Here's an example, my first post: <Caruana has been tactically sharp so far. I don't expect any slips or gifts from Caruana to benefit Kramnik [ie: Erroronian]. For Kramnik to win this game, he will have to press into an endgame, which I expect him to attempt.>

Here's your test, is the post sarcastic or serious? Good luck

Me too. I tried to convince C.G. Kramnik had mated Fabiano so we could switch games. Thought it was going to be one of them games where two of the favourites back off each other.

phone call:

Stupid wife had left set of keys at home and I was ordered out to deliver them. Had to leave, came back just as game was entering final phase.

I would have had a festival of posts. The board is covered in pitfalls, snares, tricks, traps and trapeze artists.

If this game is crucial in Kramnik not making the final then yes it will haunt him. But he has been around long enough you cannot dwell on these things mid-tournament.

He still played some great chess after making the supposed called 'Blunder of the Century' (that mate in one v a computer....Wonder if that one will be in the book?) If you can get over that then you can get over anything.

Not forgetting his last round decision to go all out for a win in the 2013 candidates. If Kramnik had drawn that game v Ivanchuk then Chess History would have changed. No Anand - Carlsen 2013 World Final.

Also quote from that thread.

"Kramnik will remember this position for the rest of his life. White can't win."

Ivanchuk vs Kramnik, 2013 (kibitz #197)

Chess players have a lot of positions and games we can never forget. It is usually the losses containing huge blunders that pop into your head just at that moment you are about to drop off to sleep.

The picture of him laying collapsed over the board is a brilliant piece of chess theatricals.

Compare that with that with Aronian who has just played the worst game of his life (slight exaggeration there boys). He is all smiles.

It was certainly not reflected in his play. Caruana made more severe inaccuracies and at one point appeared clueless how to proceed, simply pushing a slow h-pawn instead of accurately assessing the critical nature of the position.

Also instead of 43.b4, I prefer 43.Be2. If black is forced to reply 43...Rg3, 44. Bxh5 is very good. If black defends the pawn with Rh4 (which block its own progress to h1), the reply Bf3 would be also strong! White planed with 43.b4 force the line of Rb6+, followed by Ra6 and Bc6. But this line waste 2 moves, while the line I proposed is more effective. So in a very hard position, you cannot loose time.

-0.22 23. gxh3 f5 24. Bxe5+ dxe5 25. Rd7+ Kf6 26. Re1 e4 27. Rxb7 Re7 28. Rxe7 Kxe7 29. Rd1 Bh4 30. c5 Bxf2 31. Rd6 Bxc5 32. Re6+ Kd7 33. Re5 e3 34. Bc4 Bd4 35. Rxf5 Rb8 36. Kc1 Rxb2 37. Rf4 Bc3 38. Re4 Rb4 39. Be6+ Kd6 40. Rxe3 Bd4 41. Rb3 Rb5 42. Rxb5 cxb5 43. Bf5

-0.48 23. Bxe5+ Rxe5 24. Rxe5 dxe5 25. gxh3 e4 26. c3 Re8 27. Rd7 Re7 28. Rxe7 Bxe7 29. Bd1 Kf6 30. Kc2 Ke5 31. Kd2 f5 32. Ke2 Kf4 33. a3 Bd6 34. b4 Be5 35. Kd2 Kg5 36. c5 Kh4 37. Bb3 Kxh3

Be obscene, baby, and not heard

[Fritz 10]: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Nc3 Nxc3 7. dxc3 Qxe2+ 8. Bxe2 Nc6 9. Be3 Be7 [last book move] 10. 0-0-0 0-0 11. Rhe1 Bf6 12. Nd2 Re8 13. Bf3 Ne5 14. Bf4 Kf8 15. Bd5 c6 16. Bb3 Bf5 17. h3 g5 18. Bh2 Kg7 19. c4 [19. g4 Bg6 ⩲] g4 [=] 20. Ne4 Bxe4 21. Rxe4 Bg5+ 22. Kb1 gxh3 23. c5? [23. gxh3 f5 24. Ree1 =] f5 [-+] 24. Rb4 hxg2 25. Rxb7+ Kh8 26. cxd6 Nf3 27. Ba4 Nxh2 28. Bxc6 Rad8 29. d7 Re2 30. Bxg2 Rxf2 31. Bc6 Ng4 [31 ... Nf1 32. b3 Ne3 33. Rc1 -+] 32. Rxa7 [32. c4!? Ne3 33. Rg1 ∓] Ne3 [-+] 33. Rg1 h6 [33 ... Rxc2 would have gained the upper hand 34. Rc1 Rxc1+ 35. Kxc1 Nc4+ 36. Kd1 Ne5 -+] 34. Rc7 [ ∓] Kg7 [Instead of 34 ... Rxc2 35. Rxg5 Rxd7 36. Rc8+ Kh7 37. Bxd7 Rxc8 38. Rxf5 ±] 35. a4 Kf7 [Worse is 35 ... Nxc2 36. Rc8 Kf7 37. Rxg5 ⩲] 36. Bb5 Ke7 [36 ... Nd5!? 37. Rc8 Ke7 38. Re1+ Ne3 =] 37. a5 [=] Rf4 38. c3 Kd6 [38 ... Rg4 39. Rh1 Kd6 40. Rb7 ⩲] 39. Rb7 [39. Rc6+ Ke7 40. a6 Rxd7 41. Rc8 ±] Rg4 40. Re1 f4 41. a6 h5?? [41 ... f3 and Black could well hope to play on 42. a7 f2 43. Rxe3 Bxe3 ⩲] 42. a7 [+-] Ra8 43. b4 [43. c4!? +-] h4 [ ±] 44. c4 h3 45. c5+ Ke5 46. Rb8 [46. c6 h2 47. c7 =] Rxa7 [=] 47. Rg8 Bf6 48. d8=Q Bxd8 49. Rxg4 Bf6 50. Rg6 Rb7 51. Be2 Rxb4+ 52. Ka2 Nc2 53. Rc1 Nd4 [53 ... h2 54. Rh6 Nd4 55. Bd1 =] 54. Bd3 [54. Bg4!? Ra4+ 55. Kb2 ⩲] Ra4+ [=] 55. Kb1 [55. Kb2 Ke6 =] Nb3 [ ⩱] 56. Re1+ Kd5 57. Kc2 Nd4+ 58. Kb1? [58. Kc1!? Be5 59. Ra6 Nb3+ 60. Kc2 Rxa6 61. Bxa6 Nxc5 62. Be2 =] Nf3 [-+] 59. Rd1?? [59. Rxf6 Nxe1 60. Bf1 -+] Ra1+ 60. Kc2 Rxd1 61. Ba6 [61. Rxf6 there is nothing better h2 62. Rh6 -+] Rd2+ 62. Kc1 [62. Kb3 is one last hope Rb2+ 63. Ka3 -+] Bb2+ 63. Kb1 Kxc5 64. Bb7 Ne5 [64 ... Nd4 65. Rg5+ Kb4 -+] 65. Rf6 f3! [a beautiful forced end to the game] 66. Rf5 [66. Bxf3 Nxf3] f2 0-1

The first Black win in our Best Games of 2018 contest, and the second Petrov Defense. Many fans probably expected a quick draw after 5. Qe2 Qe7 leading to an early Queen trade on a quiet board, yet Kramnik pressed as White with opposite-side castling and better development. The tricky 23 ... f5 gave Black the edge, but White sacrificed a piece with 27. Ba4 Nxh2 28. Bxc6 and soon both sides had Pawns on the seventh rank with Queening ideas. 33 ... Rxc2 would have been a major improvement for Black, then 41 ... h5?? 42. a7 and White was better. The complications led to White being up the exchange but then had to deal with Black's Pawn threats which ultimately proved too much.

IIRC, this game, in which VK obtained a decisive advantage, only to blunder it away, was the beginning of his self-destruction.

By the way, here is the ""dull draw"" or ""equality"" (hahaha) that was 23.gxh3:
<SF d44: -1.99> 23. gxh5 f5 24. Ree1 Nf3 25. Rxe8 Rxe8 26. Bxd6 Nd2+ 27. Ka1 Ne4 28. Bb4 Rd8 29. Rxd8 Bxd8 30.c5 Nxf2 31.Be6 f4 32.Bc8 f3 33.Bxb7 Nd3 34.Bc3+ Bf6 35.Bxc6 f2 36.Bg2 Ne1 37.Bf1 Bxc3 38.bxc3 Kf6 39.Kb2 Nf3 40.Ka3 Ke7 41.Ka4 Kd8 42.Ka5 Kc7 43.Ka6 Kb8 44.c6 Nh2 45.Be2 f1=Q 46.c7+ Kxc7 47.Bxf1 Nxf1 48.Kxa7

click for larger view