Rybka-Shredder, WCCC Round 11 and Magnus versus Nakamura, ICC: Battle of Blitz Giants tonight

I stayed up last night, watching the last round of the WCCC, Round 11. It turned out, that Rybka and Shredder embarked upon the latest wrinkle of the most theoretically advanced line of the Najdorf Poisened Pawn variation. Of course, I do not play this but erudite in main lines even if I don't play them, instantly recognizing the same topical line employed variously by Anand as black versus Moytlev at Wijk aan Zee, then as white versus Van Wely also at Wijk aan Zee (winning on both sides of the table), and variously by Shirov, Shabalov versus Ehlvest at the recent U.S. Chess Championship, and seen, I think it was in one of the armageddon games at Elista, was it with Grishchuk versus Rublevsky?

At a certain point, having seen the line, and however intricate, more often than not resulting in a draw, I said with [silly!] confidence 'draw', in my kibitz at ICC. I don't usually talk that way, but how many times had I seen it?

postion after 19. ...0-0, 20. Bd6!

I also don't often run a prog watching chess, in fact, I'd say almost never, but I was curious to see how Rybka would deviate versus my Fritz8. The most advanced? No. Usually good enough! I just knew this would patently demonstrate a higher order of chess innovation, at the highest level, and was all ears!

At move 24. ...after Qc3, I thought for sure it was a quick draw, along several lines from before and after, but no, Rybka played 25. Bg4. It was not even among the Fritz candidate moves, and, again, my software not the most advanced, but my desktop is quite fast.

As an experiment, even now, I am running this position again, and Fritz at depth of 14, at 827 nodes per second shows this as move two or choice two, indicating 25. Bg4 as another drawing line! But it wins.

This is why Rybka is the Mozart of chess programs. It plays as a super GM at great depth, and 'sees' better than what other programs can barely 'see'.

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It is my Saturday today, this week, and much needed rest. After my obligatory early evening nap (I live for naps! Ten, fifteen minutes is all I need, more often than not), I got on ICC, and, wolla, there was Magnus Carlsen playing Nakamura. I almost did a double take. Magnus? Which one? But it was the real thing.

They played like 50 games, and I watched more than half of them.

What did Magnus do?

Time to time, when Naka played (as white) 2.Qh5 after 1.e4... e5, Magnus LET him mate him. And what did Naka do, he took it. Magnus was saying, "don't give me this crap", but then turn round and beat him. I must say, Naka was swift, if not most inpertinant in offering patent disrespecting draws in a lost postion. Ba Humbug.

"my little morning oyster"

Naka seemed to be slightly + in the score, but with five or six 'gimmies' on 2. Qh5, Magnus seemed to rule by a bit. When did Naka quit or log-off? When he won two in a row. Battle royal. Naka is not a nice kid, but he can play blitz. Did anyone else see this impromptu match?

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1550 tonight, 91.78% last 815 tries at CTS, chess tactical server. Not bad: