World Cup 2015 - Game Of the Day - Final Game 3

Opening: B53: Sicilian, Chekhover variation

Player(s): Karjakin, Svidler

GM Ronen Har-Zvi recaps Game 3 of the Finals. Maybe this is why chess is one of the most beautiful games Man has ever invented. Because it's totally unpredictable, at times even crazy, for sure always surprising. This early morning, all of us were googling around to get information about Svidler, trying to find something interesting to say, after all the praise we spent in the last weeks about the Russian ace. Today's game was interesting, but Karjakin with black seemed to be unable to force a win. Actually, at some point Svidler had a fair advantage and looked on the verge of winning the third game in a row. So, everyone figuring out the main-line: Svidler doubles and wins the FIDE World Cup! - 3-0, and on to the Candidates now! - Amazing result in Baku: Svidler emerges victorious from the all-Russia final - and so on so forth. But something happened, and Peter blundered away the game when it looked quite over. He missed a simple, little, maleficent pawn move, and showed all his desperation, walking away from the board with the face in his hands. Phoenix-Karjakin is back now, after he had to witness his own funeral, celebrated by the media circus. It's still a must-win situation for Sergey, yet the psychological aspect is now reversed. Karjakin knows that Svidler, despite his splendid state of form, can stumble over a blunder under pressure; Svidler, on the other hand, has lost the halo of invincibility that has accompanied him through the whole tournament; he now knows that everything can happen, even when you feel the trophy is already in your showcase, happily shining back at you. Tomorrow, again at 6AM EDT, the two Russians will sit in front of each other, with very different feelings and emotions to deal with. An incredible finale.

Teacher's library (601) B53 Karjakin Svidler recap