Thank you for commenting. It means a lot from someone who has climbed the ranks in the US.
Getting the opponents out of the book is now standard practice, especially in blitz chess.
From the games that I have watched it seems that once both players get past the book, Magnus usually has an advantage.
Maybe Magnus was way, way off yesterday and Hans was the recipient of a gift.
But most commentators are ripping Hans up. Hikaru is especially hard on the kid, and he does have a past.
Whatever the governing bodies find out in their investigation it seems that the chess world will change.
Magnus elected not to defend his title, has sold most of his online properties and now leaves the Sinquefield Cup.
Maybe it is Magnus, and Father Time continues to be undefeated.
He wouldn’t be the first world chess champion to slide into paranoia ...
I see before the c pawn dropped that the position was drawish with both bishops still on the board.
I surmise that with white he may have been trying too hard to win.
With the white king at point more mobile, rooks in play, I would have gone for it thinking black would eventually have to lose a tempo to free his king with double f pawns.
The black move Rc8 however was key. Tying whites pieces down to protect the c pawn. Maybe that’s where the computer like effect seems, as a human would play for an open mobile rook file.
Interesting endgame.
Lower rated players I’d stay in book.
In the Harvard Open years ago and other tournaments (way back then) I used the Center Counter as black almost exclusively. Always caught them by surprise. Saved clock time also. The Colle as white was safe and strong.
The g3 system that Carlson safe and looks for technical advantage. It appeared he got what he wanted with double black f pawns structural.
My late good friend came over from Germany at the time of Kaiser Wilhelm II. He once played Capablanca in a 103 board simultaneous. We became close friends when as a boy I defeated the Paris Champion in a simultaneous exhibition.
When Kasparov lost to Deep Blue my interest left.
I look for the Savior to come soon now. May Carlson find peace.