Hiccup

The top standings haven't changed, but the others are creeping up.



Yesterday Carlsen met his match and had to admit defeat.

Ivanchuk was not to be bamboozled in time trouble and had used his thinking time wisely around move 12. It took him 30 minutes to work out that 12.Nd2 was not a wise move. Maybe Carlsen would have been better off to leave the Nielsen game to one side.

Even though the move Bd3 rather than Be2 was the crux of this game, it might have come at a different place from that in the text.

12.cxd5 exd5 13.Nb5 Ne8 14.Bd3 would have offered better chances for White.

The second chance to do the right thing was in the text at move 13, where Carlsen again did not push the LSB far enough. Even I could see that at the time, and it made me uncomfortable then. Easy, when you can back your hunch up with the help of an engine, I know.