FC Chess Tournament 4

[anvi]

Daniel King analyzes game 2 of the World Chess Championship between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlson.  Another draw after Carlson tries to beat Anand at his own game by playing one of Anand's own specialties with the Black pieces, the Caro-Kann.  Carlson offers an early Queen trade that leads pretty quickly to another draw.  Carlson has prepared himself well, but his strategic decisions so far have been a bit peculiar.  Match score 1-1 with ten games to go.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pisCM_7V_q0

[anvi]

Another draw in the World Chess Championship today, but a much more interesting game.  Anand sidesteps Carlson's preparation and plays very solidly, actually giving himself some winning chances as Black.  But Carlson has enough counterplay for a draw.  Anand has White tomorrow, with the match score tied 1.5-1.5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4mRcBHdlfw

[anvi]

Spectacular 64-move draw in the fourth game of the World Chess Championship this morning.  The last two fighting games show that we have a real war on our hands now. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PASrwF_U4WE

[anvi]

Carlson beats Anand in game 5 after the latter makes a fatal endgame blunder.  Carlson, the challenger, is up 3-2 with seven games left in the match.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbrpQKJXXZs&feature=youtu.be

[anvi]

Yep, Anand blows another theoretically drawn endgame and Carlson takes a 4-2 lead halfway through.  Anand's play has been quite disappointing and he has, as Kasparov predicted, shown "signs of decline."  Carlson's persistence, relative flawlessness and incredible capacity to complicate positions beyond his opponents' comprehension is really shining here.  I thought experience might take the day this time, but Carlson's skills are so stratospherically high, it seems not to matter.  With just six games remaining, it would take a miracle for Anand to retain his title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQbZ_UsmoE

[anvi]

It must be horrible for Anand right now; he was really the primary author of his own defeats in game 5 and 6, and has now fallen almost impossibly behind only halfway through a match in which he is defending his world championship in his own hometown.  Anand generally thrives in complex middlegames, but Carlson is better at complex endings, and Carlson has so far been good at avoiding the former and steering the games toward the latter.  He is starting to really assert his own chess principles in the match, which is a big deal in a match this long.

At the risk of writing a "swan song" for Anand before the match is over, it's hard to overestimate what an extraordinary player he has been.  He won the world junior championship at 18, before Carlson was born.  He became famous for blitzing out wins over top grandmasters in regular time control; in the 90's, he would regularly use 15 minutes for his first 40 moves when his opponents would take the full allotment of two hours for the same number, and still Anand would whip them handily.  I saw Anand play for his first world chess championship in 95 in New York; the one game of that match I went to, after the first record-breaking 8 straight draws, featured Anand blowing away Garry Kasparov against the latter's favorite Najdorf Sicilian in less than 40 moves.  He has won and defended his current world title in something like three different formats of match play.  There have only been 16 world chess champions in history, but Anand fares, in my view, fairly well in final comparison to champions outside of the top 5.  He is a very pleasant guy, with practically no arrogance in him at all, and has held the world championship with great dignity. 

Carlson is just 22, and, should he win the match, I hope he grows into the role of world champion well, he is still very "unripe" as a person, but his chess talents are, there is no question, just extraordinary.

[anvi]

Carlson draws in a breeze with the Berlin Defense.  Match score 4.5-2.5.  With five games remaining, Anand would have to win three in classical time control to retain his title, and two, both as Black, to even make it to the rapid round.  "Katie, bar the door."  Magnus Carlson will be our new world chess champion very soon, and will tie Garry Kasparov's record for youngest-ever champion at 22 years of age.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW-dtAbgvOU

[anvi]

Anand heads straight for draw-land in game 8 with yet another Berlin Defense, and Carlson, spending less than fifteen minutes on the whole game, happily obliges.  Anand will get the White pieces on Thursday, but needs to play more fire-breakthing openings and middlegames from here on out to have even the remotest chances of retaining his title.  Carlson leads 5-3.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGE9qcb0o10

[anvi]

Complete disaster befalls Anand in game 9. He builds up a formidable attack against Carlson's Nimzo-Indian, but when the attack stalls, Anand allows Carlson to queen a pawn and then the champion, under severe time pressure, blunders away the game for the third time in the match. Carlson leads 6-3, and needs only one draw in the last three games to become the new World Chess Champion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JotVgV-XeaQ
As a special treat, for those who like their analysis auf Deutsch: (Ich hätte gar keine Ahnung daß Daniel King auf Deutsch reden könnte!)
http://www.spiegel.de/video/schach-wm-2013-neunte-partie-carlsen-vs-anand-video-1310406.html

[anvi]

Anand and Carlson play an exciting 65-move marathon in the 10th game of the World Chess Championship. Middlegame inaccuracies from both players lead to a dynamic and difficult endgame. Both players queen pawns, after which Carlson decides to put an end to the complications and trade everything off. The resulting draw brings the final match score to 6.5-3.5, and Magnus Carlson is the new Chess Champion of the World.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w50O-kz1pCw

Final press conference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx74Q0I0aBc

[anvi]

For those interested, this is an excellent Carlson-Anand match summery by GM Daniel King.  Beyond the straightforward demonstration of Carlson's superior technique and calculation to Anand's, King shows how it was Carlson's inclination to dig in when positions became double-edged, met with his opponent's inclination to play it safe, that made him world champion.  Good psychological chess lessons in here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdyGMsk5JZs&feature=youtu.be

[anvi]

Some inaccuracies in the 3rd round game between Person and Bore make it a really fun one to watch--see especially my notes to Black's 21st and 26th moves for some most delicious variations!  But, missteps and pretty possible variations aside, I think the real "teaching moment" in this game has to do with the need to place one's Rooks on open files.  On move 14. White has a chance to place his Rook on an open e-file, but he allows Black to eventually control this file instead, to what ends up being a deadly effect.

A Person (W ) v. Senator Bore (B)
Pirc Defense

1.   e4      e5
2.  Nf3     d6
3.   d4     Nc6

Black leaves the book immediately.  Standard lines of this defense have Black either defending his e-pawn (Nbd7 or Bg4), counter-attacking against White's e4-pawn (Nf6) or simply taking White's pawn on d4.  This manner of defending the pawn, however, only spells trouble, as an immediate 4. d5 would allow White to further cramp an already cramped Black position.

4.   Bb5    Bd7
5.   Bg5

Not a good strategic decision.  The downside of playing the Pirc, 2...d6, is that it hems in Black's dark-squared Bishop behind his own pawns.  It's better to allow Black to simply suffer from the bad piece instead of allowing him to trade it off for White's comparatively good dark-squared Bishop.  White realizes this on the next move, but wasted a tempo prompting the development of the Black Bishop.

5.             Be7
6.   Be3    Nf6
7.   Nc3    exd4
8.  Nxd4   Nxd4
9.  Bxd4   Nxe4?

Black's positional instinct here is absolutely correct--when your position is cramped, forcing as many piece tradeoffs as possible helps to relieve the pressure.  But this particular choice is wrong.  Pretty much any other move on the board would be better.  White should now win a piece for a pawn with the simple 10. Bxd7+ Qxd7 11. Nxe4.

10. Nxe4?  Bxb5
11. Nc3?

Person could at least maintain material parity with 11. Bxg7 Rg8 12. Qd4 and now Black may not castle and White has a bind on the dark squares leading from h8 to a1.

11.             Bc6
12.  O-O     O-O
13.  Qg4     Bf6
14. Rad1?

One of the things that really hampers White in this game is not placing his Rooks on the e-file.  He is a pawn down, and must grab onto whatever strategic advantages he can.  Place your Rooks on open files, not on files obstructed by your opponent's pawns, like the d-file is.  This omission enables Black to eventually take control of the e-file instead, and at a critical moment in the game to boot.

14.              Bxd4
15.  Rxd4      b6
16.  Rd3       Bb7
17.  Rg3        g6
18.  Ne4??

In an attempt to drum up an attack against the Black King, White stumbles.  He is rewarded, however, by Black simply overlooking the fact that 18...f5 will win the zealous horse and prove decisive.

18.                Re8?
19.    f3         Bc8!

An extremely effective defensive maneuver and a good strategic idea.  Black breaks up the coordination of White's attacking pieces on the Kingside and also re-positions his Bishop on a good, open diagonal just as soon as White made the one it was just on worse by 19, f3. 

20  Qf4          Bb7?

And, just after making an excellent defensive move, Black gives White the advantage.  Now White could play 21. Nf6+ Kg7 22. Nxe8+ Qxe8 and White has regained a material advantage and even retains something of an attack.

21.   Ng5?      Bd5?

As pretty as this defense looks, it doesn't quite work.  Black is ahead in material and should easily be able to survive White's attacking lunges and reach an advantageous endgame from the present position after White's 21. Ng5.  White could now, utilizing in one line the tactical motifs of a temporary Queen sacrifice and a double-check, play the rather spectacular 22. c4 Be6 23. Qh4 h5 24. Qxh5!! gh 25. Nxe6++ Kh7 26. Nxd8 Raxd8 and, having won back the pawn he was in arrears, arrive an at equal endgame.  That is, of course, not an easy variation to spot, because who would even think of sacrificing a Queen for a pawn?  But sometimes, when certain soft spots in an opponent's position are underprotected and their King is not quite secure, such tactical shots become quite plausible, and you have to play the tape through all the way to the end in your calculations to see if they really work.  When they do work, they sure can be sights to see!

22.   Rd1       Bxa2?

Overambitious.  If Black plays 22...Qe7, the Bishop on d5 is immune from capture, for if 23. Rxd5?? 24. Qe1 mate!  Black still gets to exploit this tactic in what follows, but at a greater cost to him, as his cleric is now trapped for no good reason.

23.   b3           Qe7
24.   Rh3         h5
25.   g4?

This gives Black a more advantageous endgame.  I think first retreating the Knight to e4, stalling Black's coming Queen infiltration, followed by Nc3 winning the Bishop for a pawn, would give White slightly superior endgame chances to the ones he has on the board now.  The text move just allows Black to have immediately active Rooks.

25.                  Qe3+
26.   Kf1??

White forgets that his Queen has no defender and, even more importantly, his King is in great peril and he must trade now.  Best play is probably now 26. Qxe3 Rxe3 27. f4 (it would not be good to allow Black's Rooks sustained access to the heart of his position) Rxh3 28. Nxh3 hxg4 29. Nf2 f5 30. Ra1 Bxb3 31. cxb3 and now Black has seven pawns to White's three, with connected passers on the queenside or center, but White has an extra Knight.  Black is the only player with winning chances in this endgame--and in fact, with correct play, I believe Black will eventually win this endgame.  However, if White can somehow sacrifice his Knight for a couple of Black's pawns and reduce the game to Rook vs. Rook with pawns only on the kingside of the board, it could turn into a theoretical draw.  At least White would have chances to save this game, if he keeps his pieces active and Black does not handle the position correctly.  With the text move, however, the game is over.

26.                    Qxh4

I can't exactly give this move a question mark, since with it, Black will soon win.  But, lo and behold, if Black actually refuses the offer of a free Queen here, he has a forced mate in four!  This would make a great chess puzzle position!  Can you find the checkmate?  Stop reading here for a moment, look at the position on the board now, and give it a try...it's actually not very hard to see!  If you need a hint, remember what I said above about the importance of the e-file in this game.

If you found the moves, give yourself whatever is your equivalent of a pat on the back, a gold star or whatever, because the chances of declining a free Queen in order to nab the enemy King is a slightly rare occurrence in chess, but we have it here.  Immediately winning is 26...Qe2+ 27. Kg1 Qxd1+ 28. Kg2 Re2+ 29. Kg3 Qe1#.  I don't know about you, but as a longtime chess player, I find this mate downright beautiful.  But, no matter; with the text move, Black is up a whole Queen, so, as nice as the above looks, it's all basically moot as far as the result is concerned.         

27.   Ra1      Qxg5
28.   Rxa2

Now that the Rook has been tempted off the back rank by the wayward Black Bishop, a variation of the mating motif above still works. But Black doesn't quite spot it.

28.                 Qc1+
29.   Kf2        Qd2+
30.   Kg3       hxg4?

The quickest finish here was either 30...Qe1+ 31. Qf4 Qe5# or 30...Qe1+ 31. Kg2 Re2#.  But Black soon gets there anyway.

31.   Kxg4        f5+
32.   Kg3         Rg2
33.   Rh4        Qg5+
34.   Rg4         f4+
35.   Kh3        Qg5+
36.   Rh4       Qxf3#
0-1

Again, an entertaining game, where the importance of the open file took center stage.'

I will have the current standings and pairings for our fourth round up soon.

[anvi]

Standings

                                  R1   R2    R3     R4     R5     Total
1. anvi                         1     1       1                         3
2. Oakvale                    1     0       0                         1
3. Minion of Midas         1     1       0                         2
4. Senator Bore             0     1       1                         2
5. A Person                   0     0       0                         0
6. homelycooking          0     0       1                         1

Things have tightened up considerably among several players.  Let's see what happens.

Round 4 Pairings

homelycooking (W) vs. Person (B)
anvi (W) vs. Senator Bore (B)
Minion of Midas (W) vs. Oakvale (B)

Once again, White players, please send challenges to the players of the Black pieces.  Set your games to the time control of 2 days per move.  Please post links to your games here once they've begun so others can follow them.

[anvi]

The 4th round game between Senator Bore and myself has started.

http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=20594243&rnd=30664

[anvi]

And here is the link for the game between homelycooking and Person.

http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=20594196&rnd=70454

[anvi]

Wow.  Well, the match score is now:

The Clock:  2
Oakvale:     0

http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=20593835&rnd=84304

There is some magic going on here.  It seems to work like this, for future reference: If Oakvale is Black, if you play either a Ruy Lopez or Scotch Opening formation against him in the first three or four moves, he forgets to play!    I mean, those are both intimidating openings for White, but I didn't know they were that scary. 

Anyway, sorry Oakvale, but you need to remember to move!

[anvi]

Ok, Oakvale has notified everyone that he is having wifi connection problems.  This could be interpreted as a defective clock in the present game.  So, Lewis, I will leave it up to you if you want to grant Oakvale an extension of the game.  You could simply start a new game and repeat the moves you've already played and go from there.  Your call.

[anvi]

The 4th round game between Senator Bore and myself has come to a close.  A gutsy fight, Senator--thanks for a good game!

A brief overview of the game follows with three useful lessons.  First, mind your pieces, folks!  Second, when entering endgames that include minor pieces where you have a material advantage, don't overcomplicate things--make them simple, but only simply if your position is winning, of course.  Finally, retain maximum piece activity in your endgames--this last lesson is one Bore demonstrates for us toward the end.   Below, I'll also try to explain a little bit of my thinking process and chess personality.

anvi (W) vs. Senator Bore (B)
Queen's Gambit Accepted

1.   d4          d5
2.   c4        dxc4
3.   Nf3        Nf6
4.   g3          e6
5.   Bg2      Bb4+
6.   Bd2      Nc6
7.   Bxb4    Nxb4
8.   Qa4+     c6?

So far, Bore and I have been following a standard line of the QGA, which generally leads to a minimal advantage for White, but nothing substantial.  Bore suddenly forgets his Knight is undefended.  The simple 8...Nc6, blocking the check and saving the piece, was correct.

9.   Qxb4       b5
10. O-O         a6
11. e3          Ra7?

The best approach here would be to strive for activity with 11...Bb7 with a view to ...Nd7.  But, if not this, then better here is 11...Bd7 12. Ne5 Rc8.  While the defense of the c6 pawn is uncomfortable for Black, and he remains hemmed in and unable to castle because of the White Queen on b4, he is, at least for the moment, holding things together as best he can.

12. Ne5       Rc7?

Maybe 12...Nd5 at this point puts up more resistance. 

13. Nxc6

Here, I miss 13. Bxc6+ Bd7 14. Nxd7 Nxd7 15. Qd6 which continues the pressure on Black.  But for reasons I'll explain below, I prefer simplicity in won positions.

13.              Qd7
14. Ne5       Qe7
15. Qxe7+   Rxe7

My general approach to the game--once ahead by a decisive material advantage, trade all the pieces off--"trade down"--into a winning endgame.  The pressure I've gotten from the opening has accomplished its task. Part of the art of chess is to build up one advantage only to cash it in for an even bigger advantage.  Plus, this continuation also goes with my basically positional style.  Even though it's great fun to play sharp, tactical chess that highlights lots of flashy combinations, I'm not too good at that kind of approach, mostly because my calculation skills, as can be seen from above, are not what they should be in over-the-board play.  Given my own limitations and general personality, I tend to go for simple wins over complicated ones.  Complicated positions are by their very nature double-edged.  So, I figure, why take risks if they're not necessary, especially if you can win precisely by avoiding them?

16. Nc3       O-O
17. Rfd1     

17. a4 is better here, but for some reason I found the possibility of Black's ...b4 in response annoying, even though in the long run I'd probably win more material if Black pushed this pawn.

17.              Rd8?

A blunder that loses another exchange (Rook, worth 5 units of force for Knight, worth 3), but it's hard to recommend good moves for Black at this point--he is a whole piece down already.

18. Nc6       Ree8
19. Nxd8     Rxd8
20. Rac1     h6
21. a3         Ng4
22. e4         h5
23. d5         Bb7?

As it turns out, 23...e5, with a view to blockading the d-pawn and activating the Bishop here was "best," in an array of losing choices.  But I did not pay attention to this at the time.  I was thinking that maybe Black's best practical chances here were with 23...Ne5 with a view to transferring the Knight to d3 to pressure my Queenside and limit the activity of my Rook on the d-file.  I was expecting a maneuver like this when Black played 21...Ng4.  I'm not too worried about it, as I can, if need be, sacrifice an exchange back and still retain a winning material advantage.  But it seemed to me to be Black's best dynamic choice under the circumstances.  Now, I relent from trying to force the issue with the passed d-pawn, my original intention, because I notice that such an advance could incur some stiff resistance.  So instead, I make what struck me as the most pragmatic decision, and pry the d-file open with superior material, which should give me a win easily enough.  This way, if the above-mentioned Black Knight maneuver is carried out, it will only happen after my Rook has penetrated into Bore's position instead of getting blockaded on the d-file by the horse.  When this happens, Black will soon lose the whole house  The key to winning piece endgames with superior forces is to make them as simple as possible while--and this is crucially important--retaining maximum piece activity for yourself.  This is a general rule, of course, which means there are important exceptions, like some positions featuring opposite-colored Bishops or Rooks with pawns only one one side of the board.  When should general principles be applied and when shouldn't they?  It's one of the key questions in both chess and life.  Lucky for me, in the present position, it's easy to tell.

24. dxd6     Rxd1+
25. Rxd1     fxe6
26. Rd7       Bc8?

Surrenders yet another piece, but 26...Bc6 27. Rd6 will pick up one or two more pawns anyway.

27. Rd8+      Kf7
28. Rxc8      Ne5

And now we have the aforementioned Knight maneuver.  But, without any other pieces on the board and with so many of my own pieces, King included, in proximity to the d1 square, it's no longer a worry.

29.  Bf1         g6
30. Rc7+       Kf6
31. Ra7        Nf3+

Even in this lost position, there is something valuable to be learned from the Senator's play beyond his general attitude of always hanging in there.  In an endgame, whatever you have left on the board should, if at all possible, be active.  If nothing else, this Knight check forces me to retreat my King to the corner, which I'd otherwise prefer not to do, because if 32. Kg2 then 32...Ne1+ 33. Kh3 g5, and my King is totally sidelined, at least for a while.  So, cheers to Bore--he is a gutsy chess player who gives himself every chance he can!  We've seen these two traits from earlier games too, and they help him earn points sometimes--which they should. 

32. Kh1         Nd2
33. Be2         Ke5
34. Rxa6      Nxe4
35. Nxe4      Kxe4
36. Rxe6+     Kf5
37. Rb6         Ke4
38. Rxg6    Black Resigns

1-0

[anvi]

http://en.lichess.org/analyse/kz5xyb9q I can't believe I won this lol.  Also hi chess peoples.

Pretty complicated game!  Would take me a while to annotate it. 

[anvi]

It's not an FC game, so unfortunately I don't feel obligated.  But the capsule version would be that there were some exciting tactics from both sides, and a number of errors on both sides, and of the errors, Black made the last ones. 

[anvi]

I had to delete an earlier post about the possibility of the Japanese-born American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura being a possible challenger for Magnus' Carlson's world chess championship in 2014.  It turns out the participants in the 2014 FIDE candidates tournament have already been decided on the basis of FIDE World Cup and Grand Prix tournament finishes this year, a few average ratings determinations for the past year and the fact that the loser in the previous world championship match automatically qualifies.  Nakamura did not really come close in the Grand Prix events, and the American player to advance the farthest in the World Cup was Gata Kamsky, who lost in the quarter finals.  So, Nakamura needs to be more consistent in year-round tournament play to have a shot at the title.  The participants in the Candidates Tournament, to be held in March, will be the following players.

Vishwanathan Anand (India)
Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)
Dmitry Andreikin (Russia)
Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)
Levon Aronian (Armenia)
Sergey Karjakin (Russia)
Peter Svidler (Russia)

I think probably Aronian is the most likely contender, followed by Anand (a rematch?) and Kramnik.  But Svidler is always an interesting wildcard. 

[anvi]

Svidler was, actually, a wildcard selection. Only the other seven people actually qualified for this.

Yeah, the FIDE organizers actually passed Nakamura and a number of other players over in choosing Svidler. The criteria that seem to have been applied to him were that, in the past year, he won his seventh Russian championship and finished third in the last candidates tournament. 

http://www.chess.com/news/svidler-is-fide-candidate-wildcard-3854

Swidler is a great player and should provide good competition at the Candidates in March.  But on the whole, I think Nakamura plays far better chess against the world's very top players than Swidler--for instance, Nakamura seems to really have the number of Kramnik in recent years, which very few players can lay claim to.  But Nakamura's performance in the annual FIDE Grand Prix events just seems to be be still too inconsistent.  He is a highly dynamic player (in chess terms) and so can be erratic at times, so he has to perhaps make his game a little tighter.  Most players who end up challenging for the world championship have to do that at a certain point--tighten up their styles a little, that is.

[anvi]

What does "dynamic" mean in chess terms?

There is a basic distinction in chess between two different kinds of advantages; dynamic and static.  A static advantage is a long-term, stable advantage that remains an imbalance for a long time, sometimes a whole game.  Having two Bishops against one, having a pawn majority one one side of the board, for instance, are both often static kinds of advantages.  They are both long-term and they're often not that complicated--they can often be translated into winning advantages with simply precise technique.  A dynamic advantage, by contrast, is one that's temporary, and usually requires complex tactics in order to take advantage of.  Developing your pieces more quickly, for instance, often enables you to gain "tempi," units of time in moves, that can give you attacking chances, but only if you act quickly--if you don't act quickly, the dynamic advantage can disappear.  Space is another kind of dynamic advantage--your pawns and pieces can command more territory on the board at the moment, but if you don't keep on it and continue to restrict your opponent, the opponent can catch up and your dynamic advantage can disappear.  So, a dynamic player is one who likes to create dynamic advantages, someone who likes to create short-term threats to their opponent's position, often relying on sharp, tactical combinations, to do so.  Dynamic players are attackers, they like to mix it up, create double-edged situations, and they're often the funnest kinds of players to watch.  Paul Morphy, Alekhine, Fischer, Kasparov were the greatest dynamic players ever--they're tacticians.  Players who like to create long-term, static advantages and slowly grind their opponents down are positional, strategic players; Nimzovich, Capablanca, Karpov and Magnus Carlson himself are of this latter type. 

Nakamura likes sharp tactical play, and he is brilliant at it.  But it's double-edged; if you play someone with good calculation skills, your dynamic advantages can disappear quickly and can backfire against you.  Lots of players, in coming up through the ranks, have to win lots of games in grandmaster competition, and so start off as dynamic players, but often have to become more cautious as they reach the upper strata of grandmasters, who don't frighten and don't fall for tricks so easily.  Nakamura might have to curb his tactical inclinations a little bit to become more consistent.  But not all players have to do this.  Fischer and Kasparov were so good at tactical play that they never had to change their styles, they just beat the hell out of everyone.  Nakamura, though brilliant, is no Kasparov, at least not yet, and I think if anyone has a chance at beating Carlson in the near future, they'll have to be even more coy than he is.   

[anvi]

That is funny.  It seems the first few errors of the computers can be attributed to the designers putting either insufficient or bad heuristics in the programs, or sometimes the program sticking to a game found in its database of openings instead of calculating moves.  It is always important to remember that the world's top computers have always been run by teams which have included programmers as well as top grandmasters.  In the course of Deep Blue's matches against Kasparov, for instance, American GM Joel Benjamin was on the Deep Blue team, helping to decide which opening the program would play against Kasparov and suggesting new heuristics for the program as the match proceeded.  This is a similar kind of help that top human GMs get, as most of them have teams of "seconds."  But computers certainly don't do it all on their lonesome.

In the second part, yes, it's quite common anti-computer strategy to pick long-term positional lines to play which involve plans that are beyond the software's calculation horizon instead of entering into tactical variations, where computers usually perform better. 

I think computer programs do play chess, and contrary to some popular anti-AI rhetoric, I think it can even be fairly said that the programs "know" they are playing chess.  But there are still certainly ways to defeat them.  One thing I can say in their favor is that using computers and playing against them has made the last one or two generations of human grandmasters much stronger players on average that previous generations.

[anvi]

Thanks for the entertaining game, guys!  I keep running analyses of these games going, so I have it ready. 

This fourth-round game between Midas and Oakvale, an important one in the tournament, was quite an interesting battle.  Some principles of the early masters and innovators of chess come up in quite relevant ways in the opening.  Playing the "right" lines of an opening requires that one understands the principles and aims behind the way that opening arranges the pieces and sets up the pawn structure.  There are actually book lines of openings that depart from the original aims the opening was intended to accomplish, and I'd say, more often than not, those are lines worth avoiding.  We get some illustration of this point in the present game.  It also brings out some fairly important endgame principles, as we will see.

Minion of Midas (W) vs Oakvale (B)
Three Knights Game, Steinitz Variation

1.   e4          e5
2. Nf3          Nc6
3. Nc3         g6
4.   d4          exd4
5. Nxd4       Bg7
6, Be3         Nf6
7. Nxc6

This is a book line of the Three Knights game, but one I would not be inclined to follow as White.  We've reached a position quite similar to one found in a standard line of the Dragon Sicilian, except here Black has exchanged his e-pawn and not his c-pawn for White's pawn on d4.  In this kind of position, it is generally bad strategy for White to exchange his d4 Knight for its counterpart on c6, because, after Black recaptures with his b-pawn, it is easier for him to support an expansion in the center with a later pawn push to d5.  This very move becomes a big factor in this game.  Better for White here to continue his development, perhaps with 7. Qd2 with the idea of playing ...Bh6 and trading off Black's dark-squared Bishop in a standard "anti-hypermodern" strategy.   After all, since this is the Steinitz variation of the Three Knights Game, it's perhaps most appropriate to stick to Steinitz' classical principles against Black's "hypermodern" development of the King's Bishop on g7.  Those principles would dictate that White build up his presence in the center, not trade it away and thereby make Black's King's Bishop more effective.

7.                   bxc6
8.   e5            Ng8
9.   Bd4

Better is to defend the pawn with its companion on the f-file.

9.                     Qe7
10. Qe2           Nh6
11. O-O-O

Intuitively, castling queenside here looks too dangerous for White to me, since he is placing his King very close to the half-open b-file, upon which Black Rooks can operate quite nicely, and at which Black's g7 Bishop and Queen also point.   But the short-term disadvantage is that it gives Black all the active play.  I would quite strongly consider 11. g4 here, as it would refuse access to the f5-square for the Black Knight.  Old Nimzovich rule: you beat Knights by using pawns to restrict the number of squares they can travel to.  Now, Black, a bit cramped up to this point in the game, gets the upper hand.

11.                     Nf5
12.  g3              Nxd4
13.  Rxd4         Bxe5?

But this is too hasty!  Black should first avoid the chance for White to pin anything along the e-file with 12...O-O and he will retain the advantage.

14.  Re4              f6
15.  Bh3?

White has played relatively well up to now, but the tactical complications finally get the better of him.  The pawn-push ...d5, normally the freeing move in such positions, as noted above, is here beginning to create too many threats, first to attack White's Rook on e4 and then Black's c3-Knight with a further advance.  In fact, White can no longer stop this move, having committed his Rook to e4, so the best he can do is beat Black to the tactical punch.  It does seem that now 15. Qc4 (threatening the unit on c6) Qe6 16. Qa4 (avoiding the fork on d5) d5 17. Bc4! (temporarily sacrificing the Bishop but saving the Rook, which is still performing a valuable pinning service) bxc4 18. f4 O-O 19. exf5 gives White good chances.  With the text move, unfortunately, White's game will be worse if Black can steer the position toward the endgame phase.

15.                       d5
16.  Bxc8
 
Lewis now makes the best choice under the circumstances.  Sacking the Rook for the Bishop does no good, and the passive 16. Rh4 allows Black to remain a pawn up and enjoy the more actively play with 16...Bxh3 17. Rxh3 Rb8.  The text move enables White to get some material back for the exchange as well as some counterplay.

16,                      dxe4
17.  Bxb7             Rb8
18.  Bxc6+           Kf7

Better endgame choice than 18...Kf8, as this move allows Black to connect his Rooks.

19,  Nxe4?

But here, Midas underestimates the power of Black's position, particularly to the pressure the Black Queen, Queen's Rook and King's Bishop are exerting on the dark squares against his monarch.  19. Qxe4 looks correct to me, connecting a few otherwise loose pieces, giving himself good control of the light squares and holding things together around his King.  Actually, Black's game after 19. Qxa4 seems to me only slightly better, and with best play, he could only hope to grind out an endgame win over a long haul.  After 19. Nxe4, the looseness of the White pieces--the undefended White cleric on c6 especially--can now be rapidly undermined through the mobility and coordination of the Black forces.

19.                       Bxb2+
20.  Kd2

20. Kd1 is a bit safer here.

20.                       Qb4+
21.  c3                  Rhd8+?

Not the best that Black can do, by a long shot.  21...Bxc3+ 22. Ke3 (if 22. Nxc3? then 22...Rhe8+ 23. Qd3--as 23. Ke3 would get the King drawn slowly into a mating net--and after 23...Qb2+ 24. Ke3 Qb6+ 25. Kf2 and the Queen is lost) Qb6+ 23. Kf3 Qxc6 24. Rc1 f5 25. Kg2 Qxe4+ 26. Qxe4 fxe4 27. Rxc3 Rb2+ and White, down a Rook and two pawns, is busted.

22.  Kc2?

White stubbornly persists in pretending that his King is not in that much danger in the open air on the Queenside, but he could now be proven wrong rather mercilessly, as, with best moves from Black, he would have to sacrifice yet more material just to let his King breathe a little longer.  He really needs to march the King behind his Queen and give him shelter that way.

22.                       Bxc3
23.  Ng5+             fxg5
24.  Qf3+              Kg7?

Midas is a lucky man.  24...Bf6 and White is just lost.  Black is still left with a winning endgame here, but it's much more dignified for White.

25.  Qxc3+             Qxc3
26.  Kxc3                Rd6
27.  Ba4                 Rbd8

27...Rf6 is more accurate.  This and his next move unnecessarily block Black's immediate access to the f-file.

28.  Re1                  Kf6?
29.  Kc4?

But here, Midas also blocks his own optimal play with his King.  The Bishop, as noted, is best placed on b3, from which it defends the a2 pawn and should have a clear shot at the diagonal in front of it.  If White wants to move his King up the board, b4 is a better square for him after the Bishop is placed on b3.  If optimal piece placement is important in the opening and the middlegame, it's absolutely crucial in the endgame, and since in endgames the King is an offensive piece and not just something to be guarded, one must choose the squares that it occupies quite carefully.  Now White can once again hit at f2.

29.                            Rd2
30.  a3?

30. Bb3 is still better.  The text should have lost the Bishop outright to 30...R2d4+ 31. Kb3 Rb8+ 32. Ka2 Rxb4. 

30.                           Rxf2?
31.  h4?                    gxh4
32.  gxh4                  Rf4+
33.  Kb5                    Rd5+
34.  Kc6                    Ra5?

34...Re5 works better, as it either forces White to trade off his Rook or lose the Bishop.

35.  Bb3                    Kg6?

It's not necessary to give White access to his position now.  If Black is afraid of the check on e6, he is afraid of ghosts.  If simply 35...Rxa3 36 Re6+, then 36...Kf5 37. Re3 Re4 38. Rc3 Kf4 and Black will have passed pawns on both sides of the board, or if after 36...Kf5 above, 37. Bd5 then again 37...Ra6+ 38. Kd7 Rxe6 39. Bxe6+ Ke5 and, now that his last remaining Rook has been traded off, White's is lost.

36.  Re7+                  Kh6
37.  Rg8                    Rxh4
38.  Rxh7+                Kg5
39.  Rxc7                  Rxa3
40.  Rg7                     a5
41.  Bf7?                   Rh6?

Though things have been more or less purely academic for a while now, White's venture of gong after the g6 pawn should not have been undertaken, as now ...Kf6 can win another piece for the pawn.  White should have placed his remaining Rook behind the advancing a-pawn, or at least have gotten his Bishop to safety.  In what follows, Midas more or less helps Black's King to advance up the board, where it can actually help to promote the g-pawn.

42.  Kb5?                     Kf6
43.  Rg8                     Kxf7
44   Rc8                       g5
45.  Rc7+                    Kg6
46.  Rc6+                    Kh5
47.  Rc5                      Kh4
48.  Rc4+                    g4
49.  Rc1                     Rh5+
50.  Kc4                      g3
51.  Rg1                     Kg4
52.  Rc1                      g2
53.  Rd4+                   Kf3
54.  Rd1                     Rh1
55.  Rd3+                 Rxd3
56.  Kxd3                  h1-Q
White Resigns

0-1

Again, good fighting game fellas.  Thanks!