Trying to assess the position and to calculate it - 15th move - gives me a headache. To me it looks very complexy and sharp, full of aggressive potential for both players who still stalk each other and sharpen their claws in the hidden. Personally I hate such positions, I always found them to be extremely dangerous and difficult top play. The first mistake - or even just weaker move - could easily be the last mistake deciding the game.

It seems they are determined to continue this championship's tradition to present sharp play to the audience.

Carlsen tries to exchange light figures. Anand will try to avoid that.


P.S.
the focus had been on the isolated black pawn on d5, and with Carlsen now opening the center, that remains to be the centre of gravity. Both sides have their rooks on e- and d-file, and both sides managed to maintain their pair of bishops. I still do not see a decisive plan for White, while Black plays flawless. It seems to me that the balance is shifting by a minor, little bit in favolur of Black, somehow his figures look to me as if they have more freedom, range and activity. Anand seems to add tiny bit to tiny bit, improving with babysteps. White to me just manages the position.

P.P.S.

And there was the exchange in the centre, the black isolated pawn is no more. Black now has pawns on a- and c-file, and white on a- and b-file. Here could be Carlsen's plan: to take advantage of that pawn structure that in theory is slightly more advantageous for White.

---

Unfortunately, real life is now catching me, and I have to leave here. Will post the final outcome and diagram later this night. Enjoy the rest of the game!

So Carlsen again ran short on time, and passed the 40th move with less than 1 minute on the clock. But the match turned into a Queens-only endgame, and both sides's attempts to turn one of their pawns into an advantage, failed. In the end both players controlled the final positions of the match to a degree that the resulting draw was inevitable. Fair deal.

4. Carlsen - Anand 1/2 : 1/2
total 2 : 2

http://www11.pic-upload.de/12.11.14/32iglt2mulh.jpg

That finishes the first third of the championship, again an exciting game and good play by both players. After this opening of their duel, they face the remaining 8 games from a state of total equality in points. Anand is in much better shape than last year. The duel is of much more intensity and quality, I would say. It is two equals fighting it out so far. Anand benefits from his known pedantic preparation, something where Carlsen lacks maybe, which maybe is the reason why the clock does not love him. When Anand won game 3, he admitted at the press conference that he had prepared the game's moves until 24th move at least. Carlsen must have known the matches that were copied ion that game, too - I wonder whether he "forgot" them or had not cared for them during his theoretic studies, and for that reason had to waste so much time while Anand could play fast? In the end, time pressure was what broke Carlsen's neck in game 3.

Tomorrow they have a break again. Game 5 will be held on Friday, 12:00 UTC.

Today'S a break, and I take the opportunity to introduce some chess apps on Android OS.

I use a Samsung Galaxy 10.1, so all screenshots I took represent that huge display, not small telephone displays.

Skill and difficulty is no argument for the ordinary chess player anymore when choosing chess engines - almost all of the better contenders are of a competence by now that they will be able to pose a challenge to almost everybody. You need options indeed that do not optimise but tune down the engine's skill levels without letting it look like intentionally fumbling. ;)

The chess program I play most with on tablet, is SHREDDER. That is for three reasons. The important one is that Shredders offers a self-adapting skill mode. That is the more games you played, the more stabile the software's estimation of your skill level becomes, by your scoring. After each match it adapts its own skill level, and the more matches you have played, the closer to your skill level it becomes, and the smaller the later changes will be. Especially for the occasional players, this is a very convenient and useful feature, for it makes the computer opponent more accessible and guards against too much frustration. The second reason is that Shredder is one of the former top titles on PC, winning the world championship for chess engines several times. The code of the Android version bases on earlier versions of Shredder, still comes from one of the most skillful and knowing chess coders out there, so you deal with an engine that you can really set to play quality chess, if that is desired, both on tactical and strategical/positional level. The third reason is that Shredders includes several options for the visual appearance of the board and symbols, and amongst them is a set of pseudo-3D pieces that different to many other chess apps indeed is accessible and playable, I like to play with using that set. Just a recent update finally added the landscape (widescreen mode) to the Android version (ipad version had it for longer time already). The amount of secondary information displayed, as well as the huge bars on top and at the bottom, are a bit sub-optimal. Still, the app does what it should do, and it does that very well. It is payware, but imo absolutely worth its price. As an additional gimmick that allows some "chessing" when there is too little time for a whole game, it includes a library of I think one thousand chess problems.


Shredder Android
http://www11.pic-upload.de/13.11.14/eknq8iq7u5.jpg


And a closer look at the set with pseudo-3D pieces
http://www11.pic-upload.de/13.11.14/jg7ordcsdxe.jpg


The second chess-playing app I introduce, is FREEWARE (!), and it is great, also one of the best chess apps around. DROIDFISH CHESS offers some features for serious analysts that most other chess apps on Android are missing. It comes free with an earlier version of Stockfish, which in its latest version on PC currently is ranked on the SSDF list as the world's strongest chess engine is (means: it is one of the very best there are :) ). Visually, board and pieces are less fragile and detailed than Shredder, but it offers plenty of additional data at the bottom on the screen that other apps often lack. Also, the app allows export of played games, import of opening libraries in the much-used chessbase-format as well as polyglot and internal format standard, allows PGN import and export, the program also offers the usual range of edits and tunigns for visual appearance of board and pieces and what info additionally gets displayed, it allows blind chess by using either checker pieces or no pieces at all (!), you can add third party UCI engines (haven't tried that though) and even edit their parameters, as well as additional table bases. Considering that all this comes for zero cash, this app is not only a steal - it is a must-have.


Droidfish Chess
http://www11.pic-upload.de/13.11.14/jgsi5cpzmm8.jpg


And a third engine I introduce because it is a legend, was done by a legendary programmer, (Richard Lang), and should be included if only for the fact that it still features a very high standard for playstyle quality: CHESS GENIUS. There is not much to say about it, it comes with the usual standard options and the way they sorted the elements on the display reminds of the other two apps above. It is payware, but still costs only half of what Shredder costs. Genius is around since long, but still the program gets updated, which shows that the author really cares for it. It is offering skill adjustment by traditional, somewhat old-fashioned skill-levels, of which there are ten. I would not say it is a must have like Shredder and Droidfish, but still it plays a chess that has so much quality that one should give it serious consideration. I got it mainly because I know Lang-programs since so long time now, since the golden age of chess computers in the 80s. How I miss that time of promise and magic!


Chess Genius
http://www11.pic-upload.de/13.11.14/xevif9aw28ww.jpg


All three apps can be found in appstores, where you can also see more screenshots showing other board and pieces graphics and colours, and how the display is arranged on smaller and telephone displays.


Chess computing is not complete without Chessbase. The German company is global market leader for chess databases and promotion of chess-related software. Their Android app accessing their game database is a bit steep in pricing (for Android standards), and costs more than any chess engine for Android, but for me finally with their latest update became stable and reliable. This is no engine,k, but only a GUI for accessing their database of played tournament matches. You can search and filter the database, to find the match(es) or players that you want, the game then gets presented via the well-known Fritz-graphics which imo set the standard for chess software in beauty and detail, on PC their 3D sets are fully usable, indeed I use them frequently instead of a board, or additional to a board when doing analysis. I just like them nice graphics. :D Most games in their database from daily and ordinary tournament practice are without comments, but highlights, classical games and high profile-matches come with comments and options. Then it could look like this, for example ( I still think the interface needs more optimization, I do not need the list of available entries constantly displayed on the left).


Chessbase App
http://www11.pic-upload.de/13.11.14/yv9j5ivfg7zr.jpg


And that's it for today. In one of the coming days, I will lose some info on free chess options on the PC. Play on, and if the king has the wrong colour: mate him! :D LOL

New game on for tomorrow?

@VirtualViking:
Sure.

@Aktungbby:
Good choice!

http://www11.pic-upload.de/14.11.14/merwh1eh2p2j.jpg

Countdown is ticking for today's game number 5 in the FIDE championship for the chess world title. Anand has already shown that his unlucky start in the first two games did not effect him, and the media now say that Carlsen also is not easy to be impressed, which might come handy considering that he suffered losses of points in game 3 and 4.

In other words: with a 2:2 in total the championship again is wide open and starts again from the starting line today. And "today" means: in 1 hour! :03:

http://www11.pic-upload.de/14.11.14/ddxc1f7ky6p.jpg

And the battle is hot, and they call it Nimzo-Indian, a main player in Carlsen's repertoire with black pieces...

P.S.
15 moves, and still opening theory.

I'm running a parallel analysis with Android Shredder on my tablet. First time I do it like this, normally I would use my PC (more CPU power). Surprisingly, the Shredder on Android Samsung Galaxy 10.1 currently reaches the same analysis depths like Komodo and Houdini, currently digging 17-18 half-moves deep. Those tiny little tablets have gone a long way...

In all matches so far, the three engines they use on the website I linked to, behaved the same way. Stockfish is the most "nervous" evaluator, spiking higher and falling deeper than the other two. Houdini is the calmest of the three, and not easy to be impressed, often having its graph moving slightly around the neutral 0-line. Komodo dances between the two other engines evaluation: not as active as Stockfish's and not as inactive as Houdini's evaluation graph.

P.P.S.
move 16, they have left theory, according to my database, but I am using a small and old one currently. White tries to push his isolated pawn on d5, but an enforced exchange of figures could be ahead.

P.P.P.S
Black accepts to exchange his advanced but isolated d-pawn. Now their bihsiops are facing each other on open diagonal line b7-g2 and maybe get exchanged next. Then we would almost be in an early endgame already. Moves so far: 18.

I wonder whether Carlsen with Black would accept this position to only score a draw in the end, because he is famous for wringing a position endlessly until he squeezes out some tiny advantage, and he does that when other players often would have given up and agreed a tie already.

The variation trees become wider in this open position, and the difference in calculation power between the tablet and the PC start to show: the online engines have started to left my tablet Shredder behind, and after 30 seconds already are 4-5 halfmoves ahead already. Shredder does niot reach teir top ply scores anymore, even when calulating for minutes.

Still - try yourself to beat a chess engine that nevertheless still goes 16 moves deep after some seconds! :D

Stockfish calculates 3-4 half-moves deeper than his two collegues currently. That indicates that Houdini and Komodo use more extensive "knowledge" algorithms to assess positions, which might explain their more modest position evaluations.

White fires along both centre files, and the board's centre is almost empty.

P.S.

Move 20. I cannot spot any enforced, decisive attack options for either side here. Which of course must not mean anything. :) Carlsen has deflected the often claimed tiny advantage of White from opening with the first move for sure. I think I read last year somewhere that that often claimed opening advantage for the white player maybe is a myth anyway. The argument was that it might be easier for White to enforce a draw against Black's will because White is one move ahead - but not necessarily to enforce a win. Empirically, the differences in points scored by White and Black are anything but dominant. A lot depends on knowing theory of openings. And in some enforced openings Black even is showing empirical superiority in game scores. Personally, I think since a long time that the claimed White advantage is not worth to be seriously thought about. And depending on it would border folly. In my youth days and days of tournamernt chess, I preferred to play Black, since defending and then counter-attacking suit my playing style and maybe even my character better. To seek the initiative was something that I had had to learn - and I never liked it.

P.P.S.

White has exchanged his Knight for Black's Bishop, which is a small disadvanatge for Black in this open position. A Bishop is of higher value in this situation, I would say, with all this openness and two wings to fight on. The Knight's shorter reach is a handicap here.

P.P.P.S

From the live comment after Black's 22nd move:
Is he starting to do his Anaconda-kind of thing? :D
For the first time ever in this championship, Carlsen has more time left than Anand. 53 minutes left for the Indian, 74 minutes for the Norwegian. Carlsen is one pawn ahead, but Anand commands the board. Defensive battle ahead for Carlsen - wearing out forces and reducing the material, to finally benefit from that pawn he leads by.

And they exchanged the Queens, leaving Black with a double pawn on the f-file and White's Rook penetrating deep to the 7th line, attacking a7 and f7, binding Black's forces.

Stockfish rates it 1 pawn ahead - for White. The others +0.3.

P.S.

A relatively fast exchange on the queen's wing leave sit almost empty of any material. It is a Rook- endgame, with one Rook per side, and 3 pawns. To me it looks like a draw now.

P.P.S.

And there it is - they agreed a draw in 39th move.

5. Anand - Carlsen 1/2 : 1/2
total 2.5 : 2.5

The game lasted longer than expected in its middle, Carlsen trying to avoid a draw, but Anand did not comply. I did not find this game overly exciting, it certainly was the least dramatic so far. Tomorrow Anand will play Black, and after a day of break with Black again becasue at halftime they "switch" the colour changing mode.

Worth to note: Carlsen after almost 40 moves had still 1 hour left.

http://www11.pic-upload.de/14.11.14/svpd29v5k9ic.jpg

I just made it back from town in time for game 6. Carlsen plays White, and it is Sicilian again.

Anand allowed the game to go into a rather unambitious, though stable variation for Black. In move 16 now it promises to become a slow, dragging, long match with little risks for either side, but a minor advantage for White however. As the live comment just said as well, that is a risky thing to do against a player like Carlsen who can find surprises in positions that other players already have checked off the list. 1:34 and 1:28 left for Carlsen and Anand - with 23 more moves to make until time control.

P.S.
Battle excluisvely rages on the kings' wing, with White attacking. But Black could open the somewhat strangled position of his. White has an isolated double pawn on the c-file now. That might be a strategic asset for Black if he manages to get out of the fight on the other side of the board.

P.P.S. Move 23, both players still lie in wait. White's position looks preferable to Black's, but Black has no obvious weaknesses and immediate threats to care for despite his now isolated h-pawn, and White still needs to demonstrate that he has a tangible plan. Engine evaluations range from +0.2 to +0.6

Both players just demonstrated that they are still only humans, after all :) : Carlsen played a very weak move that could have put him into a very clear disadvantage (engines dropped from +0.6 to -1.3), only to be met by Anand not seeing it and refusing to take advanatge form it by playing a blunder himself! And so engine evaluations now vary between +1.3 and +1.5 again.

P.S.
Ooops, and there go the computer evaluations up and through the ceiling in favour of White: +2.0 to + 2.8. Carlsen has two rooks - unopposed, two pawns and two open files on the kinside now, with only one black pawn on the h-file. I think Anand is in trouble.

P.P.S.

Anand tries counter offensive on the queenside. Exchanges ahead... I think Carlsen saw the better end for himself...

P.P.P.S

And Carlsen now has unopposed pawns on e-, f- and g-files. I would not like to play this with Anand's pieces now... The match is not yet over, but a preliminary decision seems to have taken place. Anand's counterplay on the queenside does not offer sufficient compensation, I think.

Carlsen is 3 pawns ahead currently, and has plenty of time left for the remaining 3 moves. Anand consumed much more time.

I do not think it will ,last much longer. It seems to dawn on Anand that his plan for compensation on the queenside collapsed. Maybe we already see famous last convulsions to avoid a bit longer to accept reality. He is done.

Fast moves by Carlsen. He knows he is through. Engines say +3.7, +4.7, +5.2.

P.S.

And there it happened, Anand resigned in move 38. A very clear victory for the Norwegian.

It is halftime at the chess world championship 2014 in Sotchi, and the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsean leads by 3.5 : 2.5, who played two victories, suffered one - his first ever against Anand! - defeat, and three draws. That is pleasant enough for the audience. However, Anand presents himself in much better shape than last year at Chennai, where he got sunk by Carlsen without comment or signs of seriously resisting (6.5 : 3.5) and wa sunable to defeat the Norwegian even just one single time.

Tomorrow will be a break, and on Sunday they start into the second half of the championship, again Carlsen with the white pieces, since at halftime they change playing sides, so to speak.

6. Carlsen - Anand 1 : 0
total 3.5 : 2.5

http://www11.pic-upload.de/15.11.14/lnosvufnrhz1.jpg

http://www11.pic-upload.de/17.11.14/my13d51mvxx.jpg

Yes, its that time of the week again when we play chess. I mean: them. Game 7 today. Carlsen again plays the white pieces.

P.S.

And they already were off for an early start today: 12:58 on my watch, and 6 moves already played. Ruy Lopez, the Spanish Opening, on the board, Berlin Defense. White initiative against good Black defensive.

P.P.S.

20 moves done already - Carlsen consumed 15 minutes, Anand 10 minutes. When will there be the novelty shown by Carlsen?

P.P.S.

Said novelty seems to have been - right the 20th move Kf2 by Carlsen. Now 5 moves later I fail to see what is so nice in that move. The position already is almost endgame-ish, and looks not really anything different than drawish. There seems to be initiave for Carlsen, but I currently do not see it getting him anywhere in a really enforced fashion. But that maybe is because I calculate it wrong!? :)

P.P.P.S.

I do not see more than a draw in this. Dramatic blunders and re-blunders like in game 6 not counted. :woot:

I cannot help it, but I get bored. This game is not really interesting or exciting, me thinks.