[chessmind] Dennis Monokroussos: Karjakin-Short, Day 1

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Posted by Dennis Monokroussos:
Karjakin-Short, Day 1
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1215145182.shtml


   Thursday was the first day of the [1]Karjakin-Short rapid match, and
   the youngster got off to a good start, winning both games. A Karjakin
   win was the logical result of the first game, as he enjoyed some
   advantage almost from start to finish. He did make one error shortly
   before the end, no doubt in time trouble, but Short almost immediately
   returned the favor and lost to a simple but attractive tactic.
   Game two, however, was Short's game to win. Karjakin sacrificed one
   pawn for good play, but as the middlegame went on he hemorrhaged more
   and more pawns, reaching an ending four (!) pawns down. What mattered
   most, however, was the combination of his active pieces and the
   players' dwindling time, and in the face of a dangerous (but
   preventable) threat, Short panicked and lost.
   Games three and four are tomorrow; meanwhile, you can see the first
   two games, with my brief comments, [2]here.

References

   1. http://chess.life.com.ua/index.php?lng=en
   2. http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/files/kar_short_m2008_day1.htm