Shelby Lyman on Chess: Reprieve or Breakthrough
Sunday, November 23, 2014
(Published in print: Sunday, November 23, 2014)
As I write this column, game three of the current 12-game world championship match in Sochi, Russia, has come to a close.
Before play began, it looked grim for the challenger Viswanathan Anand who had drawn the first and lost the second game against title-holder Magnus Carlsen.
The defeat in game two, poorly played by Anand, reminded us of the overall drubbing he received a year ago when Carlsen, who was then the challenger, was able to celebrate a crushing 61/2-31/2 victory in his quest for the title.
Carlsen likes to compare himself to the tennis player Rafael Nadal: “We’re relentless, gradually overpowering our opponent and never giving up.”
So it seemed in game two of the current match, but game three was a different matter.
Carlsen floundered in the opening after which the Indian grandmaster with unerring skill pressed home the advantage,
Was the result a fluke or an indication of more of the same to come?
Half Anand’s age at 23, with an international rating which indicates a large over-the-board advantage, the young Norwegian may, nevertheless, have cause to worry.
His play since winning the world title, a year ago, has been unexpectedly below par.
We shall get a clue in the games to follow in Sochi, as Anand continues his struggle against a protagonist who deservedly is the favorite.
Source: http://www.vnews.com
Too good.