18th Amber Blindfold and Rapid (2009)

I was watching this video (on Chessvibes (http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/levon-aronian-wins-18th-amber/)and I thought it was quite an instructive game by Aronian-Leko Rapid game in Round 2 of the 18th Amber Blindfold and Rapid (2009). When grandmasters play blindfold and rapid, they are playing under a handicap and I have always thought that their play is more likely to include mistakes, and blunders(!!!), like the games that we play as club players. Therefore, to some extent, the games can be quite instructive. If the games are accompanied by grandmaster commentary, you cannot go much better than that. The games were broadcast on ICC's Chess.FM (and are available there: https://webcast.chessclub.com/blog/). But they have allowed other blogs to embed the videos and here are a few I watched with my son which I thought were quite good (there are others which are not worth the time).

Aronian-Leko's Rapid game (Queen's Indian ECO E15) is very good example of aggressive attacking game and watch for the tactics at the end. There is also a novelty played by Aronian: watch, listen and learn. Commentary by GM Nick de Firmian.



Here is one where Magnus Carlsen managed to defeat Vishy Anand for the first time with the Black pieces in Round 3 (Blindfold). It is a Sicilian Rossolimo ECO B51 (Bb5 Sicilian). Commentary by GM Joel Benjamin.



Here is a third on the game from Round 4 (Blindfold), Vladimir Kramnik against Wang Yue. It is a Slav Defence (ECO D 17). Again commentary is by GM Joel Benjamin.