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Black to move

1) =0.00 (29 ply) <32...Ba8 33.gxf6 Qb7 34.Kf1 Qg2+ 35.Ke2 Qf3+ 36.Kf1> Bxf6 37.Rec1 Rf8 38.Qxa6 Bb7 39.Qe2 Qg2+ 40.Ke1 d5 41.Qf1 Qf3 42.Qe2 Qg2

That's the first time I've thought Maurice was getting carried away to the extent of being inaccurate, and it's kind of disappointing. All that bluster when what he said was wrong.

Ok, sure it's a Black win anyway, but Maurice would have seen f3 and Bg1, and seems to have ignored it in the interests of a good shout.

Hmm>

No, it was clearly won by Liren and his play was brilliant. Watching the replay as if live I have not seen quite such a brilliant finish at that level in blitz...Morice is enthusiastic and gets "very excite" but given that Carlsen and Diren thought it was mate or hopeless I think his excitement was justified.

Others would agree in point of fact, in fact I didn't notice there was any defence at the time. I can add that Carlsen also didn't analyse that either and nor did Liren. The position just looks so hopeless.

Morice is manning the computer and I am not sure how accurate it is. Any computer results have to be taken as dubious. But there it probably showed a large number indicating a mate whatever happened. A brief analysis by the team, not for 'technical players', but those not so good at chess or beginners etc, in many positions is good. Overall as they are less 'technical' than Peter Svidler it is better for me.

But there certainly are plenty of people on here who follow every game, all the nuances and so on. I am a bit more like someone who is new to chess!

So I like to see the players etc. After the game the analysis seems all a bit depressing to me, although I was puzzling over Carlsen's opening against MVL.

It seems to me that 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5....

well even here there are some interesting moves i.e. 3....Nd4! which I think maybe the best and I have also tried 3....Na5, not so good but not as bad as it looks. I also almost beat (draw) an IM with just 3...a3 and I took with the d pawn. The game eventually became quite complex.

But the game as played continued 3...g6 which is also very good, 4 Bxc6 bxc6 (Carlsen used to mostly play dxc6) and now 5. d4 cxd4 6. Qxd4 f6

And here it really doesn't look to me very good for Carlsen. Now 7. Nc3 or possibly 7. Rd1 are good.

As MVL played very soon he should have played c5.

He doesn't really need to keep the Maroczy bind as Black is behind in development. White is slightly better.

I didn't actually analyze this part of the game just studied it a bit and tried moves etc taking into account the ideas. The rest of the game was undoubtedly good but there were so many games I haven't looked at it all.

I have to say that I prefer watching it live and seeing, as well as opening ideas and nice tactics, the psychology etc rather than being concerned too much about who is winning etc. But because Liren was more or less the 'underdog' I wanted him to win.

I watched it again, and it's simply not correct. Maurice says after 40.Ne7 "Winning the game, the game is over." (2:35:14), at no time does he say that there is no way of avoiding the mate on h1.

I still say Ashley got carried away and did a (small) disservice to the listeners.

3. ... Nd4 I thought that that was what my computer had come up with some time ago, but looking at it now, I see it recommends either 3....e6 or even 3. ... e5 but 3. ... g6 appears to be the most popular moves.

I suppose all these moves might be re-evaluated with Alpha-Zero. Not that it matters too much. It is almost a matter of taste.