Standings after one round

1.Karjakin, Smeets

3.Radjabov, Carlsen, Aronian, Adams Stellwagen Wang Yue VanWely Dominguez Movesian Kamsky

13.Morozevich, Ivanchuk

Score evaluation method: Absolute value of rank deviation

Maximum score: 101 (91 + 10 bonus)

Corus Standings
1. Karjakin, Smeets, Movsesian 1½

4. Stellwagen, Carlsen, Aronian, Ivanchuk, Kamsky, Dominguez, Morozevich, Radjabov 1

12. van Wely, Adams, Wang 1/2

Prediction Standings after 2 rounds:

Score evaluation method: Absolute value of rank deviation Maximum score: 101

<[...] But the Lord was mightily displeased, for His creation kept bothering him with trivial matters so He couldn't concentrate on solving chess; and so it was that He called all the angels to a meeting to see if the problem couldn't be solved somehow.

All morning they sat there, talking and pondering, but none of them came up with a solution without too many defects. And the Lord grew ever more displeased.

At noon it came to pass that Gabriel the Archangel silenced all the others, and spake thusly: 'I see that the Great Genius, the most imaginative of us all, is not here with us; most probably he has yet again overslept, you all know what he is sometimes like. But we should forgive him that, for being a genius is hard work, and go wake him up and see if he can solve our Problem.'

And so the angels did, with renewed hope.

The Great Genius listened solemnly to the angels as they explained the Problem to him.

'The solution,' he said immediately after they had finished, 'is very simple.'

The angels cheered, for they liked simple solutions; the complicated ones always worried them.

'All that need be done,' the Genius continued, 'is for the Lord to make people's brains more effective, so they can take care of such trivial matters on their own.'

And when the Lord heard of this solution, He was quick to see its advantages, and so He set to work; and when He was finished, He bribed the Great Genius to go down and inform the people of the new situation; for truly it had to be said that people were still slow on the uptake and couldn't be expected to figure it out on their own.

And so the Genius went and spoke to all the people of the Earth. 'Do not bother the Lord your God with trivial matters like chess prediction contests any longer, for He like all bosses everywhere hates doing detailed and unimportant paperwork and has therefore given you brains so you're capable yourself.' And then he'd lower his voice to a whisper: 'Between you and me, the Lord is a touchy character, and will make you forget all the future contests for first offense. Just a healthy warning.'

1. Karjakin
1. Kamsky
1. Smeets
1. Radjabov
1. Movsesian 2
6. Stellwagen
6. Carlsen
6. Aronian
6. Dominguez 1½
10. Ivanchuk
10. van Wely
10. Adams
10. Morozevich
10. Wang

PREDICTION STANDINGS AFTER 3 ROUNDS:

Maximum score: 101

Seems <yourang> entertainment puzzle has been solved in a minute orso so here a chess puzzle for Corus:):

<How many moves does a top chess player, Garry Kasparov, think in advance?>

This has been a question people has been asking ever since chess was invented and many world champions have been evasive about it. But Garry Kasparov has finally revealed how many moves deep he thought! This may not be his record but an (high) average of how deep a champion can think.

Let’s try an example of the amount of moves a top player thinks from this Corus. The “shocker” 14. Bh6 in Carlsen - Radjabov Carlsen vs Radjabov, 2009

In order to make this move Carlsen has to think probably 13 moves in advanced and perhaps even more. He had to see 14.Bh6 Nxe5 15.Rd1 gxh6 16.Qxe5 Bf6 17.Qe2 Bxc3 18.Bxd5 Qe7 19.Qb5+ Qd7 20 Qb3, Thirteen moves is a high amount. With each move the player has to see all side variations which multiply exponentionaly. For a computer using brute force this will be into billions of possibilities. Do Carlsen or Kasparov in this puzzle usually thinks 13 moves in andvance? Or do they think less or more?

But guess what on one occasion in time Kasparov did gave an exact number of moves he calculated during games/a game in that period. And that's why this is so interesting!

<erebdraug> has mentioned a relevant point there: <Although in some positions, intuition can help to see 20 moves further (see the rook sacrifice in Kasparov-Topalov '99)> That Kasparov - Topalov game was certainly world famous and maybe a record deep thoughts of Kasparov, so not (necessary) relevant here. I don't know if Kasparov thought 20 moves deep there but at some point intuition is likely to take over. When that does, the moves doesn't count. I am talking about actual moves/plies,what Kasparov once claimed he thinks. I have the time and source of that interview.

So much for my plan to guess 6!

How about 9?

Although personally, I'm not sure it's meaningful to state some fixed number. It's probably lower in a highly complicated position and higher in an endgameish position.

Answer: <<3 to 5 moves>> in normal positions. <<12 to 14>> in positions involving forced moves.

<"Normally, I would calculate three to five moves," Kasparov said. "You don't need more.... But I can go much deeper if it is required. For example, in a position involving forced moves, it's possible to look ahead as many as 12 or 14 moves">

http://www.maa.org/mathland/mathlan...

At times, may be, <<15 moves ahead>>. Don't press on further coz, <it irritates Kasparov when people ask him how many moves he can see ahead, since the question implies that great chess talent can be reduced to a trick of memory or math. And even though computers fascinate Kasparov, he reserves his harshest criticism for those who fail to trust their human intuition. Chess is not merely calculation, he notes; it requires creativity, understanding of psychology, exhaustive preparation (Kasparov relished the thought that while he was studying, his rivals were asleep), and sheer competitive drive.

But even if you have those, could you visualize the game-winning position <15 moves ahead>, as Kasparov once did?>

http://www.portfolio.com/executives...

So the question should be <How many PLIES does a top chess player, Garry Kasparov, think in advance?>

What I see from all the Kasparov interviews given above is that Kasparov see a move for white and black as ONE move where I consider them as two moves/plies. So we have a misunderstanding here.

In the youtube interview he said he can think up to 10 moves, what would be 20 plies. In the links given by <Ragh> Kasparov said he can think up to 12 - 14 moves, what would indicate 28 PLIES. But these are all records, top players can think on rare occasions as Kasparov also indicates! What I want to know is what he claimed he can usually think!

The 15 moves (30 plies) Kasparov is also have claimed to thinking in from his famous Topalov game with the rook sacrifice what <erebdraug> mentioned. I found this link here at a chessgames kibitz on this game http://medlem.spray.se/tal0/replay/... and it said that when Kasparov made 24. Rxd4!! he said that he has thought till move 31 what would be 15 PLIES.

But when walking he saw the whole variation in his head up till move 37, 38 what would be 28 till 30 PLIES which corresponds with that claim that Kasparov has thought 30 PLIES/15 moves in advanced although NOT while making the move but while walking. I have that also that I see things clearer when I walk to the toilet! :)

So this is NOT relevant since Kasparov was talking that he can think up to 14 moves or 28 PLIES at some positions, what is true but NOT happening very frequently!

How many PLIES did Kasparov once claimed he thinks during a chessgame in general. So not his record.

He made this claim before the Topalov game of 1999.