CHESS#1330

Magnus Carlsen seems to have accepted his classical form was uncertain

India bagged silver in the U-16 Olympiad at Konya (Turkey) despite the absence of Nihal Sarin, Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh. The Uzbeks took gold with an all-star quartet. Arjun Erigaisi led for India with 7/9 and a 2678 performance on top board. China took bronze.

The title match left fans unsatisfied. Computer preparation makes it hard to gain an opening edge. Engines allow spectators to see errors that would have gone unnoticed earlier. Alphazero’s analysis, and its newly released games where it demolished engines in classical matchplay, make it obvious how much even “normal engines” miss.

Looking back, Magnus Carlsen seems to have