Friday coffee
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
The last Friday of the month (a positive)…but you will still have to survive next Monday, which is April Fools (a negative). Gives you the weekend to prepare…so be careful and don’t drink too much this weekend! And don’t TRUST anyone come Monday…
This poster caught my eye today…surprising how much wisdom can be crammed into such a small space! It is important to be able to make mistakes (to GROW as a person) and to NEVER stop learning.
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LONDON CANDIDATES GOES DOWN TO THE WIRE!
Just 3 rounds left to decide who will be the official challenger to Anand’s world title! Carlsen has a thin half-point lead over a very serious Kramnik. Aronian is a full point behind, having lost the last round to Svidler. ANYTHING is still possible and should provide a very exciting weekend for fans…
Half the tournament is below 50%!
These are the final round pairings. Today (Friday) Aronian plays Kramnik with White and no doubt today’s game will make or break one of these gentlemen as far as the tournament is concerned. Aronian must win, especially since he has Black in the next game.
The pressure is on Lev and everyone is LOOKING!
Another interesting game today is Carlsen with White against Ivanchuk. The Ukranian has been in awful time-trouble in almost every game and is just half a point out of the cellar. Yesterday he acknowledged that the tournament was over for him and that he would just use the final rounds ”to prepare for his upcoming tournament.”, a subtle comment that did not escape the attention of observers…Mark Crowther wrote–in typical understatement English style– ”I am not impressed with that attitude.”
Ivanchuk can play the spoiler in this event as he also plays Kramnik on the last day!
Kramnik has been playing what is agrueably the best chess of the tournament and has shown that he can win with either colour. But most important, he never seems to lose his head nor question or lose faith in his fundamental chess principles. A characteristic –not so surprisingly–that he shares with Carlsen.
Carlsen went into this event as the favourite on paper and has so far shown why. However, the Norwegian’s play has been shaky and while he has yet to lose a game, it seems as though that might change before the tournament is over. Nerves will decide, or Ivanchuk!
STAY TUNED!
