< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 4 OF 4 · Later Kibitzing> Oct-27-12 Atking : Pieces on the g&h files are remarkably placed. Oct-27-12 Ulhumbrus : By the moves f4 and fxe5 Nakamura removes from the board Black's f6 pawn which obstructs the pin made by the move Bg5. 35 Bh3! gives Black an unwelcome choice, either to displace a rook defending the d6 pawn by 35...Rd7-c7 or else to walk into a pin by 35...Rd7-d8 and so invite the knight thrust Nd5. Oct-27-12 bubuli55 : I agree with < OBIT > . I would have offered a draw if presented with the same situation. That is like running up the score in football. I feel. Everybody's ready for the awarding ceremony. Everybody knows who the champion is. Yet he just took the pleasure of beating the other player. Maximus the gladiator comes to mind. When he felled his opponent and ready to behead him. The people were shouting kill! kill! kill! Oct-27-12

Eggman : < <bubuli55> > Totally disagree. The game matters. Not just the tournament. Why spoil the game but cancelling it in media res? Oct-27-12 bubuli55 : I guess. But that's just me :) Oct-27-12

HeMateMe : < I would have offered a draw if presented with the same situation. That is like running up the score in football.> Two different sports. Every game should be played with the goal of doing your best, and winning th game. If someone doesn't like your beating them--tuff buns, baby. Oct-27-12 Marmot PFL : <I would have offered a draw if presented with the same situation. That is like running up the score in football. I feel. Everybody's ready for the awarding ceremony. Everybody knows who the champion is. Yet he just took the pleasure of beating the other player. > I offered a draw once in a position like that also, to lock up 1st place, and a stronger player who was watching criticized that decision. He said ratings matter, and you should pick up every point you can. There is no chess reason to make a draw here, as black has no play at all for the pawn. Oct-27-12

OhioChessFan : <Bubulli: Everybody knows who the champion is. Yet he just took the pleasure of beating the other player.> I am reminded of the legendary <Tiggler> and this copyrighted quote of his: <What is best in chess? - to crush our enemies, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentations of their women> . Oct-27-12 Everett : <to crush our enemies, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentations of their women> Long live Conan... Oct-27-12 Everett : I like the stutter-step to an open Sicilian by Naka in the opening. Since time immemorial Black has always looked to play ..e6 and ..g6 for harmonious piece development, but wound up with big holes in his position when White changed form. Oct-27-12 SirRuthless : <bubuli> I hope my children don't think this way when they get older. You have to reach for the stars, not be satisfied with where you are. To settle for a draw would have been contrary to Nakamura's style of play and to the spirit of the game as well. Oct-27-12

OBIT : <SirRuthless> I'd say it is likely your kids would offer the draw to clinch first place, as that is what most juniors do in this situation. For example, take a look at A Ipatov vs A Shimanov, 2012 from this year's World Junior championship. In the final position, White has a massive advantage (Houdini rates it about a +7), but Ipatov offered a draw because he knew he had tie-break advantage. It certainly seems wimpy not to play this out, but the draw did give him the title. Oct-27-12 Jambow : Karpovian bravo bravo! Oct-27-12

HeMateMe : What a find study on how to pile on a file, and keep probing for weaknesses. Oct-28-12 SirRuthless : <OBIT> You sound like a European. Nakamura was never in danger. I doubt he cared more about first place money than going +3. My children will be taught to fight to the death. A concept which you appear to be unfamiliar with. Oct-28-12

kingscrusher : I have video annotated this game here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBDE... Oct-28-12 Ulhumbrus : At moves 22, 23 and 24 the move ...Bd4! followed by ...e5 seems to give Black at least fair prospects Oct-28-12 bubuli55 : <SirRuthless: <bubuli> I hope my children don't think this way when they get older. You have to reach for the stars, not be satisfied with where you are. To settle for a draw would have been contrary to Nakamura's style of play and to the spirit of the game as well. > Sir. I sincerely hope as well that your children grow up the way you want them. The fruit doesn't fall too far from the tree. Reach for the stars. I'm for that. :) Nakamura is Nakamura. He is a professional chess player. He knows so much more than me as a player. His actions are certainly within bounds. :) My excuse is that there are many ways to go to town. :) Have a good one :) Oct-29-12

OBIT : <SirRuthless> <bubuli> You guys sound like you'd be fun for a "running up the score" debate. I have followed high school football in the past, and fans of HS football know that there is a wide disparity in the skill levels of HS teams, sometimes even within the same region. So, occasionally a game is an utter mismatch, and one team is up by 40 or 50 points by halftime. When this happens, the coach with the strong team brings in his substitutes for the second half, and about all you see from them are dive plays into the middle of the line, the scrubs having been given specific instructions not to try anything fancy. Sometimes the scrubs score a few more TDs anyway, and of course then you can expect to hear the fans of the opposing team cry foul - these bullies from the other school are running up the score! Now, to give you my opinion, I hate it when the second- and third-stringers are brought into a blow-out game with the sole intent of running the clock out. These kids may not have the talent of the starters, but they show up for all the practices and they work just as hard. A one-sided game gives them an opportunity to play some substantial minutes, and they should use this opportunity to run some real plays and play some real football. By the way, I would feel the same way if my team was the one getting slaughtered. I don't care if the score is 80-zip - you try to score with your substitutes, and I'll try to stop you with my substitutes. Make it a meaningful experience, not just some silly time-killing drill to finish the game and appease fans who don't know any better. Oct-29-12 Everett : <OBIT> I disagree. Playing possession and not running up the score is part of sportsmanship, perhaps the most important set of values to be taught through the medium of sports. Learning how to harness one's aggression appropriately is a meaningful experience, maybe even the entire point of sports. Oct-30-12 SirRuthless : <Everett> This is Chess, not soccer. There is no way to pack it in other than giving up or shuffling pieces around until a draw is reached. Imho, Nakamura needed a strong result for the sake of his psyche. After losing nearly 30 points in just two tournaments, he needed an affirmation that his game had not totally left him. This was a necessary result. Oct-30-12 Everett : <SirRuthless> I'm not talking about Nakamura, or chess. Rather I'm responding to another's post regarding the handling of blowouts occurring in more traditional sports like football, soccer, basketball, etc. I apologize for not specifying the focus of my opinion sufficiently. Oct-31-12 rilkefan : <SirRuthless> , the Europeans are quite conversant with the theory and practice of fighting to the death, having done it on as large a scale as convenient every few generations for centuries. And even in America those of us who read our own history and know what happened at Chickamauga or Andersonville are sufficiently familiar with slaughter to be careful what we teach our kids. Nov-03-12 SirRuthless : <rilkefan> Your history lesson is unnecessary. Europe's bloody history and our Civil war (I have been to (Chattanooga and Chicamagua and have seen the killing fields)have what to do with this conversation? I used the Europe comment to highlight what I perceived to be a lack of spine when it came to the subjects stance on taking a draw to secure the first place prize money. I was trying to make the point that Nakamura plays with bloodlust against weaker opponents and is unlikely to accept a draw if he has a chance to win. It is not in our culture to settle for draws and you as an American know this to be true. As far as my kids are concerned I know a few things about this world that I will have to impress upon them. One of them is that in competition it is kill or be killed. You don't have to like or appreciate it but that is the way it is going to be. Nov-04-12 bubuli55 : < Imho, Nakamura needed a strong result for the sake of his psyche. After losing nearly 30 points in just two tournaments, he needed an affirmation that his game had not totally left him. This was a necessary result. > Nakamura competing against Nakamura ? Jump to page # (enter # from 1 to 4)

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