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View Full Version : Let there be blood! Anand scores with Black.



Hal Bond
10-17-2008, 02:32 PM
Perhaps you have seen game 3 already? WOW! We had some difficulties meeting the curtain call but these issues paled to the action over the board.

They blitzed off the first 12 moves or so - another slav I think. On move 15 Kramnik takes his first restroom break, then again after move 16 and 17. By this time he is an hour behind on the clock. Anand's preparation seems daunting. Then Kramnik uncorks a piece sac and it's Anand's turn to tank. Kramnik goes two pawns up but the g file is open, and Anand's QB is large on b7. Kramnik takes his 11th and final restroom break after move 29, by which time he has 15 minutes and Anand has about the same.

On move 33, with 8:15 on Kramnik's clock, another cell phone goes off. The players don't notice. Kramnik tosses his Q for a randy passer on the a file, which proves desparate. He resigned after Anand's 41st move and the crowd went wild. It's hard to believe that this game was played by the same players as game one.

Now our job will get tougher. The bitching will start and we have to keep everyone reasonably happy.

I'll try to fill in some of the back stage stories when I have clearance. This was our busiest day yet, but the game eclipsed all of it.

Tony Ficzere
10-17-2008, 04:39 PM
Very exciting game, hope this is a sign of things to come.

I watched most of the game, I thought Kramnik was winning after the sac, not sure where it went wrong.

Keep up the reporting Hal, its good to get first hand info from Canadian source. Don't drink the water! ;)

Peter Stockhausen
10-17-2008, 05:10 PM
Hi Hal,

Good stories you tell. I have a really bad cold so I drag myself to the computer to follow the game!! Really looking forward to tomorrow. I think my cold will last this long:)

Maybe you can fill in some blanks:

1, Is Kramnik taking "washroom" breaks or is he simply going to his private area? I mean to go 11 times in what, 15 moves or say three hours seems a lot, even allowing for the stress. Do you think that it is just a "tic"?

2, How often is Anand leaving the stage?

3, Maybe you can comment a little on how you arbiters work together, who does what and where are you guys sitting.

Notwithstanding Tony's comment, I am from that area (Duesseldorf) and the water is perfectly safe:)

Cheers
Peter

Tony Ficzere
10-17-2008, 09:41 PM
Why would Hal drink the water when the place is running with good German beer :)

Hal Bond
10-18-2008, 06:25 AM
Indeed Tony!

When I arrived there was a bottle of water placed invitingly on my nite table. I though this was a great gesture until I noticed the 6 euro price tag. The beer is cheaper!

Mind you, Peter is quite right. (get well soon Peter!) Morning than once I have had to drown the German marching band that was rehearsing within my skull with some good old fashioned tap water. It tastes as good as any back home. A few buckets of eggs later I'm good to go.

Kramnik seldom stays at the board when Anand is on move. Anand is the opposite. Both rest areas, including the toilets are checked before and during the game by Werner and I. During the game, our jobs are reminiscent of flight attendants - all the technical training is less used much less often than courteous service - a kind of prophylaxis not foreseen by Nimzovitch.

Gotta run. Later folks!

Lawrence Day
10-18-2008, 03:01 PM
Some interesting moments in Vishy's "computer bomb" 3rd game:

14..Bb7 was a novelty "at this level" agreed, but I heard Ron Liv****s liked it in speed games. The B-pair vs the weak K reminds me of Sveshnikov middlegames where White could easily promote on the Queenside if he only had a few tempi... alas, he doesn't as the Bees keep stinging.

Psychological moment at 33..Bh3. See a win, play a win; the clock is happy, but the anomalous 33..Bxd3+! 34.Rxd3 Qc4+ White resigns was killer precision.

The match is way more exciting with Kramnik trailing~ at least when he's White he'll have to play to win.

6 Euro bottles of water: good grief!

Thanks Hal for the close-up view. :)