With some time between the end of the World Rapid & Blitz and the annual Wijk aan Zee tournament (starting January 17), we have some time to sit back, relax, and take a closer look at what we’ve already seen and catch up on what we might have missed.
Let’s start with the (rightly) controversial conclusion to the World Blitz Championship:
FIDE CEO (and GM) Emil Sutovsky on Carlsen-Nepo agreement:
Now for something from the World Blitz having nothing to do with Carlsen, the race for first, or FIDE politics. Here’s the interesting game between Vasyl Ivanchuk and Daniel Naroditsky, and its dramatically sad finale. Chuky has lost more important games than this, but you never know what might break a man. Sport/competition can be heartbreaking.
Let’s lighten things up. How’s your Bobby Fischer knowledge? As an American who learned the game not too many years after Fischer won the title, you’d expect me to get 10/10, and I did. (Plus the bonus question.)
Finally, the most important thing: Notre Dame beat Georgia. Next up: Penn State.
That was fun; I did about as well as Anish. The only game position that I didn't recognize at all was from the 1. b3 game. It was interesting to learn from Anish that the computer doesn't like the super famous moves Nxd7 in the Taimanov game and ... Nh5 in one of the Spassky ones, but that their status is nevertheless deserved because of the conceptual innovation, not the fine print.