1h and 15 minutes to the start of the game. The engines are set and running, it is time for a show.
The Sicilian Rossolimo was on the board yesterday. That will certainly be seen in later games where Caruana is white again, often World Chess Championships turn in theoretical battles. Today’s opening choice will set yet another trend. Who will be better prepared, we will know in just 1h and 45 minutes.
Two hours are left to the start of the game. Yesterday’s drama in the first half of the Caruana – Carlsen game 1 has left many questions to be answered today. Stockfish, running on a Super Computer of 128 cores, often reached evals of over +7.5 for Carlsen before move 40 and with the time running this eval was increasing even more. Clearly, that would have been a victory in any other circumstance, but the psychological pressure of a first game in a World Chess Championship took its toll and Magnus could not close the game.
Can Carlsen utilize effectively the white’s advantage today or will Caruana stabilize his play? In a match of only 12 games every single one is of high importance.