Replay: Caruana – Carlsen game 1 / Carlsen – Caruana game 2 / Caruana – Carlsen game 3 / Carlsen – Caruana game 4 / Caruana – Carlsen game 5 / Carlsen – Caruana game 6 / Carlsen – Caruana game 7 / Caruana – Carlsen game 8 / Caruana – Carlsen game 9 / Caruana – Carlsen game 10
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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Update 19:07 CET
Thematic! The players agree to a draw, despite all the grind possibilities that black have
Update 18:41 CET
Lc0 -2.15: 29. .. Ba4 30. Rcc1 b5 31. Bd4 Bxd4 32. Qxd4 bxc4 33. Rxc4 Bb5 34. Rc3 Qb8 35. Bxb5 Qxb5 36. Rec1 Rc7 37. R1c2 Rb8 38. Qc4 Rcb7 39. Nd1 Qe8 40. Qd4 Qg6 41. a3 Kh7 42. Ka2 Nd3 43. Qe3 Qf7 44. Qd4 Nc5 45. Ne3 Nd3
Update 18:35 CET
However, closing the center with e4 is problematic. Now white has easier moves, according to Lc0. For example:
29. Nh3 g6 30. Ng5 Ba4 31. b3 Bd7 32. Bd4 Bxd4 33. Qxd4 Qb6 34. Qb2 Qb4 35. Rc3 Rb8 36. Rd2 Ra8 37. Rd1 Qb6 38. Rc2 Ra6 39. Rdd2 Qd8 40. Qc3 Qf6 41. Qxf6 Rxf6 42. Kb2 Rf8 43. Kc3 Rb6 44. Rc1 Rc8 45. Rdc2
Update 18:23 CET
No, 25… a5 is not a blunder. It is a statement by Magnus. He knows he is better and not by a little. Best move by Caruana here is Qa3, not looking nice for white’s pieces coordinaton
SF128 -0.85: 26. Qa3 b6 27. Nh3 Be8 28. Be2 g6 29. Kb1 Ba4 30. b3 Bd7 31. Qc1 Bf6 32. fxe5 Bxe5 33. Nf4 Kh7 34. Bf3 Qd8 35. Bd4 Qf6 36. Qe3 Rfe8 37. Bc3 Bxc3 38. Qxc3 Qxc3 39. Rxc3 Re7 40. Rdc1 Rce8 41. Kb2 Kg7 42. Kb1 Kf6 43. Kb2 Re3 44. Bg2 Rxc3 45. Rxc3 b5 46. cxb5 Bxb5 47. Bf3 Ne4 48. Bxe4 fxe4
Update 18:15 CET
f4 by Caruana and the position gets concrete, but also more difficult for the American. Magnus with significant advantage:
Lc0 -1.7: 25. .. exf4 26. Bxf4 b5 27. Bf1 a5 28. Qd2 b4 29. Nd3 b3 30. Nxc5 bxc2 31. Re1 Qxc5 32. Rxe7 Qg1 33. Qg2 Qd4 34. Qd2 Qg1 35. Qg2 Qxg2 36. Bxg2 Rxc4 37. Bxd6 f4 38. Be5 Rf7 39. Rxf7 Kxf7 40. gxf4 Bf5 41. b3 Rb4 42. d6 Ke8 43. Bd5 a4 44. a3 Rb6 45. b4 Kd7 46. Bc4 g6 47. Bd5 Rb8 48. Bc4 Kc6 49. Ba6 Rd8 50. Bc4 Be4 51. Ba6 Bf5 52. Bc4
SF128 -1.51: 25. .. exf4 26. gxf4 Bxh4 27. Qd2 Nxd3+ 28. Qxd3 b5 29. Bd4 Qf7 30. c5 dxc5 31. Be5 c4 32. Qd4 Bf6 33. Nh3 Bxe5 34. Qxe5 Rfe8 35. Ng5 Qf6 36. Qxf6 gxf6 37. Ne6 Kf7 38. Rc3 b4 39. Rh3 a5 40. Nd4 Re7 41. Nc6 Rd7 42. a3 b3 43. Rc3 h4 44. Nxa5 Rc5 45. Nxc4 Rcxd5 46. Rxd5 Rxd5 47. Ne3 Rd4 48. Rxb3 Rxf4 49. Rb7+ Ke6
Update 18:10 CET
After 24. Nf2, a rather passive move compared to 24. Ng5, Carlsen increases his advantage
Lc0 -0.77: 24. .. b6 25. Nh3 Nc5 26. f4 Rfe8 27. Qd2 Bf6 28. Ng5 a5 29. Kb1 Rb8 30. fxe5 dxe5 31. Rcc1 Qd6 32. Bc2 e4 33. Bf4 Be5 34. Qe3 Qf6 35. Bxe5 Qxe5 36. Nh3 Bf7 37. Nf4
SF128 -0.79: 24. .. Nc5 25. Bxc5 Qxc5 26. Qxc5 Rxc5 27. Kd2 Be8 28. Ke2 Bd7 29. Rh1 Ra5 30. a3 b5 31. Rhc1 Bd8 32. c5 dxc5 33. Rxc5 Bb6 34. Rc6 Bxc6 35. dxc6 e4 36. Bc2 b4 37. Bb3+ Kh7 38. axb4 Re5 39. fxe4 Bc7 40. Bc4 Rb8 41. Nd3 Rxe4+ 42. Kf3 Rg4 43. Nf4 Bxf4 44. gxf4 Rxb4
Update 17:39 CET
Caruana blinks, 21. Rh2 is the first move not present in the top lines of Lc0 and SF128. The position on the board will get sharp now:
Lc0 -0.7 : 21. .. Bg6 22. O-O-O Rac8 23. Rc2 f5 24. Ng5 Bxg5 25. hxg5 e4 26. Bf1 f4 27. Bxf4 Nc5 28. fxe4 Rce8 29. Qa3 h4 30. Rh2 Rxe4 31. Rxh4 a5 32. Qc3 a4 33. Qc2 Rfe8 34. Be3 Rxc4 35. Qxc4 b5 36. Qxc5 dxc5 37. d6 Qc6 38. d7 Rd8 39. Bh3 a3 40. bxa3 c4 41. Rf4 c3 42. Bd4 Qa6 43. Bxc3 Qxa3+ 44. Kd2 Qxa2+ 45. Ke1 Qb3 46. Rf3 b4 47. Rd6
SF128 -0.41 : 21. .. Bg6 22. O-O-O Rac8 23. Rc2 f5 24. Ng5 e4 25. Bf1 a5 26. Qe1 Bxg5 27. hxg5 exf3 28. Bf4 Rfe8 29. Qc3 Qc5 30. Qxf3 b5 31. Qg2 b4 32. Kb1 Ne5 33. Rcc1 Ng4 34. Re1 Re4 35. Bd3 Rxe1 36. Rxe1 Nf2 37. Bc2 Ne4 38. Bd3 a4 39. Be3 Qc7 40. Bxe4 fxe4 41. Rc1 Rf8 42. Qd2 Rf3 43. c5 dxc5
Update 17:30 CET
Lc0 already believes it is easier to play with black. The 128 cores Stockfish stays calm.
Lc0 -0.08: 19. .. Nd7 20. Qd2 Bxe4 21. fxe4 Nf6 22. Bd3 Ng4 23. O-O Nxe3 24. Qxe3 a5 25. Rac1
SF128 +0.4: 19. .. Nd7 20. Qd2 Nc5 21. Nf2 a5 22. b3 Bg6 23. Rc1 Qd7 24. Qd1 Bf6 25. Qd2 Bd8 26. Qd1 f5 27. Bxc5
Update 16:35 CET
16… Qc7 is a strange move by Carlsen. Instead of developing the bishop, he prefers another setup. The engines do not think it is the most optimal, but it is of course an ok move
Lc0 +0.41 : 17. Qa4+ Bd7 18. Qb3 Be7 19. g3 Bg4 20. Qa4+ Bd7 21. Qb3 Bg4 22. Ne4 O-O 23. f3 Bd7 24. Bb6 Qc8 25. O-O-O f5 26. Ng5 f4 27. Bd3 Bf5 28. g4 hxg4 29. fxg4 Bxd3
SF128 +0.31: : 17. g3 Be7 18. Be2 Nf8 19. Na4 Nd7 20. O-O Bg6 21. Nb6 Nxb6 22. Bxb6 Qd7 23. Rfe1 O-O 24. Bf1 Bd8 25. Rac1 a5 26. Qb3 a4 27. Qb4 f5 28. Bh3 Bxb6 29. Qxb6 Ra6 30. Qe3 e4 31. Kh2 Qe7 32. Qg5 Qxg5 33. hxg5 f4
Eval
Update 16:30 CET
Different approaches are possible in this position
Lc0: 15. .. a6 16. Nc3 Be7 17. Qxb7 O-O 18. O-O-O Nxh4 19. Qb6 Qd7 20. Qc6 Qd8 21. Qb6 Qd7 22. Qc6 Qd8 23. c5 Bg4 24. Qa4 Bxd1 25. Qxd1 g6 26. Bd3 Qc8 27. cxd6 Bf6 28. Qa4 Nxg2 29. d7 Qb7 30. Ne4 Be7 31. d6 Bd8 32. Bh6 Nf4 33. Rd1 Nxd3+ 34. Rxd3 h4 35. Bxf8
SF128: 15. .. Be7 16. Nxa7 O-O 17. a4 Bg4 18. Bb6 Qd7 19. f3 Bf5 20. g3 Bd8 21. Bxd8 Rfxd8 22. Nb5 e4 23. f4 e3 24. Nd4 Ne7 25. b3 Re8 26. O-O-O Bg4 27. Be2 Bxe2 28. Nxe2 Qg4 29. Rde1 Qg6 30. Rhg1 Nf5 31. Kb2 Qf6+ 32. Qc3 Qg6 33. Ka3 Rec8 34. Ka2
Update 16:25 CET
After one repetition:
Lc0 +0.6: 15. Bg5 Qb8 16. Be2 a6 17. Nc3 Qc7 18. g3 Be7 19. Be3 Nf8 20. Qb6 Qc8 21. Qb3 Nd7 22. Rc1 Bg6 23. Qd1 Nf6 24. Na4 Qf5 25. Nb6 Rd8 26. Qa4+ Kf8 27. Qd1 Kg8 28. b4 Ng4
SF128 +0.52: 15. Bg5 Qb8 16. g3 a6 17. Nc3 Be7 18. Be3 Nf8 19. Be2 Nd7 20. O-O Bg6 21. Na4 O-O 22. Nb6 Nxb6 23. Qxb6 f5 24. f4 Bd8 25. Qb3 Bf6 26. Kg2 Qd8 27. Rae1 e4 28. a4 a5 29. c5 Qc7 30. Rc1 Bf7 31. Rfd1 Rfc8 32. Rc2 Qd7 33. Rdc1
Update 16:17 CET
Fabiano has several choices, the most active one at this moment is Bg5. The move 12 …h5 by Magnus Carlsen is a novelty, so Caruana will take his time on this move.
Lc0 +0.6: 13. Bg5 Qb8 14. Be2 a6 15. Nc3 Qc7 16. g3 Be7 17. Rd1 Nf8 18. a4 b6 19. Qa3 Nd7 20. b4 Bxg5 21. hxg5 Ke7 22. Rh4 g6 23. a5 bxa5 24. bxa5
Update 16:15 CET
The players continue following Lc0’s line with 10. Qa4 Bd7 11. Qb4 but then Magnus goes Bf5 instead of Qb8
SF 128 +0.22: 12. Be3 Qd7 13. a4 f6 14. g4 a6 15. Ke2 h5 16. gxh5 Rd8
Lc0 +0.65: 12. h4 Be7 13. h5 Nf4 14. Be3 O-O 15. Qd2 a6 16. Nc3 g6 17. hxg6 fxg6 18. a4 Rc8 19. a5 Rf7 20. b3 Bf6 21. g3 Bg4 22. Rh2 Bg7 23. Ne4 h5 24. c5 dxc5 25. d6 Bf3 26. Ra4 Ne6 27. Bc4 Qd7 28. Qd3 Rc6 29. Bd5
If Qa4 with repetition then we have
Lc0 +0.6: 12. Qa4 Bd7 13. Qb4 Bf5 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. Qa4 Rc8 16. Qxa7 h6 17. Be3 Be7 18. Qa4 O-O 19. Qb3 Nh4 20. Rg1 Bg6
Update 16:03 CET
The open Sicilian is on the board for the third time during this match, with Sveshnikov variation once again. Magnus Carlsen is the first to deviate with Ne7
Lc0 +0.62: 10. Qa4 Bd7 11. Qb4 Qb8 12. h4 h5 13. Be2 a6 14. Nc3 Ne7 15. a4 a5 16. Qa3 Nf5 17. Bg5 f6 18. Bd2 Kf7 19. Bd3 g6 20. b4 Be7 21. bxa5 Rxa5 22. Nb5 Ra6 23. a5 b6 24. O-O
Update 15:00 CET
In less than 1 hour the last classical game between Caruana and Carlsen will begin. Caruana has the white pieces and this is his last chance to avoid tiebreaks. Will he take it? Eight years ago in Sofia, Veselin Topalov tried to take the last game from Vishy Anand and avoid tiebreaks. The result was disastrous as he lost the World Championship outright.
For sure today we will have another theoretical battle on the board. Caruana is expected to enter a sideline, but not the most bizarre one, rather a line that gives him small permanent advantage.
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