Hello everyone and welcome to the live coverage of the 2018 World Chess Championship match between the reigning champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and the challenger Fabiano Caruana (USA). In this live blog + live games from WCC 2018 we will be covering the event Carlsen – Caruana with the latest news, developments, interviews, and in-game details.
The most important feature here will be the lines of analysis by Lc0 – the open Neural Network, and the TCEC champion Stockfish running on a Super Computer of 128 cores.
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Current move eval: Move 80: Lc0 0.00 , SF[128] 0.00
Update 22:31
A draw agreed. Caruana played a fantastic game, with computer precision. Carlsen has a lot to think about, not being able to take advantage with white for several games is not a good sign for him. Caruana on the other hand should be very happy with his performance, despite the missed opportunities.
Update 22:15
Another bullet dogged by Carlsen, at move 68 it was a mate. A computer one, but still a mate. 68. Bc4 Bh4 69. Bd5 Ne2 70. Bf3 Ng1 71. Bg4 Kg8 72. Kh6 Bg3 73. Kg6 Be5 74. Kh6 Bf4+ 75. Kg6 Bg5 76. h6 Kh8 77. h7 Bh4 78. Kh6 Be1 79. Kg6 Bc3 80. Kh6 Bd2+ 81. Kg6 Bg5 82. Bh5 Nh3 83. Bg4 Nf4+ 84. Kf7 Kxh7 85. Bd1 Kh6 86. Kf8 Nd5 87. Kg8 Ne7+ 88. Kh8 Nxf5 89. Kg8 Ne3 90. Kf7 Nxd1 91. Ke6 f5 92. Kd5 f4 93. Kc4 f3 94. Kb3 f2 95. Ka2 f1=Q 96. Ka1 Qe2 97. Kb1 Qb2#
Update 20:45
SF Dev -1.03 51. b4 Bxb4 52. Kf3 Na4 53. Ke3 Ba3 54. Bb3 Nc5 55. Bd1 Ke7 56. Kd4 Kd6 57. h5 Nd7 58. Be2 Bb2+ 59. Kd3 Bc1 60. g6 Ba3 61. Kc2 Ke7 62. Bb5 Nf6 63. Be2 Bb4 64. a4 Be1 65. Bc4 Nxh5 66. gxf7 Nf6
Lc0 -2.8 51. b4 Bxb4 52. Kf3 f6 53. Ke3 Bc5+ 54. Kf4 Ke7 55. Kg4 Bf2 56. Bb3 Nb5 57. a4 Nd4 58. Bd5 Be1 59. Be4 Nb3 60. Bc6 Nc5 61. Bb5 Nb7 62. Bc4 Nd6 63. Be6 Ne4 64. Bc4 Nc5 65. Bb5 Kf7 66. Kh5 Bd2 67. Kg4 Ne4 68. Bc6 Nd6 69. Bd5+ Ke7
Update 20:30
The real drama kicks in now! Carlsen sacrifices a piece, blasting Lc0 to -2.8. Deep analysis by SF128 is still at -0.18, showing a draw.
Lc0: 48. g4 Ba3 49. g5 Nc3 50. Bc4 Kf8 51. b4 Bxb4 52. Kf3 f6 53. Ke3 Ke7 54. g6 Bc5+ 55. Kd3 Nd1 56. Ke4 Nc3+ 57. Kd3 Nd1 58. Ke4 Ba3 59. h5 Bc1 60. Bb3 Nc3+ 61. Kd3 Nb5 62. a4 Nc7 63. Bc4 Kd6 64. Kd4 Kc6 65. Bd3 Kb6 66. a5+ Kxa5 67. Kc5 Bh6 68. Kc6 Na6 69. Bxa6 Kxa6 70. Kd7 Kb5 71. Ke7 Kc5 72. Ke6
Update 19:30
Just before the time control at move 39, the engines have their clear verdict. SF128 shows -0.5, indicating permanent advantage for black. Lc0 now goes above -1.00 showing that it is not only advantage, but an easier position to play in.
SF128: 39. .. Nxa2 40. Bxh5 Bb2 41. Ba7 Nc3 42. Bb6 Nb5 43. Nc2 Nd6 44. Ne3 Nc8 45. Bc7 Bxd4 46. Bf3 Ne7 47. g4 Bf6 48. Ng2 b5 49. h5 d4 50. Nf4 Kh7 51. Kg2 Bg5 52. Nd3 Nd5 53. Bb6 Ne3+ 54. Kf2 Bxf3 55. Kxf3 Nf1 56. b4 Be3 57. Ke4 Nh2 58. Bxd4 Bxd4 59. Kxd4 Nxg4 60. Nc5 Kh6 61. Nxa6 Kxh5 62. Nc7 Nh6 63. f6
Eval
Lc0: 39. .. Bb2 40. Ba7 Nxa2 41. Bxh5 Nc3 42. Bb6 Nb5 43. Nc2 Nd6 44. Kf3 Bd7 45. Bg4 Bxf5 46. Bxf5 Nxf5 47. Kf4 g6 48. h5 Bc1+ 49. Ke5 Nxg3 50. hxg6 fxg6 51. Ne1 Kf7 52. Kxd5 Ne2 53. Kd6 Bf4+ 54. Kd7 Nc1 55. d5 Nxb3 56. Nd3 Bg5 57. Ne5+ Kf6 58. Nc4 Nd2 59. Bd8+ Kf5 60. Nd6+ Kf4 61. Bxg5+ Kxg5 62. Nxb7 Nc4 63. Kc6 Kf4 64. d6 Nxd6 65. Nxd6 g5 66. Kd5 g4 67. Ne4 a5 68. Kd4 a4
Besides the risky retreat giving up space advantage, Carlsen’s 38. f5 seems to be inaccuracy handing the advantage to black.
Update 18:45
After 30. b3, the passive play of Carlsen starts to show minor advantages for black
SF128: -0.25 30. .. Na3 31. Rxc8 Rxc8 32. Rc1 Rxc1 33. Bxc1 Nb5 34. Nf4 Nc3 35. Bc2 Nxa2 36. Bb2 Bd2 37. Nxh5 Nb4 38. Ke2 Bh6 39. Bb1 f5 40. Ba3 Nc6 41. Kd3 Bf7 42. Nf4 Bxf4 43. gxf4 Be6 44. Kc3 Kf7 45. Bc2 Bd7 46. Bd6 a6 47. Bd3 Kf6 48. Bc2 Kg6 49. Bf8 Kh7 50. Bd6 Bc8 51. Bf8 Kh6 52. Bd3 Bd7 53. Bb1 Kh7 54. Bc2 Kg6 55. Bd3 Be6 56. Bc2 b5 57. Bd3 Bd7 58. h5+ Kf6 59. b4
Lc0: -0.6 30. .. Na3 31. Bg5 Re8 32. Rxc8 Rxc8 33. Be3 a5 34. Nf4 Nb5 35. Nxh5 Nc3 36. Bc2 Ba3 37. Nf4 Bb2 38. Re1 Nxa2 39. Bb1 Nb4 40. Re2 Bc3 41. Nxe6 fxe6 42. Kg2 b5 43. h5 Ra8 44. Bc1 Nc6 45. Rxe6 Nxd4 46. Rd6 Nxb3 47. Be3 a4 48. Rxd5 b4 49. g4 Kh8 50. Rd7 a3 51. Be4 Rb8 52. Ra7 Nd2 53. Bd5 b3 54. Rxa3 b2 55. Ba2
Update 18:00
Strange play by Carlsen. After retreating the bishop to c2, now the knight goes to g2. This gives all initiative to black
Update 17:03
Equal material and symmetric position, difficult time for commentators to find excitement in this. Carlsen seems in no hurry to score a full point, Caruana is also happy with the equality in the match so far.
Update 16:55
Carlsen goes for 15. d3, and Caruana quickly replies 15… d5. Both are still developing their pieces and stabilizing the position, after the early queen exchange. SF128 stays at around +0.2 evaluation, Lc0 also suggests ease of play for for sides with +0.15
Update 16:30
Probably not the best 14th move by Caruana, the evaluation of SF128 is +0.33, although the continuation is still drawish after 15. Kf2 a5 16. h4 d5 17. Nc2 a4 18. Bd3 Bd6 19. Re1 g6 20. Rb1 Kd8
Full SF128 line 15. Kf2 a5 16. h4 d5 17. Nc2 a4 18. Bd3 Bd6 19. Re1 g6 20. Rb1 Kd8 21. Ne2 Bd7 22. b3 Re8 23. Bh6 c5 24. dxc5 Nxc5 25. Nb4 axb3 26. axb3 Ra2 27. Be3 Nxd3+ 28. Nxd3 Kc7 29. Rb2 Rxb2 30. Nxb2 Nc8 31. Nd3 Ne7 32. Bf4 Bb5 33. Bxd6+ Kxd6 34. Ne5 Kxe5 35. Nd4+ Kf6 36. Nxb5 Rd8 37. g3 Nf5
Lc0 suggests 15. h4 h5 16. Nc4 Nxc4 17. Bxc4 d5 18. Bd3 Bd6 19. g3 Kf8 20. Kf2 g6 21. Nxe6+ Bxe6 22. Bf4 Ke7 23. Bxd6+ Kxd6 24. Ke3 a5 25. Kf4 b6 26. a3 c5 27. Rhe1 c4 28. Bc2 b5 29. Kg5 f6+ 30. Kf4 Rag8 31. Ke3 g5 32. Kf2 Rg7 33. Rh1 g4 with eval +0.16
Update 16:10
Carlsen plays the line by Lc0 and queens are exchanged. The speed at which they are playing suggests this is all preparation.
Update 16:05
6… Nc6 is novelty at top level chess for humans. An early one! Interesting line here is suggested by Lc0 7. Nd5 Nd4 8. Nxe7 Nxe2 9. Nd5 Nd4 10. Na3 Ne6 11. f3 N4c5 12. d4 Nd7
Full Lc0 line: 7. Nd5 Nd4 8. Nxe7 Nxe2 9. Nd5 Nd4 10. Na3 Ne6 11. f3 N4c5 12. d4 Nd7 13. c3 c6 14. Nf4 Nb6 15. Kf2 Nxf4 16. Bxf4 Be6 17. c4 g6 18. b3 Bg7 19. Nc2 Bf5 20. Ne3 Bxd4 21. Rd1 Bc5 22. g4 Be6 23. Bxd6 Nd7 24. Bxc5 Nxc5 25. Bd3 Nxd3+ 26. Rxd3 Rd8 27. Rxd8+ Kxd8 28. Ng2 h5 29. Nf4 Bd7 30. g5 Re8 31. h4 Bf5 32. Ne2 Kc7 33. Rd1 a5 34. Nc3
Update 16:03
Today we have Petroff on the board, the main weapon of Fabiano Caruana. They played the same opening this summer at the Sinquefield Cup, replay the game here. A long positional fight ahead
Update 15:30
So far with Carlsen on the white side we saw English, Four Knights, Kingside Fianchetto in game 2 and Queen’s Gambit Declined in game 4. Carlsen always downplays his opening preparation. The fact is he is extremely well prepared and will look today for an opening advantage early on.
Update 15:00
Welcome to the live coverage of the Carlsen – Caruana match. Five draws so far, but all is going to change soon. The day of the two consecutive white’s has come. As per the rules, whoever started the match with black will have two consecutive whites in games 5 and 6 and will finish the match with black too. Carlsen’s team certainly have prepared for this a sharper, more interesting and more surprising line. Is Caruana ready to counter the home preparation of Carlsen? So far the American has been extremely solid with the black pieces, one would say he is more comfortable than playing white.
More: Caruana – Carlsen game 1 / Carlsen – Caruana game 2 / Caruana – Carlsen game 3 / Carlsen – Caruana game 4 / Caruana – Carlsen game 5
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