Chessbase and Its 180 on 960

The previous post, Freestyle Goats Might Return (February 2024), ended on a highly optimistic note:-

We can look forward to much top-level chess960.

In the intervening month we've had a couple of equally optimistic follow-ups from Chessbase:-

• 2024-03-02: Jan Henric Buettner’s plans for the future (chessbase.com; André Schulz)
• 2024-03-15: Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner found Freestyle Chess Players Club (chessbase.com; Press release) • 'Four to six tournaments a year are planned, the first in India in November 2024.'

The news was confirmed by a (former?) Carlsen confidant, now writing for Chess.com:-

• 2024-03-16: Carlsen, Buettner Unveil Extravagant Chess960 Grand Slam Tour Across 5 Continents (chess.com; TarjeiJS; comments)

Chessbase.com has come a long way in the six years since the site posted an article that I panned in Purported Problems with Chess960 (April 2018). My post started,

That title is taken from a recent article by Frederic Friedel of Chessbase: The problem with Chess960 (chessbase.com; February 2018). Let's cut to the chase. The problem with chess960 is that there is no problem with chess960.

So why did Chessbase make a 180-degree turn? Maybe it's a case of:-

If you can't beat them, join them!

I suspect it's more a case of:-

Money talks and nobody walks!

Whatever the reason, the world's leading chess database company has also started running articles on chess960 opening theory:-

• 2024-03-08: How to handle Freestyle chess (chessbase.com; Anirudh Daga; 17 comments)
• 2024-03-20: Five Freestyle Opening Tips (ditto; ditto)

I don't agree with all five 'Opening Tips'. For example, the first of the five is

Introduce the queen into the game early

That's much too categorical for me. I once wrote a post about a game of mine titled Activating the Corner Queen (September 2013). I reached the conclusion, 'Black was always in command and eventually won. The early activation of Black's Queen was the deciding factor.'

I could give plenty of counter-examples where a Queen came out too early and was harrassed by the opponent's minor pieces, just like beginners are warned against after the traditional start position. A more nuanced tip would be something like, 'The decision when and where to develop the Queen is even more consequential than similar decisions for the other pieces'. Chess960base, anyone?

Freestyle Goats Might Return

Continuing with last week's post, Carlsen Wins First Major Chess960 Event of 2024 (February 2024), here's a Youtube stream showing the games from the final day.

Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge - Final (3:09:15) • 'Streamed live on Feb 16, 2024'

For streams from the previous days, see @freestyle_chess/streams (youtube.com). The 'About' page informs,

The primary focus of the competition is on showcasing the personalities and extraordinary skills of Super Grandmasters, with Magnus Carlsen himself handpicking seven world-class challengers.

Handpicked challengers? Is that why two of Carlsen's most dangerous opponents -- GM Nakamura and GM Wesley So -- weren't playing? Whatever the reason, in Jan Henric Buettner: "My dream is a Grand Slam of Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenges on five continents" (chessbase.com; 'Press release'), we learn,

It was also revealed that Hikaru Nakamura, the reigning World Fischer Random Chess Champion, has an "extended invitation," so the American top GM and streamer will likely join the field in 2025. He had to decline for the first event because he wanted to prepare differently for the upcoming Candidates Tournament.

If this comes to fruition, we can look forward to much top-level chess960. Thanks, Weissenhaus people, for a great show!

Carlsen Wins First Major Chess960 Event of 2024

In last month's only post on this blog, Freestyle Goats Challenge (January 2024), I closed it saying,

The official site is Weissenhaus - Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge (freestyle-chess.com). I know that I'll be coming out of hibernation to spectate.

I didn't find the opportunity to spectate, so I'll make up for that lapse by documenting the event: Carlsen Beats Caruana To Win Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge (chess.com; Colin_McGourty; 'Day 8'). For his final article on the same event, the same Chess.com journalist produced the following list.

2024-02-17: Nine Things We Learned - Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge 2024 (chess.com; Colin_McGourty; links to previous articles: 'Day 1-8')

Every one of those nine points is worth further discussion, but I'm not the right person to discuss them, at least for now. Also worth a mention is Tag: Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge (chessbase.com), with links to 14 Chessbase articles by various writers. A few of those articles are of considerable background interest, but they will have to wait for another time.

Freestyle Goats Challenge

I admit it; I just can't stop. In my previous post, Sayonara? (December 2023), I wrote,

Now I'm going back into hibernation, although I won't rule out an occasional post if I have something to say about a subject.

The hibernation can wait for now, because an upcoming event deserves to be promoted. From two of the top chess news sources:-

• 2023-12-01: Freestyle Super Tournament in Germany - Seven top players challenge Magnus Carlsen (chessbase.com; Press Release) • 'From 9 to 16 February 2024, the Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort on the Baltic Sea in Germany will be the venue for a super tournament in "Freestyle Chess", also known as Chess960. Seven world-class players, including world champion Ding Liren and Vincent Keymer, will challenge the G.O.A.T (Greatest of all Times), Magnus Carlsen, in a Chess960 tournament with classical time control.'
  
  
• 2023-12-04: Carlsen, Ding, Caruana In New $200,000 Classical Fischer-Random Event (chess.com; TarjeiJS) • 'Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T Challenge will take place February 9-16 and marks Carlsen's first battle with his successor, World Champion GM Ding Liren, since the Chinese grandmaster took over the throne.'

Freestyle? It's becoming a rite of passage for a new chess960 sponsor : invent a new C960/FRC name for a new tournament. I'll add it to the names at the top of the blog. The more the merrier! From the 'Press Release':-

In addition to Magnus Carlsen (33) and Ding Liren (31), the following six players will compete: Fabiano Caruana (31, USA/Italy, #2 in the world), Levon Aronian (41, USA/Armenia, #4 of all times), Alireza Firouzja (20, France/Iran, #5 in the world), Dommaraju Gukesh (17, India, top world rank #9), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (19, Uzbekistan, world rank #25), and Germany's number one, Vincent Keymer (19, top world rank #18).

Where are GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So? I imagine it's a coincidence that both were threats to Carlsen in high-visibility chess960 matches. But enough nitpicking -- the show must go on!

The official site is Weissenhaus - Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge (freestyle-chess.com). I know that I'll be coming out of hibernation to spectate.

Sayonara?

My chess960 blogging started on my main blog and lasted for about nine months...

• 2008-08-19: Shall We Play Fischerandom Chess?
• 2009-05-16: Chess960 Blogging Leaves Home

...It continued uninterrupted on this current blog for a little more than six years, when I decided it was time for a pause...

• 2009-05-16: First Post, New Blog
• 2015-06-27: Whispering a Fond Adieu!

...The pause lasted a year and a half...

• 2017-01-21: 'Everyone I Know Plays Chess960' • 'After an 18-month absence from chess960 blogging, I'm going to return to the subject with a couple of posts every month.'

...Now I'm going back into hibernation, although I won't rule out an occasional post if I have something to say about a subject. Bye for now!

A Chess Christmas Carol

Chess of Christmas Past, Present, and Future

Chess of Christmas Past: People read books and study so-called opening 'theory', trying to find new moves to spring on unprepared, unsuspecting opponents.

Chess of Christmas Present: People run powerful chess engines and memorize computer analysis, trying to find new moves to spring on unprepared, unsuspecting opponents.

Chess of Christmas Future: People play chess960 (or whatever they prefer to call it).

***

Have a Merry Chess960 Christmas! And please drive carefully...
[Images: AI Comic Factory]

'You Dream of Getting Something Playable'

The description of the following video explained,

Levon Aronian talks to Anastasiya Karlovich before the start of the 2023 Sinquefield Cup. This aired during round 4.

GM Aronian has been seen many times on this blog. Use the search box in the right navigation bar for earlier references.

Aronian: It Has Happened! Neural Networks Have Killed Classical Chess (8:46) • '[Published on] Nov 25, 2023'

At around 3:50 into the video, the discussion turns to this blog's favorite subject.

Q: What is your opinion about all these things which are happening in the chess world right now, on the top especially. With Ding absent, with Magnus who doesn't want to play that much in classical events -- what is your opinion about everything that is happening, let's say with a Candidates tournament...

A: I think the time is slowly coming to a point where it's difficult to play classical chess because of the openings and the fact that neural networks became a part of chess and and made studying chess so much easier. It's very difficult to get a game playing with White. Therefore I think we're almost reaching the time that I've been waiting for my whole career when we switch to chess960. I think Magnus is ready. I think almost everybody is ready for it

Q: Really? This is what you think is happening?

A: Yes, it's not much fun because of the openings. I understand that it might be difficult information for a majority of amateurs, because for them there is still a lot of meat on the bone, but for professionals, just showing that you are a better player than an average Grandmaster, is already very very difficult. You have to hope for -- as they would say in tennis -- an unforced error, because if you play your best and your opponent knows the opening there is just no chance for you to win the game.

Q: Maybe something like this happened at the Isle of Man where you had good chances also. Then you played four draws in the last rounds. Maybe some like this happened there.

A: Yes, generally that's a problem, because the positions that you get from the opening -- I mean you dream of getting something that is playable -- there are actually pieces on the board. It's a bit of a problem. Maybe people will think I'm pessimistic. A lot of my colleagues will think I'm actually optimistic.

Q: So in 10 years we'll have the Sinquefield Cup with chess960?

A: Oh, I hope. I can't wait.

Q: This is where you see yourself in 10 years?

A: I hope I will be fighting. You know it all depends on such factors as health but so far I can't complain. I love to fight. I love to learn from young players and it's just a very interesting thing to do.

For two previous posts referencing the Sinquefield events, see Chess940 in 'Chess Life' (December 2021), and 2023 Champions Showdown, Videos (September 2023).