this a personal opinion or has there been a rumour suggesting this? I would be so upset if this tournament disappears as well. It is so well organised! TLCC is like Wimbledon for me, totally unmissable! :'(

Higher quality than a rumour, but below the quality of a final decision. Source? The horse's mouth

Marinkatomb

wotagr8game

tbc

Joined: 18 Feb 04
Moves: 61941

28 Nov 12 21:06

Originally posted by atticus2
Higher quality than a rumour, but below the quality of a final decision. Source? The horse's mouth

Really? That would be terrible! If this tournament finishes, what are all these super GMs going to do with themselves? Take up poker??

atticus2

Frustrate the Bad

Liverpool

Joined: 01 Nov 08
Moves: 92474

28 Nov 12 21:55

-1

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
Really? That would be terrible! If this tournament finishes, what are all these super GMs going to do with themselves? Take up poker??

Not so terrible in practice.

The sponsor is a hedge fund manager with a bottomless pile of cash. He's extracted all the political & business contacts he needs from the associations with the event. It can't go on forever. Be thankful it did at all

Fat Lady

Joined: 21 Feb 06
Moves: 6830

28 Nov 12 23:52

Would it be inappropriate to guess who the mysterious sponsor is? I've got a strong suspicion of who it might be.

byedidia

Mister Why

San Carlos, CA

Joined: 21 Feb 12
Moves: 6039

29 Nov 12 00:33

Originally posted by Fat Lady
Would it be inappropriate to guess who the mysterious sponsor is? I've got a strong suspicion of who it might be.

By all means, tell! I for one would love to know. Inappropriate? What could possibly be more inappropriate than what already goes on in this forum?

atticus2

Frustrate the Bad

Liverpool

Joined: 01 Nov 08
Moves: 92474

29 Nov 12 14:03

-1

Originally posted by Fat Lady
Would it be inappropriate to guess who the mysterious sponsor is? I've got a strong suspicion of who it might be.

Guess away. I do know, but have honestly forgotten the name. Guesses might prompt my memory. I don't think the name is a secrecy. Rather, the guy doesn't want (or need) generalised publicity.

Fat Lady

Joined: 21 Feb 06
Moves: 6830

29 Nov 12 16:34

Well judging by the fact that nowadays I only ever hear about him at the London Chess Classic and that he is known to be very rich, I think the sponsor could well be David Norwood.

He was sat at the "Sponsor's table" in 2010:
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6908

Of course he could just be a friend of the sponsor.

Marinkatomb

wotagr8game

tbc

Joined: 18 Feb 04
Moves: 61941

29 Nov 12 16:57

Originally posted by Fat Lady
Well judging by the fact that nowadays I only ever hear about him at the London Chess Classic and that he is known to be very rich, I think the sponsor could well be David Norwood.

He was sat at the "Sponsor's table" in 2010:
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6908

Of course he could just be a friend of the sponsor.

Would Luke McShane have any professional relationship with this sponsor? He's something of a City boy as i understand it..?

Also, who keeps giving Atticus2 a thumbs down on every post? It's very childish..

RJHinds

The Near Genius

Fort Gordon

Joined: 24 Jan 11
Moves: 13644

29 Nov 12 20:58

1 edit

-6

Originally posted by Marinkatomb
Would Luke McShane have any professional relationship with this sponsor? He's something of a City boy as i understand it..?

Also, who keeps giving Atticus2 a thumbs down on every post? It's very childish..

Atticus2 was given 1 tumbs up and 4 tumbs down on 4 posts. I was given 4 tumbs down on 1 post, and I was trying to educate you guys on the psychology of chess. How childish is that?

Grobzilla

Joined: 16 Nov 07
Moves: 2329

29 Nov 12 21:13

atticus2

Frustrate the Bad

Liverpool

Joined: 01 Nov 08
Moves: 92474

29 Nov 12 23:43

1 edit

-1

Originally posted by Fat Lady
Well judging by the fact that nowadays I only ever hear about him at the London Chess Classic and that he is known to be very rich, I think the sponsor could well be David Norwood.

He was sat at the "Sponsor's table" in 2010:
http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6908

Of course he could just be a friend of the sponsor.

Definitely not Norwood. I'd certainly not have forgotten that name. It's a guy who runs a hedge fund, not a fund I'm familiar with; hence, the name didn't register. Doubt McShane is involved. He definitely wasn't at the start.

Thumbs up, thumbs down? Do I care?