Campfire Chess

Tag: Chessbase

  • Chess.com Is Lost

    Chess.com Is Lost

    I’ve been openly critical of major chess websites before. ChessBase and Chess.com regularly receive praise here on Campfire Chess when they do things that further the development and promotion of the game, but they also get flamed when I believe that its necessary. This week, Chess.com went far beyond the necessity for a simple commentary. They’ve crossed into territory that should be unsettling for anyone who values our game. In fact, it’s my opinion that Chess.com has become so lost and has moved so far away from actual chess that I’ve made the unfortunate decision to stop playing and contributing to it for the foreseeable future.

    Wasted Opportunities

    Over the years, I’ve watched as Chess.com focused its attention on hideous endeavors like POG Champs and promotions that were designed to drive Twitch views more than actually promote the game in way that focused on longevity. Short-term exploitation of the Queen’s Gambit boom has led to negligible increase in the game’s long term interest. Then, they spent extraordinary amounts of money to house the Botez sisters in a Big Brother-like mansion in the name of (somehow) promoting the game. Yet, we haven’t really heard anything about it since. Why? Most likely because it doesn’t appeal to the wider chess audience and it’s a ridiculous waste of funds generated by site memberships.

    And what did they learn from the fizzling of these activities? Absolutely nothing…

    Selling Their Souls for NFTs

    I have to admit that I was beyond furious when Chess.com announced its new NFT website, Treasure Chess. Now YOU TOO can mint your special 300 ELO Scholar’s Mate and charge $3000 on Chess.com for people to “own” it. No other technology available today infuriates me more than the peddling of cryptocurrency garbage like Non Fungible Tokens (NTFs). Or, as I prefer to call them, No F**king Thanks. This could be the first foul language moment in this blog’s history, but that’s okay. It’s time.

    NFTs are one of the greatest pyramid schemes to emerge (so far) in the 21st Century. It’s a technology that prays on people’s lack of understanding of blockchain and cryptologic technology to get them to buy art, music, and now…chess games. These sites promise ownership of the purchased item, but all you own is a digital receipt or hyperlink to a receipt identifying you as the owner. Nothing stops other users from screenshotting the art, downloading the music, or retrieving a chess game from a database and posting it in another place. In essence, you own nothing.

    On top of the fact that NFTs promise the future but deliver nothing, the power required to generate the crypto receipts for NFTs is enormous. It’s contributed to the insane price of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) these days and the increased energy consumption is detrimental to the health and wellbeing of our planet.

    Done for Now

    I realize that Chess.com is not an airport and there is no reason for my to announce my departure. However, I have been blogging about chess for 8 years now and a majority of the games, analysis, and stories have come from Chess.com. I’ve watched the site evolve from a competent and inviting community for people to grow, learn, and connect through chess…into a monstrosity. I have hope that one day Chess.com will find its away again, but until then, I simply cannot continue to support the site through a premium membership or paid verification. Until the insanity is reigned in at Chess.com, you’ll find all of my future content here on the blog and at lichess.org.

    Game on, campers!
    Ex

  • Campfire Digest – December 3, 2021

    Campfire Digest – December 3, 2021

    Good Morning, campers! Welcome to Campfire Chess Digest for Friday, December 3, 2021! As you read this, the 2021 World Chess Championship rages (if you can call it that) in Dubai between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi. There’s no clear leader at this point but Nepo certainly put Magnus on the ropes a few times going into Thursday’s rest day.

    Here’s some of the best chess action we’ve seen this week:

    Anish Giri Annotates WCC 2021 Game 5

    https://en.chessbase.com/post/world-championship-2021-g5-expert-annotations
    After the sleeper draw that was Game 5 of the World Chess Championship, GM Anish Giri published a very nice annotated game outlining some of the missed opportunities for both players.

    Hikaru Nakamura Departs the FIDE World Ranking List

    https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-new-fide-world-ranking-list-december-2021
    GM Hikaru Nakamura was nowhere to be found on the newly published FIDE World Ranking List because he has not been active in international tournament play for quite some time. He’s mostly traded those commitments for a life on Twitch these days.

    Chess.com Remains Undisputed Clickbait Article Champion

    https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-coms-holiday-gift-buying-guide
    Ten ways to mate your opponent in five moves… Ten streamers you wouldn’t want to play blitz with… and the list goes on and on. Maybe we could start making a list of Chess.com’s most click-baity articles. In any case, this year’s “Buying Guide” for the holidays is no better than the website’s recent forays into Bitcoin, PogChamps, and other nonsensical stuff.

    Levon Aronian Joins the US Chess Federation

    https://chess24.com/en/read/news/levon-aronian-completes-transfer-to-usa
    The United States continues to build an impressive roster of players with the recent addition of GM Levon Aronian. He joins the ranks of recent additions such as GMs Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana.

    The World Chess Championship 2021 continues today in Dubai live via Chess24’s YouTube channel. Chess.com has a stream with GMs Hess and Caruana, but I recommend the Chess24 stream as its less headache-inducing.

  • Analyzing My First OTB Win

    Analyzing My First OTB Win

    Longtime readers know that I have struggled to secure any hint of a victory when playing against players over-the-board (OTB). I have won (and lost) my share of online blitz and standard games on [Chess.com](http://www.chess.com) and [lichess](http://www.lichess.org), but capturing that first victory at a real tournament was elusive. This might not seem like much to a seasoned chess player, but not being able to obtain even a slight advantage in so many games was frustrating. See [here](http://www.campfirechess.com/mhcc-july-2016-round-1-the-stuff-of-nightmares/), [here](http://www.campfirechess.com/game-analysis-mhcc-2016-4-surber-vs-martinez-0-1/), and [here](http://www.campfirechess.com/analysis-mhcc-march-2016-game-3/). However, that frustration came to a close recently with my first OTB victory!

    [pgn]
    [Event “MHCC 2017”]
    [Site “San Antonio, TX”]
    [Date “2017.04.26”]
    [Round “4”]
    [White “OTB Opponent”]
    [Black “Surber, Wesley”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [ECO “B00”]
    [Annotator “Tactical Analysis 2.0 (30s)”]
    [PlyCount “46”]
    [EventDate “2017.??.??”]
    [Source “Campfire Chess”]
    [SourceDate “2014.10.11”]
    [SourceVersion “1”]
    [SourceVersionDate “2015.09.13”]
    [SourceQuality “1”]

    1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bd3 {B00: Queen’s Fianchetto Defence,
    Nimzowitsch Defence} (4. Nc3 Bg4 5. d5 Nb8 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Nbd7 8. g4 g6 9.
    Be3 Bg7 10. O-O-O c5 11. Qe2 b5 12. g5 Nh5 13. Nxb5 Rb8 {1-0 (34) Carlsen,M
    (2851)-Petrosian,T (2611) chess.com INT 2016}) 4… e5 {LiveBook: 17 Games} 5.
    Be3 (5. Bb5 $5 {looks sharper.} exd4 6. Nxd4 Bd7 7. Nc3 Be7 8. O-O) 5… d5
    $146 (5… exd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Bxd4 c5 8. Bxf6 Qxf6 9. Nc3 Be6 10. Bb5+ Bd7
    11. Bxd7+ Kxd7 {1-0 (20) Wachtel,A (908)-Breitkopf,R Heidesheim 2013}) 6. exd5
    {White is slightly better.} (6. Nxe5 $5 {creates asymmetry.} dxe4 7. Bb5 Bd7 8.
    Nc3 Bb4 9. Bxc6 Bxc6 10. O-O) 6… Nxd5 7. Nxe5 {-0.44/20} ({White should try}
    7. Qe2 $11 {0.17/15}) 7… Nxe5 8. dxe5 Nxe3 9. fxe3 Bc5 10. Qf3 O-O {0.54/18}
    (10… Qg5 $15 {-0.37/18}) 11. Nc3 {-0.06/18} ({White should play} 11. Qe4 $14
    {0.54/18} g6 12. Qf4) 11… c6 {1.11/18} (11… Qg5 $11 {-0.06/18 remains
    equal.}) 12. O-O-O {0.00/17} (12. Qe4 $16 {1.11/18} g6 13. Qf4) 12… g6 $2 {
    2.05/18 [#]} (12… Qg5 $11 {0.00/17 and Black stays safe.}) 13. h4 {0.63/18} (
    {Weaker is} 13. Bxg6 Qg5 14. Bh5 Qxe5 $14) ({Better is} 13. Ne4 $1 $18 {2.05/18
    }) 13… h5 $2 {2.60/18} (13… Qc7 $14 {0.63/18}) 14. Bxg6 $1 $18 Qe8 (14…
    fxg6 15. Rxd8) 15. Bxh5 Qxe5 16. Ne4 Bf5 17. Ng3 $2 {1.11/17} (17. Nxc5 $18 {
    3.07/19} Qxc5 18. e4) 17… Be6 18. Rde1 $2 {0.00/18} (18. e4 $18 {1.62/16})
    18… Bxa2 {1.22/18} (18… Ba3 $1 $11 {0.00/18 keeps the balance.} 19. bxa3
    Rad8) 19. Qg4+ $16 Kh8 20. Qf5 $2 {-#11/14 [#]} (20. Qg5 $16 {0.98/19} Qxg5 21.
    hxg5) 20… Bxe3+ {Black mates.} 21. Kd1 Rad8+ 22. Ke2 Qxg3 23. Rh3 Bc4+ 0-1

    [/pgn]

    Because it has been awhile since I posted anything of significant here on *Campfire Chess*, I thought it would be a good idea to share this game with my readers to help celebrate my victory. My opponent was very challenging, but errors were made that turned things in my favor.

  • US Chess Championships Begin Today!

    US Chess Championships Begin Today!

    Grab your laptop, tablet, and your favorite chess app, program, or board and get ready to follow the exciting showdown in Saint Louis: the 2017 US Chess Championships!


    Reigning Champions GM Fabiano Caruana and Nazi Paikidze-Barnes will be fighting to retain their titles against the best that the country has to offer on the board. All games are played at 1300 CDT (GMT -5) and will be broadcast on Chess24, ChessBomb, and ChessBase.

    Also, I recommend trying out the Watch Chess app available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. I wrote a review about it awhile back and it has been a great companion for watching chess when stuck in a meeting or in another place where its not practical to bring up a browser-based website.

    Tournament Breakdown

    • March 29 – April 2: Rounds 1-5 (1300 CDT)
    • April 3: Rest Day
    • April 4 – April 9: Rounds 6-11 (1300 CDT)
    • April 10 – Playoff (if necessary) (1300 CDT)
    • April 10 – Closing Ceremony (1830 CDT)

    Read more on the official website and follow all of the late breaking information on the US Chess Federation website.

  • Singapore GM Shadow-Banned from Asian Zonals

    I cannot lie and say that I was familiar with GM Zhang Zhong of Singapore and his wife, WIM Li Roufan, until the two of them became embroiled in a controversy with the Singapore Chess Federation. Apparently, both of them were excluded from playing in the Asian Zonals, which the Singapore Federation stated was due to the fact that they were simply not selected to play in the tournament. GM Zhang Zhong recently responded via ChessBase stating that Singapore’s actions amounted to a ban from the tournament and that the Federation itself was playing a semantics game.

    This betrays from the start a willful ignorance of the meaning of the word “ban.” According to all standard dictionaries, the definition of the word “ban” is to “prohibit, especially by legal means”. The organisers of the Zonals Championship published an open invitation to all federations. It stated that all players were welcome to join. The only requirement was that the respective chess federations were responsible for registration. – GM Zhang Zhong (via ChessBase)

    GM Zhang Zhong breaks down correspondence between himself and the Singapore Chess Federation in much the same way I would break it down. It is definitely worth the read if you get a chance to check it out. In essence, Singapore needed to register the two players for them to participate in the Asian Zonals, but did not. By refusing to register two of their best players, the Federation essentially banned them from playing in the tournament. 


    GM Zhang Zhong and WIM Li Roufan (credit: Singapore Chess Federation)

    The politics of chess are not much different from the everyday politics of government. There are shadowy agencies like Agon and FIDE that use incredible resources to undermine chess, and then there are amateuresque creeps like Singapore’s Chess Federation that prefer to put their personal agendas above the cause of furthering chess for its players and fans.

    Read the full report: ChessBase News

  • Product Review – ChessBase 14

    Product Review – ChessBase 14

    Even numbered years are tough on the wallet because two of the largest software products I use typically release their major updates during those times. Now that [Logos](http://www.logos.com) has taken my money for a major update, [ChessBase](http://www.chessbase.com) has officially released the next major version of its popular database software. I’ve been using it for a while now and have seen enough in this update to explore those new features here on the blog.

    #### Interface Updates
    Interface and aesthetics used to be a developer’s afterthought in software design but that has radically changed over time thanks to Apple and other major corporations finding new ways to create cultural trends by integrating technology into everyday life through elegant design. ChessBase 13 did very little to modify the user interface despite some advances in the Windows Aero system. ChessBase 14 makes up for that by almost completely revamping the user experience to reflect interface changes on par with the latest version of Microsoft Office. The toolbar and ribbon has been fully updated and now integrates better with the rest of the operating system than previous versions.

    Another excellent interface upgrade is the addition of highlighted variations on the main board window. For me, a major challenge of studying analyzed chess games has been the complexity of multiple variations, but ChessBase 14 fixes that with a cool new feature where the entirety of the current variation is highlighted in the notation pane! For me, this nifty little feature was worth the price of upgrade alone! Other minor refinements to the interface include deeper integration with ChessBase Account and some other upgrades that all serve to streamline the user experience.

    #### Functional Updates
    Of course no update would be worth the investment if it did not enhance the overall functional experience. ChessBase 14 still uses many of the same tools and resources as it’s predecessors but also adds some powerful analysis functions. The best of these, in my opinion, is the poorly named *tactical analysis*. This function brings the long-sought full game analysis of Fritz to the core ChessBase program. Users can now load a game in ChessBase 14 and perform a full analysis with the engine of their choosing without having to hop over to the Fritz, Houdini, Komodo, or similar GUI to complete the analysis. Online services like lichess.org and Chess.com, but I think that nothing beats letting Stockfish or a similar engine tear apart a game using local processing power and a predetermined amount of the user’s time. lichess.org can give me an analysis in a few seconds, but engines can go all night while I’m sleeping; allowing me to wake up to a full analysis of my most recent game.

    The upgrades to ChessBase 14’s interface and deeper integration with ChessBase Account adds solid, useful functions to the program that definitely makes it worth the investment. The ability to upload games to the user cloud introduced in ChessBase 13 is still present with easy access to the user’s ChessBase Account added to the interface ribbon. One login allows the user access to the whole of their account and cloud databases as well as the powerful ChessBase LiveBook analysis tree. The ChessBase user cloud offers around 200MB to store PGN databases online, but most people are going to prefer alternative services like [Dropbox](http://www.dropbox.com) or [OneDrive](http://www.onedrive.com) which offer much more storage space with effective interface options for Windows.

    The program also feels much more *snappy* and responsive than previous generations, which is pleasing given the increased portability of today’s computers. I use ChessBase on a Microsoft Surface so seeing some refinement in the program’s performance is welcome for those of us who consider themselves chess road warriors. Using the database itself on a portable device did not place a strain on the battery until activating an engine like Stockfish or Fritz, but that’s raw processing power for the engine; not ChessBase.

    #### Final Thoughts and Overall Value
    I skipped ChessBase 13 because most of its *updates* did not seem worth the investment, but ChessBase 14 is a solid update to an already powerful chess database system. There are several different *packages* available that include add-ons such as [Mega Database 2017](http://shop.chessbase.com/en/products/mega_database_2017), which activates some immense reference abilities with over 6.5 million games. Both the software and the database are available as separate purchases but are a much better value combined together as a package.

    #### Purchase Options
    * Base Software Download: [Link](http://shop.chessbase.com/en/products/chessbase14_download).
    * Mega Database Download: [Link](http://shop.chessbase.com/en/products/mega_database_2017).
    * ChessBase 14 with Mega Database 2017: [Link](http://shop.chessbase.com/en/products/chessbase14_mega_package_engl).

    Campfire Verdict: ♟♟♟♟♙

  • 2016 Christmas Wish List

    2016 Christmas Wish List

    Christmas is just around the corner and while most people have wrapped their gifts and are waiting on Santa to deliver the rest, this post is for those people that are looking for a last minute gift for the chess fan in their life.


    **1. [US Chess Tournament Chess Set](http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-sets/tournament-chess-sets/regulation-tournament-chess-piece-and-chess-board-combo-single-weighted.html) $8.95**

    What better gift for a chess fan than the game itself? There are countless varieties of chess sets out there, but the standard Staunton-style tournament sets from US Chess Federation Sales are among the best. Basic, non-weighted sets start at under $10 each with slight price increases for some of the heavier weighted sets. The $8.95 basic tournament set is the *Campfire Chess* go-to set for donations and tournaments. *Campfire Chess* donated several of these sets to *[San Antonio Military Medical Center](https://www.bamc.amedd.army.mil)* earlier this year.


    **2. [Bent Larsen’s Best Games](http://www.uscfsales.com/bent-larsens-best-games.html) $34.95**

    Bent Larsen is one of the greats and his book, which spans the length of his career, captures the essence of his fighting spirit. Known to some as *The Fighting Dane*, Larsen’s book is a striking look at some of his best works. The games themselves are challenging and are often illuminated with his personal commentary. The book is available in multiple formats including paperback and [Kindle](https://www.amazon.com/Bent-Larsens-Best-Games-Fighting-ebook/dp/B00S75KOQK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1481640561&sr=8-1) for the techno-savvy among us.


    **3. [Voice Master Electronic Chess Set](https://www.amazon.com/Checkers-Master-Talking-Program-Practice/dp/B0162PRYF0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481639851&sr=8-2&keywords=Voice+master+chess) $49.95**

    I [reviewed this product](http://www.campfirechess.com/posts/2734) earlier this year because it is a good little chess set and also brought a sense of nostalgia for an electronic set my dad owned when I was a kid. There are several vendors that sell this set on Amazon.com. The going price ranges between $39-$49 and I advise not paying more than that for one of these sets. For the chess fan who loves the tactile sensations of the board but who might not have a partner readily available, the Voice Master Set makes a perfect addition to their collection.


    **4. [ChessBase 14](http://shop.chessbase.com/en/products/chessbase14_starter_package_engl) €189.90 ($201.80)**

    I am still working on a review for the recently released update to ChessBase’s flagship product, but I will give you a sneak peek: *go get it!* ChessBase has made some significant improvements to the interface and functionality of the database system that keep it at the top of the chess information management world. ChessBase 14 comes in a variety of flavors including basic software with just the database system or in [*packages*](http://shop.chessbase.com/en/categories/chessbase) that include add-ons such as the latest editions of the Big Database and MegaBase. ChessBase is also available in multiple languages but only runs on Microsoft Windows.


    **5. [Microsoft Surface](https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-Tablet-10-8-Inch-Windows/dp/B012DTDI2C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481640230&sr=8-4&keywords=Microsoft+surface) $433.95**

    Friends and regular readers know that I am a die-hard Apple guy, but most of the good chess software is still made exclusively for Microsoft Windows. I’ve tried several Windows machines over the years including varieties of HP tablets and Asus convertibles, but the Microsoft Surface family is currently my go-to machine for chess analysis and database management. Like the iPad tablet family, the Surface product line comes in multiple styles and configurations. However, I currently use a Microsoft Surface 3 (non-pro) to run ChessBase 14, Fritz 14, ChessKing Silver, Stockfish, and a few other goodies. The ability to shift quickly between keyboard and touchpad into a full touchscreen tablet mode makes the Surface a versatile utility for the chess techno-warrior.

  • Magnus Carlsen Retains World Chess Title

    Magnus Carlsen Retains World Chess Title

    Magnus Carlsen put the final nail in the coffin for the 2016 World Chess Championship with a [spectacular finish](http://theweekinchess.com/chessnews/events/world-chess-championship-2016/magnus-carlsen-retains-world-championship-title-with-a-spectacular-final-move) in the 25 | 10 rapid tiebreaker. Carlsen had been frustrated throughout the event and fell behind before managing to equalize the standings in Game 10. He went on to win the last two games of the rapid event, which finally put an end to his challengers efforts and solidified his place as World Chess Champion for the next two years. As the main portion of the event drew to its conclusion, many in the chess world began taking note of the precarious position Sergey Karjakin could find himself in against one of the strongest rapid and blitz players in the world.

    The first two tiebreaker games were drawn with Karjakin narrowly escaping a loss in the second game but unable to stop the onslaught that ultimately allowed Carlsen to retain his title.


    Carlsen’s incredible finish to the rapid tiebreaker event.

    The position above is stunning and reaffirms why Magnus Carlsen is the best chess player in the world. With **Qh6+**, Magnus brought his opponent’s bid to become the next world champion to his stunning halt. There were moments throughout the event where it seemed that Sergey Karjakin was poised to overtake Carlsen, but never found a way to convert his opportunities into solid wins. Of course, there were moments throughout the event were Magnus seemed to struggle both with his chess abilities and his ability to keep his emotions in check (no pun intended). Magnus took a little bit of criticism on social media for his outburst following his loss in the classical round, but I have to say that him storming out of the press conference is the kind of stuff that chess needs if it wants to become a popular, respectable, and marketable activity in the United States.

    [pgn]
    [Event “WCh Rapid TB 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.30”]
    [Round “1”]
    [White “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Black “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Result “1/2-1/2”]
    [ECO “C84”]
    [WhiteElo “2772”]
    [BlackElo “2853”]
    [PlyCount “74”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.30”]
    [EventType “rapid”]

    1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3
    O-O 9. Nc3 Nb8 10. Ne2 c5 11. Ng3 Nc6 12. c3 Rb8 13. h3 a5 14. a4 b4 15. Re1
    Be6 16. Bc4 h6 17. Be3 Qc8 18. Qe2 Rd8 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. d4 bxc3 21. bxc3 cxd4
    22. cxd4 exd4 23. Nxd4 Nxd4 24. Bxd4 Rb4 25. Rec1 Qd7 26. Bc3 Rxa4 27. Bxa5
    Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Ra8 29. Bc3 Rxa1+ 30. Bxa1 Qc6 31. Kh2 Kf7 32. Bb2 Qc5 33. f4 Bd8
    34. e5 dxe5 35. Bxe5 Bb6 36. Qd1 Qd5 37. Qxd5 Nxd5 1/2-1/2

    [Event “WCh Rapid TB 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.30”]
    [Round “2”]
    [White “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Black “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Result “1/2-1/2”]
    [ECO “C50”]
    [WhiteElo “2853”]
    [BlackElo “2772”]
    [PlyCount “167”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.30”]
    [EventType “rapid”]

    1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. a4 a6 7. c3 d6 8. Re1
    Ba7 9. h3 Ne7 10. d4 Ng6 11. Nbd2 c6 12. Bf1 a5 13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Qc2 Be6 15.
    Nc4 Qc7 16. b4 axb4 17. cxb4 b5 18. Ne3 bxa4 19. Rxa4 Bxe3 20. Bxe3 Rxa4 21.
    Qxa4 Nxe4 22. Rc1 Bd5 23. b5 cxb5 24. Qxe4 Qxc1 25. Qxd5 Qc7 26. Qxb5 Rb8 27.
    Qd5 Rd8 28. Qb3 Rb8 29. Qa2 h6 30. Qd5 Qe7 31. Qe4 Qf6 32. g3 Rc8 33. Bd3 Qc6
    34. Qf5 Re8 35. Be4 Qe6 36. Qh5 Ne7 37. Qxe5 Qxe5 38. Nxe5 Ng6 39. Bxg6 Rxe5
    40. Bd3 f6 41. Kg2 Kh8 42. Kf3 Rd5 43. Bg6 Ra5 44. Ke4 Rb5 45. h4 Re5+ 46. Kd4
    Ra5 47. Kc4 Re5 48. Bd4 Ra5 49. Bc5 Kg8 50. Kd5 Rb5 51. Kd6 Ra5 52. Be3 Re5 53.
    Bf4 Ra5 54. Bd3 Ra7 55. Ke6 Rb7 56. Kf5 Rd7 57. Bc2 Rb7 58. Kg6 Rb2 59. Bf5
    Rxf2 60. Be6+ Kh8 61. Bd6 Re2 62. Bg4 Re8 63. Bf5 Kg8 64. Bc2 Re3 65. Bb1 Kh8
    66. Kf7 Rb3 67. Be4 Re3 68. Bf5 Rc3 69. g4 Rc6 70. Bf8 Rc7+ 71. Kg6 Kg8 72. Bb4
    Rb7 73. Bd6 Kh8 74. Bf8 Kg8 75. Ba3 Kh8 76. Be6 Rb6 77. Kf7 Rb7+ 78. Be7 h5 79.
    gxh5 f5 80. Bxf5 Rxe7+ 81. Kxe7 Kg8 82. Bd3 Kh8 83. Kf8 g5 84. hxg6 1/2-1/2

    [Event “WCh Rapid TB 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.30”]
    [Round “3”]
    [White “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Black “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [ECO “C84”]
    [WhiteElo “2772”]
    [BlackElo “2853”]
    [PlyCount “76”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.30”]
    [EventType “rapid”]

    1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3
    O-O 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 11. b4 Nc6 12. Nd5 Nd4 13. Ng5 Bxd5 14. exd5 Nd7 15.
    Ne4 f5 16. Nd2 f4 17. c3 Nf5 18. Ne4 Qe8 19. Bb3 Qg6 20. f3 Bh4 21. a4 Nf6 22.
    Qe2 a5 23. axb5 axb4 24. Bd2 bxc3 25. Bxc3 Ne3 26. Rfc1 Rxa1 27. Rxa1 Qe8 28.
    Bc4 Kh8 29. Nxf6 Bxf6 30. Ra3 e4 31. dxe4 Bxc3 32. Rxc3 Qe5 33. Rc1 Ra8 34. h3
    h6 35. Kh2 Qd4 36. Qe1 Qb2 37. Bf1 Ra2 38. Rxc7 Ra1 0-1

    [Event “WCh Rapid TB 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.30”]
    [Round “4”]
    [White “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Black “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [ECO “B54”]
    [WhiteElo “2853”]
    [BlackElo “2772”]
    [PlyCount “99”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.30”]
    [EventType “rapid”]

    1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3 e5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. c4 a5 8. Be3
    a4 9. Nc1 O-O 10. Nc3 Qa5 11. Qd2 Na6 12. Be2 Nc5 13. O-O Bd7 14. Rb1 Rfc8 15.
    b4 axb3 16. axb3 Qd8 17. Nd3 Ne6 18. Nb4 Bc6 19. Rfd1 h5 20. Bf1 h4 21. Qf2 Nd7
    22. g3 Ra3 23. Bh3 Rca8 24. Nc2 R3a6 25. Nb4 Ra5 26. Nc2 b6 27. Rd2 Qc7 28.
    Rbd1 Bf8 29. gxh4 Nf4 30. Bxf4 exf4 31. Bxd7 Qxd7 32. Nb4 Ra3 33. Nxc6 Qxc6 34.
    Nb5 Rxb3 35. Nd4 Qxc4 36. Nxb3 Qxb3 37. Qe2 Be7 38. Kg2 Qe6 39. h5 Ra3 40. Rd3
    Ra2 41. R3d2 Ra3 42. Rd3 Ra7 43. Rd5 Rc7 44. Qd2 Qf6 45. Rf5 Qh4 46. Rc1 Ra7
    47. Qxf4 Ra2+ 48. Kh1 Qf2 49. Rc8+ Kh7 50. Qh6+ 1-0
    [/pgn]

    #### Viewership Review
    Agon, which has become a *four letter word* In the chess community has refused to release (at least for now) the exact number of people who purchased their premium package for viewing the event, but initial estimates project that less than 10,000 people paid for the premium streaming and commentary package. Personally, I was pleased to be able to follow the games as a premium member of [Chessbase](http://play.chessbase.com), on [ChessBomb](http://www.chessbomb.com), and to watch the exceptional commentary and analysis from some of my favorite people over on [chess24.com](http://www.chess24.com). Still, just a long way to go if it wants to build an American audience to the point where corporations like Pepsi, Red Bull, or other major corporations are willing to sponsor the events. As mentioned in an excellent news [article](http://sports.yahoo.com/news/norwegian-vies-russian-world-chess-championship-231509689–spt.html) published shortly after Carlsen’s victory, chess needs a series of dramatic stories in order to sell itself to the American people. Bobby Fischer made history as the lone genius who challenged the world’s greatest chess power, the Soviet Union, during the Cold War which allowed the American people to relate what was happening on the board to what was happening every day in their news. When professional chess can find a way to bring the drama and excitement of playing the game to people in a way that relates to their everyday struggles and experiences, then it will find itself at a buffet of sponsors and fans. Compelling drama and personal connection sells products, not frivolous litigation.

  • WCC2016 Tied Entering Final Round

    WCC2016 Tied Entering Final Round

    The 2016 World Chess Championship in New York City has been nothing short of a nail biter and will at least come down to determination in the final round scheduled to be played Monday at 1400 EST. Games 7 and 8 offered some tense moments in which Magnus missed opportunities to turn the tide of the tournament against his opponent. However, his over aggressiveness prevented him from capitalizing on these positions as he would normally be able to.

    [pgn]
    [Event “WCh 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.18”]
    [Round “6”]
    [White “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Black “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Result “1/2-1/2”]
    [WhiteTitle “GM”]
    [BlackTitle “GM”]
    [WhiteElo “2772”]
    [BlackElo “2853”]
    [ECO “C88”]
    [Opening “Ruy Lopez”]
    [Variation “closed, 7…O-O”]
    [WhiteFideId “14109603”]
    [BlackFideId “1503014”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.11”]

    1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3
    Bb7 9. d3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxe5 Nd4 12. Nc3 Nb4 13. Bf4 Nxb3 14. axb3 c5 15.
    Ne4 f6 16. Nf3 f5 17. Neg5 Bxg5 18. Nxg5 h6 19. Ne6 Qd5 20. f3 Rfe8 21. Re5 Qd6
    22. c3 Rxe6 23. Rxe6 Qxe6 24. cxb4 cxb4 25. Rc1 Rc8 26. Rxc8+ Qxc8 27. Qe1 Qd7
    28. Kh2 a5 29. Qe3 Bd5 30. Qb6 Bxb3 31. Qxa5 Qxd3 32. Qxb4 Be6 1/2-1/2

    [Event “WCh 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.20”]
    [Round “7”]
    [White “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Black “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Result “1/2-1/2”]
    [WhiteTitle “GM”]
    [BlackTitle “GM”]
    [WhiteElo “2772”]
    [BlackElo “2853”]
    [ECO “D10”]
    [Opening “QGD Slav defence”]
    [WhiteFideId “14109603”]
    [BlackFideId “1503014”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.11”]

    1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 5. Bd3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 e6 7. Nf3 c5 8. O-O b5
    9. Be2 Bb7 10. dxc5 Nc6 11. Nd2 Bxc5 12. Nde4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Be7 14. b3 Nb4 15.
    Bf3 O-O 16. Ba3 Rc8 17. Nf6+ Bxf6 18. Bxb7 Bxa1 19. Bxb4 Bf6 20. Bxf8 Qxd1 21.
    Rxd1 Rxf8 22. Bxa6 b4 23. Rc1 g6 24. Rc2 Ra8 25. Bd3 Rd8 26. Be2 Kf8 27. Kf1 Ra8
    28. Bc4 Rc8 29. Ke2 Ke7 30. f4 h6 31. Kf3 Rc7 32. g4 g5 33. Ke4 Rc8 1/2-1/2
    [/pgn]

    But everything changed in Game 8 when that over aggressiveness finally backfired and awarded a powerful win to challenger Sergey Karjakin.

    [pgn]
    [Event “WCh 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.21”]
    [Round “8”]
    [White “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Black “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Result “0-1”]
    [WhiteTitle “GM”]
    [BlackTitle “GM”]
    [WhiteElo “2853”]
    [BlackElo “2772”]
    [ECO “D05”]
    [Opening “Queen’s pawn game, Rubinstein (Colle-Zukertort) variation”]
    [WhiteFideId “1503014”]
    [BlackFideId “14109603”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.11”]

    1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Bb2 b6 8. dxc5
    Bxc5 9. Nbd2 Bb7 10. Qe2 Nbd7 11. c4 dxc4 12. Nxc4 Qe7 13. a3 a5 14. Nd4 Rfd8
    15. Rfd1 Rac8 16. Rac1 Nf8 17. Qe1 Ng6 18. Bf1 Ng4 19. Nb5 Bc6 20. a4 Bd5 21.
    Bd4 Bxc4 22. Rxc4 Bxd4 23. Rdxd4 Rxc4 24. bxc4 Nf6 25. Qd2 Rb8 26. g3 Ne5 27.
    Bg2 h6 28. f4 Ned7 29. Na7 Qa3 30. Nc6 Rf8 31. h3 Nc5 32. Kh2 Nxa4 33. Rd8 g6
    34. Qd4 Kg7 35. c5 Rxd8 36. Nxd8 Nxc5 37. Qd6 Qd3 38. Nxe6+ fxe6 39. Qe7+ Kg8
    40. Qxf6 a4 41. e4 Qd7 42. Qxg6+ Qg7 43. Qe8+ Qf8 44. Qc6 Qd8 45. f5 a3 46. fxe6
    Kg7 47. e7 Qxe7 48. Qxb6 Nd3 49. Qa5 Qc5 50. Qa6 Ne5 51. Qe6 h5 52. h4 a2 0-1
    [/pgn]

    Some believed that Magnus would be unable to recover from the loss but managed to pull out a win shortly thereafter in Game 10 to even things up.

    [pgn]
    [Event “WCh 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.24”]
    [Round “10”]
    [White “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Black “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Result “1-0”]
    [WhiteTitle “GM”]
    [BlackTitle “GM”]
    [WhiteElo “2853”]
    [BlackElo “2772”]
    [ECO “C65”]
    [Opening “Ruy Lopez”]
    [Variation “Berlin defence”]
    [WhiteFideId “1503014”]
    [BlackFideId “14109603”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.11”]

    1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. O-O
    d6 9. Nbd2 Nh5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Nc4 Nf4 12. Ne3 Qf6 13. g3 Nh3+ 14. Kh1 Ne7 15.
    Bc4 c6 16. Bb3 Ng6 17. Qe2 a5 18. a4 Be6 19. Bxe6 fxe6 20. Nd2 d5 21. Qh5 Ng5
    22. h4 Nf3 23. Nxf3 Qxf3+ 24. Qxf3 Rxf3 25. Kg2 Rf7 26. Rfe1 h5 27. Nf1 Kf8 28.
    Nd2 Ke7 29. Re2 Kd6 30. Nf3 Raf8 31. Ng5 Re7 32. Rae1 Rfe8 33. Nf3 Nh8 34. d4
    exd4 35. Nxd4 g6 36. Re3 Nf7 37. e5+ Kd7 38. Rf3 Nh6 39. Rf6 Rg7 40. b4 axb4 41.
    cxb4 Ng8 42. Rf3 Nh6 43. a5 Nf5 44. Nb3 Kc7 45. Nc5 Kb8 46. Rb1 Ka7 47. Rd3 Rc7
    48. Ra3 Nd4 49. Rd1 Nf5 50. Kh3 Nh6 51. f3 Rf7 52. Rd4 Nf5 53. Rd2 Rh7 54. Rb3
    Ree7 55. Rdd3 Rh8 56. Rb1 Rhh7 57. b5 cxb5 58. Rxb5 d4 59. Rb6 Rc7 60. Nxe6 Rc3
    61. Nf4 Rhc7 62. Nd5 Rxd3 63. Nxc7 Kb8 64. Nb5 Kc8 65. Rxg6 Rxf3 66. Kg2 Rb3 67.
    Nd6+ Nxd6 68. Rxd6 Re3 69. e6 Kc7 70. Rxd4 Rxe6 71. Rd5 Rh6 72. Kf3 Kb8 73. Kf4
    Ka7 74. Kg5 Rh8 75. Kf6 1-0
    [/pgn]

    The tournament remains tied and goes into Monday’s final round with the very real possibility of a rapid or blitz playoff being needed to decide the overall winner.

    [pgn]
    [Event “WCh 2016”]
    [Site “New York USA”]
    [Date “2016.11.26”]
    [Round “11”]
    [White “Karjakin, Sergey”]
    [Black “Carlsen, Magnus”]
    [Result “1/2-1/2”]
    [WhiteTitle “GM”]
    [BlackTitle “GM”]
    [WhiteElo “2772”]
    [BlackElo “2853”]
    [ECO “C84”]
    [Opening “Ruy Lopez”]
    [Variation “closed defence”]
    [WhiteFideId “14109603”]
    [BlackFideId “1503014”]
    [EventDate “2016.11.11”]

    1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 O-O
    9. Nc3 Be6 10. Nd5 Nd4 11. Nxd4 exd4 12. Nxf6+ Bxf6 13. Bxe6 fxe6 14. f4 c5 15.
    Qg4 Qd7 16. f5 Rae8 17. Bd2 c4 18. h3 c3 19. bxc3 d5 20. Bg5 Bxg5 21. Qxg5 dxe4
    22. fxe6 Rxf1+ 23. Rxf1 Qxe6 24. cxd4 e3 25. Re1 h6 26. Qh5 e2 27. Qf3 a5 28. c3
    Qa2 29. Qc6 Re6 30. Qc8+ Kh7 31. c4 Qd2 32. Qxe6 Qxe1+ 33. Kh2 Qf2 34. Qe4+ 1/2-1/2
    [/pgn]

  • How to Watch the World Championship

    How to Watch the World Championship

    **Updated November 09, 2016**: Added additional viewing details and options. Campfire Chess will offer periodic reflection and post-game analysis throughout the event.

    Few chess fans will be as lucky as those living in New York City when the World Chess Championship kicks off later this week, but that doesn’t mean we are entirely removed from following the match and taking in some expert commentary from Grandmasters and fans around the world. The [recent victory](http://www.campfirechess.com/posts/2777) in Russia over Agon has probably lessened some of the push for more subversive broadcasts and the web will be teeming with opportunities for chess players and fans to follow and comment on the event.

    #### So, how can you view the match?
    * [Chess.com](http://www.chess.com) will be hosting the official [Agon widget]() on its site with access to chat functions with full video breakdowns scheduled after each round.
    * Chessbomb WCC2016 Arena: [https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/](https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2016-carlsen-karjakin-world-chess-championship)
    * [Chess24.com](http://www.chess24.com) continues to establish itself as a bold new powerhouse in chess broadcasting and will cover the event with several big name commentators.
    * Chess24 WCC Broadcast Page: [https://chess24.com/en/wcc2016](https://chess24.com/en/wcc2016)
    * [Playchess](http://www.playchess.com) is the online chess play and broadcast service of [Chessbase](http://www.chessbase.com).
    * [Agon/FIDE](http://nyc2016.fide.com/), who is currently like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in terms of its behavior against modern chess, also has an official website where users can view the moves for free, but pay a *premium* fee for additional analysis and special commentary.

    The live match itself will happen in the historic Seaport District with tickets available via [Ticketfly](http://www.ticketfly.com/venue/24715).