The Blitz Whisperer Maxim Dlugy What if the World Championship match is decided in blitz games? Two years ago, in New York, Magnus Carlsen rating system, I learnt that the differ- ence in ratings is just an indication of defended his title by winning the rapid the expected score between players in the long run, and in no way an indica- tiebreaker. Traditionalists will shudder at the tion of a foregone conclusion. In fact, Prof. Elo was annoyed when FIDE thought of blitz games deciding the world decided to use his system to include and exclude players from certain championship match in London. MAXIM DLUGY events, merely on the basis of these looks at the players’ chances if that scenario numbers – he never meant it to be used that way. becomes reality and has suggestions for how Notwithstanding this, we live in a Fabiano Caruana, despite a whopping rating practical world, and it does seem to us that if a player is 170 points lower, he gap of 172(!) points, might beat the odds. is the underdog, even if we shouldn’t expect the top dog to automatically score 7½ points in a 10-game match, as predicted by the rating system. This doesn’t bode well for Caruana, who it s the World Champion- that Magnus has the pleasant option of seems has shown serious weakness in ship between Magnus just coasting to the tiebreaker, as he did playing blitz against the top players Carlsen and Fabiano against Karjakin once he had equal- in the world. His recent 20½-6½ loss A Caruana is around the ized the score with two games to go? Is to Levon Aronian in the Chess.com corner, and the bookmakers’ odds are the champ such a clear favourite in the championship created a sensation, only slightly in favour of the World faster time-controls that his challenger while his struggling in the blitz part of Champion, there seems to be every will have to steer clear of the tiebreak the Grand Chess Tour has become the reason to wonder what would happen at all cost and put all his efforts into the norm, rather than the exception. if, after 12 classical games, we’d see a first 12 games? Does that mean that Magnus only tiebreaker with a faster time-control. On the face of it – Yes! At the time of needs to tie the match, split the four Whether there would be rapid games, writing, the difference between the two rapid games and finish Fabiano off as we saw in New York two years ago, players in the classical time-control in the two-game blitz playoff? I don’t when Magnus faced Sergey Karjakin, is 12 rating points, while the differ- think it will be that simple. First of all, or whether we would even go to blitz ence in the rapid ratings is 91 points, as any odds player knows, the positive games if the rapid games yield no and the gap in the blitz ratings even a expectation of results plays out very decision either. whopping 172 points! well over the long haul, but in a short While Magnus Carlsen also excels From my discussions with former match, anything can happen. Even if in rapid and blitz chess, Fabiano Caru- World Champion Anatoly Karpov, Fabiano’s expectation in a two-game ana’s strength clearly lies in the clas- who had the privilege of talking to blitz match is half a point out of 2, sical time-control. Does this mean Arpad Elo, the inventor of the current it’s very easy to beat the odds, either 88 A THE BLITZ WHISPERER by catching your opponent with an opening novelty and winning one game or simply by managing to draw both games, which would take the match to a totally unpredictable Armageddon shoot-out. The nervous tension in those two blitz games What if the World Championship would be as high as with a throw-in in the final seconds of a basketball game with the shooter’s team down match is decided in blitz games? one point. Here, too, the ability to control your nerves will be the main factor. To showcase what can happen when time runs short, I would like to direct the reader to the following incredible LENNART OOTES game, which may hopefully demon- Paris, 2017. A nod, a quick handshake, another blitz game. Clearly, Magnus Carlsen strate the kind of situation that could and Fabiano Caruana have no idea of the blunderfest ahead of them. arise in the final countdown. This blitz game, played last year between Fabiano and Magnus in the Paris leg of the Grand Chess Tour, demon- A dubious decision, extending the 16.♖d1 ♕c7 17.♘xd5 ♘xd5 strates how a lack of time can make scope of Black’s light-squared bishop 18.a3 c4 19.♘d4 ♖fd8 the best players in the world come up on the b1-h7 diagonal. with seemingly random moves. 11...♘d7 12.g4 ♗g6 13.♘c4 T_.t._M_ ♘b4 14.♘e3 ♘b6 15.♕e2 Fabiano Caruana jJd.lJjJ Magnus Carlsen T_.d.tM_ ._._J_L_ Paris blitz 2017 _._Si._. 1.♘f3 d5 2.g3 ♘f6 3.♗g2 ♗g4 jJ_.lJjJ .s._J_L_ ._Jn._I_ 4.0-0 e6 5.d3 ♗e7 6.h3 ♗h5 i._._._I 7.♘bd2 c5 8.e4 ♘c6 9.♖e1 dxe4 _.j.i._. 10.dxe4 0-0 11.e5?! .s._._I_ .iI_QiB_ _._.nN_I r.bR_.k. T_.d.tM_ IiI_QiB_ jJ_.lJjJ 20.♔h1 r.b.r.k. It was better to simplify the position ._S_Js._ with 20.♘f5 exf5 21.♗xd5, since _.j.i._L 15...♘6d5 White’s d4-knight has a smaller radius ._._._._ With more time on the clock, Magnus of action than its colleague on d5. _._._NiI would probably have preferred a 20...c3 21.b4 ♕b6 22.♘b3 ♖d7 gradual improvement of his already 23.f4 ♖ad8 24.♖f1 IiIn.iB_ comfortable position with 15...♕c7, r.bQr.k. with ideas of ...♘c6 and ...c4, when ._.t._M_ Black is already significantly better. jJ_TlJjJ .d._J_L_ ‘The nervous tension would be as high as _._Si._. .i._.iI_ with a throw-in in the final seconds of a iNj._._I basketball game with the shooter’s team ._I_Q_B_ down one point.’ r.b._R_K A 89 THE BLITZ WHISPERER Black has somehow lost momentum, ♕xc5 32.♗xh6 ♗xc2, with an unclear 28.♘a5 a6 29.♘b3 ♘b6 30.♗f4 because the pawn on c3, although position. It’s not clear how exactly White wants strong in itself, is blocking Black’s 26...♕c7 27.♘c4 to break through on the kingside, since pieces from entering White’s position. A strange move, since the knight Black’s control of the d-file and of some Time for some fun! doesn’t really have anywhere to go to. key squares is extremely annoying. 24...h6 25.f5 ♗h7 Again, 27.f6 would have been better. 30...♘c4 31.♗g3 ._.t._M_ ._.t._M_ ._.t._M_ jJ_TlJjL jJdTlJjL _.dTlJjL .d._J_.j ._._J_.j J_._J_.j _._SiI_. _._SiI_. _J_.iI_. .i._._I_ .iN_._I_ .iS_._I_ iNj._._I i.j._._I iNj._.bI ._I_Q_B_ ._I_Q_B_ ._I_Q_B_ r.b._R_K r.b._R_K r._._R_K 26.♘a5 The direct approach 26.f6 ♗f8 27.fxg7 27...b5 31...♗g5?! Entering the dragon with ♗xg7 28.♘c5 ♖c7 29.♕f2 looked Even stronger was 27...♖c8!, forcing 31...♘d2! was crushing. White cannot more promising, even though Black White to withdraw the knight or to allow Black a passed pawn on d2, could arrange for counterplay by sacri- sacrifice a pawn by jumping to d6. and must start giving away a serious ficing the rook for the annoying knight Objectively, Black’s advantage would amount of material. with 29...♖dc8 30.♕h4 ♖xc5 31.bxc5 be nearly decisive in that case. 32.♖f3 ♖d2 A GrAndmAster AmonG universities. If you’re interested in playing chess at an American university, we want to hear from you. The University of Texas at Dallas offers highly competitive scholarships to master-level players. For more information, please contact Program Director Jim Stallings at [email protected] at least one year in advance of your intended fall enrollment date. chess.utdallas.edu 90 A THE BLITZ WHISPERER Nice, but not at all necessary. 32...♘d2 42...♗g6?? was still winning. ._._._M_ Black’s logical-looking reply is also 33.♘xd2 cxd2 34.h4 _.d._JjL a losing blunder, turning a win into a J_._J_.j loss. Instead, Black should have given ._.t._M_ _J_.iIi. his king breathing room with a tempo _.d._JjL .i._._S_ as follows: 42...♗e4 43.♕b3 ♗xg2+ 44.♔xg2 ♕c6+ 45.♕f3 ♕xe6, with a J_._J_.j i._._RbK totally winning position. _J_.iIl. ._I_Q_B_ .iS_._Ii _._T_._. ._D_._M_ i._._Rb. 38...♖d4? _._._Rj. ._IjQ_B_ This logical-looking move, guarding J_._I_Lj r._._._K the knight on g4, is a losing mistake. _J_.i.j. Black could have kept the balance .i.t._S_ Now begins a series of the most incred- with the incisive 38...♕d7!! 39.g6 fxg6. i._._QbK ible mistakes recorded in a game Now the position is completely crazy, between two world top chess players.