To Atlanta!

I'm leaving for Atlanta tomorrow, to participate in the biennial Gathering For Gardner conference. Martin Gardner's interests were math, magic, and fighting pseudoscience. My kind of guy!

While I'm away, you can discuss Sergey Karjakin's surprise win in the big chess candidate's tournament. His victory gets earns him a title match against World Champion Magnus Carlsen. Current plans are for the match to take place in November in New York. I'll believe it when it happens!

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Well, I must say Karjakin fully deserves Hikaru Nakamura's praise for his "fablulous nerves both in Baku and here in Moscow." Just to play such a last-round game against your challenger, where all you need is a draw and you are White, and to play aggressively into a complicated position, sac first a pawn and then a whole Rook -- well, that's Tal-like nerve. A wonderful "this is it" move 39 Qf5! removes any doubts as to the "correctness" of the sacrifice.

Much as I was rooting for Caruano, I tip my cap to Karjakin and hope he can present a real challenge to the reigning champ Carlsen. Be nice to see it in NYC, but I have the feeling Moscow's going to ferret the match away.

By Bill McNeal (not verified) on 30 Mar 2016 #permalink