Garry Kasparov comments on Carlsen - Anand World Chess Championship Game 1

Garry Kasparov

Here are the comments by chess legend Garry Kasparov on Game one at the Carlsen – Anand World Chess Championship 2013 in Chennai. These comments are via Kasparov’s twitter account @Kasparov63.

Garry Kasparov ?@Kasparov6311h

- Hello from Goa! Great event today at #THiNK2013. Looks like half of those in attendance were tweeting about. I will share some in a moment.

- First, a few brief comments on today’s Carlsen-Anand game. Brief comments are fitting for such a brief game.
- I imagine Anand’s 2..g6 was a surprise for Magnus, and 4..c6 as well. Then White has a big choice: to play c4 & sacrifice a pawn, or not.

- Sacrificing the pawn with c4 would not be a typical position for Magnus but Anand (& his second Leko) know those positions well.

- But without c4 by White Black gets a very solid position, even if he plays the Nbd2 I’d prefer to Carlsen’s Nc3. Little danger for Black.

- I remember Anand played this in his 1994 NYC candidates match against Romanishin, who played c4 & drew one & lost one. Can be quite sharp.

- First games of big matches are often tentative. Both get a half point but it’s great to start any event with an easy draw with black!

- Anand & I drew first 8 games of our 1995 world championship match. But then, boom! Next 4/5 were decisive & the match was basically over.

- So do not get too depressed with a slow start. Of my 7 world championship matches, 5 started with draw in first game.

The links to comments by Garry Kasparov are also in interviews with

BELIEVE MAGNUS: Chess legend Garry Kasparov (left) keeps Magnus Carlsen as the favorite in the World Chess Match