CHESS!

[Shockprowl]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFnY77FmSeU


And for the nothing other than the love of chess, watch Paul Morphy's 'Opera House game', from the first chess channel I ever watched, Mato.

[Shockprowl]

TOMORROW. IT BEGINS.


YOU COULD CUT THE TENSION WITH A KNIFE!!!!!

[Shockprowl]

The first game was a thrilling fighting draw lasting seven hours and over 100 moves. Carlsen had the upper hand throughout, but couldn't convert. Caruana was nervous, but defended strongly. Usually the first game can be a bit dull, but not this one! Carlsen really went it. Games to starts shortly.

[Pinwig]

Seven hours!

Do they have half time in chess?

[blueshift]

Nov 10, 2018 15:12:45 GMT Pinwig said:

Seven hours!

Do they have half time in chess?

Yeah, there's a bucket of oranges.

The reason is takes so long is that pro matches are played on boards like this:

[Pinwig]

Oh right, I see. Simulating the charge into battle. Exciting stuff!

[blueshift]

Nov 10, 2018 17:05:53 GMT Pinwig said:

Oh right, I see. Simulating the charge into battle. Exciting stuff!

castles are like snipers

[Pinwig]

and Bishops have a special Breakout move for picking off pawns.

[Shockprowl]

Woaw. I've heard of an infinite chess board, but... woaw...

[Shockprowl]

h26 is a poor opening move though.

[Shockprowl]

Game 2 was another draw. Situation slightly reversed from game 1. Carlsen got stuck in some excellent home preparation from Caruana in the Queen's Gambit Declined. But, he was never in any serious danger, and expertly steared the game to a drawn endgame, playing it safe. So good stuff from both players. Caruana is such a studious preparer, and it's very dangers to get caught by him. But when that happened Carlsen was very strong at maneuvering out of trouble. This is chess of the highest level!

[Pinwig]

But seriously, a seven hour match? how do they manage that? is it done all in one sitting? do they have toilet breaks? I can imagine with chess you don't want to stop the game because you're juggling so many factors in your head.

[Shockprowl]

Yep, all in one go. In times gone by, games would be adjourned after so long and resumed the next day. But those were the days before chess engines became so strong. Now you can't adjourn a game because computer analysis is possible. So they just gotta keep going. Sport for the mind, baby. They get up to stretch their legs or nip to the loo inbetween moves, but obviously chose their moment for when they're not low on time!

[Shockprowl]

In olden times, they'd get to a point, often move 40 when time control has been met, and the next player to move would seal their move and give it to the arbitrator, so the other player doesn't know the move. Then, the players would analyse the position over-night, sometimes with their seconds. The game would then resume the next afternoon. But now chess engines are stronger than the strongest players, that obviously can't happen. Seven hours is about as long as it gets. These top players are just amazing.

[Shockprowl]

Are we watching the coverage, people?


ARE WE?!?!?!


(seriously, check it out. Even if you watch Daniel King's shorter 'Hot Debreif' reports, which has post-game interview footage in them as well)


Three fighting draws, then a tamer drawn in game four, a typical case of Elite Grandmasters neutralising eachother. The match remains on a knife edge, very tense.

A fascinating incident occured off the board though. Some Caruana supporters in the USA posted a short video of Fabi and his team working. On screen there was a shot of a computer which had names of some of his openings on it! Information like this would be GOLD to a rival! Caruana dismissed it, and Carlsen made a light-hearted joke out of it, but still... Blunder.

[Shockprowl]

We're up to SIX draws now. All have been fighting draws, but game six in particular was stunning with Caruana having a slight edge in the Endgame and Carlsen building a fortress. Eventually Caruana gave-up after a long fight (80+ moves, 6+ hours). The chess engines found a mate in 30, but no human could spot that. Fascinating stuff. It's hard to put anything between them. Caruana has come so well prepared, but Carlsen has an answer to everything. If all twelve 'classical' games are drawn, then it'll go to 'rapid' and 'blitz' tie-breaker. And at shorter time controls Carlsen is stronger.

[Pinwig]

I think they should just duel if they draw. Pistols at dawn.

[Shockprowl]

Chess is far too civilised for pistols...






THE DUEL WOULD BE WITH CANNON!

[Shockprowl]

EIGHT draws now. Eight tense edgey fighting draws. Caruana has deffinatly out-prepared Carlsen, but has nothing to show for it. Carlsen's batted back everything. Only four games left at classical (long) time control, then it goes to shorter time control tie-breaks. Rapid, then the very short blitz. Should the Classical World Championship be settled at shorter time controls, I hear you all cry? Well, my feelings, and I am not a minority, is that no, they should not. Shorter time controls make chess a very different beast and leaves more to chance. But what's the alternative? Draw odds to the reigning champion? Meaning that if it is a draw after the twelve games then the champion retains his crown? Possibly, that's how it used to be done, The Champion is after all undefeated. But draw odds with only twelve games is a tough ask of the challenger. Twelve games isn't actually a long match. Twenty games would be more like it (again, similar to how it used to be done), but could modern dumbed-down media handle a long twenty game match...?

[Pinwig]

Eight draws? They need to start thinking about using extra time.

[Shockprowl]

Well, I... that's what I was saying with the tie-break rapid and blitz things that I said....

[Shockprowl]

RAPID AND ESPECIALLY BLITZ ARE THE EXTRA TIME AND PENALTY SHOOTOUTS OF CHESS (as well as being a thing in their own right...).





To say nothing about.....




ARMAGEDDON CHESS.....

[Shockprowl]

NINE tense fighting draws now. Carlsen had the upper hand in the last one, but just when he was about to start his famous squeeze, Caruana cleverly found a way to neutralise his advantage.

[Stomski]

Nov 23, 2018 7:04:19 GMT Shockprowl said:

Carlsen had the upper hand in the last one, but just when he was about to start his famous squeeze

I thought chess was non-contact?

[Shockprowl]

No no. Chess is violence!

Violence, logic, and art.



TEN draws now. I thought yesterday was a rest day, but no! Just got caught up, and talk about 'fighting' draws, so tense. These guys are just so good.


ONLY TWO CLASSICAL GAMES LEFT!

[Pinwig]

Classical! Wake me up when we get to the electro-pop games.

[blueshift]

[Shockprowl]

ELEVEN DRAWS!!!!


Ten draws was a record for world championship matches, but now ELEVEN?!?!?!


AGAIN Caruana seemed to out-prepare Carlsen in the opening, but Carlse navigated the game well into a draw.


Only ONE game at classical time control left, and it's Caruana who has the white pieces! Carlsen has to defend as black to keep his crown!

[Pinwig]

What does twelve draws mean?

[Shockprowl]

Twelve draws would mean the match goes to a 'rapid' tiebreaker. Four games of reduced time games. 'Rapid' chess is usually something like 20 minutes each player, FOR ALL YOUR MOVES. 'Blitz' is EVEN SHORTER! Three to five minutes each FOR ALL YOUR MOVES! You see the difference of course. Shorter time controls makes chess an entirely different beast. There's a strong argument for the 'Classic' world championship to NOT be settled by shorter time controls. But the alternative, draw odds to the existing champion, doesn't seem fair in an 'only' twelve game match.