Magnus Carlsen: Redefining Chess.

Chess is a draw. Everyone must have heard that adage. Unfortunately it comes with a proviso- with accurate play from both sides. However, what constitutes accurate play is debatable. It could be a matter of style,  based on chess heuristics gathered over years or adjudicated by one's favorite chess engine. 

From the first move to the last, each pugilist must thrive to play the best possible move to achieve equality. Of course this is a near impossible task even for the strongest engine or grandmaster. Such is the complex nature of Chess. That there are an infinite number of possible moves, each leading to different paths.

For instance, Rybka, touted for playing human-like positional moves, was the strongest chess program a few years ago, but now, the Houdini, with a penchant for creating imbalances in positions, is on top of the chess engine ladder. Even if computers were to solve the game like it did checkers, the human element- the propensity to err, is always there to provide the final result.

From Paul Morphy,Fischer to Kasparov, great champions were trailblazers in re-defining how the game was played in their era. Paul Morphy showed his more "romantic" peers that there was another way. Also, Kasparov's dedication and work in the opening phase of the game, lead the way to a future were Grandmasters tried to out-prepare each other with chess engines and huge databases.

Magnus Carlsen, like his predecessors, is also redefining how the game will be played in his era.  Rather than focusing on opening preparation, Carlen instead studies the part of the game that most chess players consider the least interesting - the end game. 

This can only be good for the game.  With Carlen proving that there was rich rewards lurking in that part of the game, Tournament Organizers,who in order to increase interest and viewership, had resorted to "coercive" measures to discourage short draws, would no longer need to try so hard to motivate chess players to fight to the bitter end. 

The world championship match between Anand and Carlen started out by four draws. Two of whom were  interesting played-out  draws.

Anand cracked under pressure in game 5, as Carlsen turned on the screw in a seemingly innocuous position. A position where ordinarily, most grandmasters would have agreed on an early draw. 

One would have assumed, it would be his relatively inexperience opponent that would be the first to break under the huge expectation of his pre-determined coronation by virtue of 69 point difference in elo ratings.

In game 6, we find Carlsen winning a theoretical drawn rook ending out of nothing. Of course, Anand, the world champion, was once again, an unwilling accomplice in the turn of events. 

Carlsen himself has also been a victim of end game pitfalls  as demonstrated by his loses to Ivanchuk in the Candidates  and Wang Hao earlier in the year.

It just illustrates the point that audience wants to see these positions played out. Years of excuses that this or that position, opposite colored bishops, rook endings are drawn are no longer enough. They want it proved ! By best play of course.

Video of Game six of the World Championship match between Anand and Carlsen