Humbling: how the top players think

Chessvibes.com and Chessbase.com have given 'game of the round' plaudits to Vishy Anand's great victory over Veselin Topalov, and I too am in awe of that game, which Vishy played to near perfection. It will be one of his top games for any future collection.

My 'move of the day' (which could have gone to Vishy's 35 Be6!!) goes instead to Magnus Carlsen's 10…b5, with the prize 'most humiliating or humbling move' because both Naka and Magnus thought the move as being nothing special whereas to me, it is a move which I wouldn't have even thought of. In fact, I also liked Magnus's whole way of defending against the Vienna: a quick Na5, hitting and exchanging the bishop, and then the c6-b5-d5! sacrifice to control the centre. Noteworthy. (PS- I wonder if I am right in thinking that Magnus has a preference for the two bishops?- it is the impression that I have gained, watching his games).

I think I have played such positions countless times: Closed Sicilian's, for instance, where white has an easy advance on the kingside, which Black has to forestall, meanwhile expanding on the queenside and hoping for something. So, 10..a6 11 a4, then maybe b6, Bb7…and see how far White gets.

The fact that both players felt it was forced I find very insightful. When I saw the move live, I assumed that after 11 cb black would recapture, and then we would have a type of Sicilian: my thinking being 12 Bg5, exchange off the Nf6, and NvB, control of d5 struggle. But no, Magnus sacrificed instead, and, once he had played these moves, they were 'obvious'…which to me means they weren't obvious at all.

Having written this blog so far, I decided to see what Houdini comes up with. I gave it one British unit of time (time for me to make a cup of tea) and it rates the position as virtually level, its very slight first preference being 10…b6, following up with 11…Ba6 (to induce the weakening b3, or tieing the queen to d3); slight second choice 10..b5 11 cb d5; but also liking 10…h6, (prophylaxis against Bg5) 10…a6 and others. So, Houdini doesn't have the same feel for urgency as the Super GMs- I suspect the latter are right in their judgement.

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