@ VVladV - you are allowed to give the link if you want! I give a link to the homepage of the Amber tournament website in every report for everyone who wants to follow the event more closely, so they can explore what's on offer.

I agree, white doesn't seem to be lost in that position. Also, I posted this earlier, but I'll reiterate, can anyone explain why white didn't capture on his 25th move? 25. Kxf3 is followed by what? A (seemingly harmless) discovered check? 

Thanks for the article. For those who can never get enough of it, on the amber official site that I won't give the link to because I'm probably not allowed, they have live audio commentaries on every match.

@ demetrios18 - your comments are very consistent.  They never make any sense!

Ivanchuk for the win! I think this guy is totally underrated.

After 26. Nd7, the game is far from over. Black is only slightly better, and it being a blindfold game with short time controls, anything could happen. 

It seems that even 26.Nd7 can't save Svidler, though Carlsen would have had to sit there for a few more minutes to prove that black can win it.

In the blindfold Smeets-Aronian game, GM Smeets had a draw as late as 3 moves before resigning, but made a mistake in the very technical Q vs QP endgame and lost quickly.

P.S. The name "blindfold" is for historical reasons.  Prior to computers, that's how those games were played, usually in a setting with GMs playing against a number of amateurs in 1-on-1 simultaneous games, and rarely GMs against each other.

i am intrigue at this article... how can you say that this is a blindfold tourney?... there's no blindfold held in their eyes :) and instead of chessboard in their front, there is a laptop?... hmmmm sorry, coz what is in my mind when it comes to blindfold games, players suppose to have a blindfold in their eye...

sorry, i just don't know how blindfold games are held :) hahah.. noob here :)_

@LochNessMonster - They have 25 minutes for their games, plus a 10 sec bonus (in the rapid) or a 20 sec bonus (blindfold).

@justice avocado - they see blank boards on the screens, and make their moves using the mouse.  Their opponent's last move is displayed in notation.  It's easier than blindfolding them!

that picture of the blindfolded game intrigues me. why the computers? how does that work, exactly?

excuse my ignorance...

Aronian vs. Smeets (2nd to last game listed here).... move 37 should be checkmate (Qd2#), not just Qd2+ right?

How much time do they have for the rapid games?

Smeets is getting outclassed against these other super GM's, just like he was getting outclassed in Corus. 

Why does he keep getting invited to top class tourneys?

Go Ivanchuck!

are blindfold and rapid games here rated?

Carlsen jut installs fear when he has any plus in a position, he seems to find the simplist winning line, it is beautiful to watch, and Kortchnoi can go watch his boy
Aroian getting destroyed by the con-artist , as he called him, for a few weeks until he is officially an insane bitter never has been.  Maybe they were sending codes to Carlsen based on the brightness of Carlsen's orange juice, Kortchnoi has had an excuse for everything his whole life, maybe the truth is he was just not at the top ever, and not even close.

Can anyone explain Carlsen's blindfold win?

it seems like white could have captured on his 24th or 25th move instead of resigning. what am i missing?

Wow, another geat day for Carlsen, and it's nice to see Aronian bounce back after going 0-2 yesterday.

An unfortunate resignation for Svidler in the blindfold game missing Nd7. The official site has a good recap of everything that happened for anybody looking for a more lengthy account.