As I sit here at 8:15am, I notice on ICC that Naka has opened with the Kings Gambit, rounds after playing the King’s Indian against the world champ.
Nakamura, don't EVER give up your style of play, no matter WHAT kind of criticism you take from fans/players. You breathe new life into the stale-computerized-berlin-semislav scene that top chess has become. Even if you don't become world champ, and I hope you do, you are great value to the chess world. I hope you continue your dynamic choice of openings and style of play. Don't give that up. I am confident that you can retain this fresh approach and make your way towards the world's championship.
I think its great that a GM is willing to expand his or her repetoire, and play a bit riskier, in the quest to win more games.
Too many GM’s go for the easy way out and play drawish lines, in which only subtlest errors can be capitalized on. Dynamic, fresh play is what makes chess exciting, and makes spectators more energized to follow high level chess.
Agreed. All the “pure chess” fans were again (as in Anand-Nakamura) saying “he was lost, the computer said so, he got lucky”. According this line of reasoning, Mikhail Tal was nothing but a “lucky” player… The fact is, this type of chess is perfectly valid, is not “lucky”, but treats chess as what it is, a battle over-the-board. Not a computer operation…