Vasyl Ivanchuk and a losing “!” move at the Chess World Cup 2011

Occasionally I find out that web pages I used to like are no more online. Today I’ll recall from the oblivion a tiny fragment of the lost Internet. The topic is the 2011 Chess World Cup. It was one of the first chess events that I followed, shortly after my passion for chess started. When I had time, I would follow the games live, with the coverage provided by Chess Tempo and Chessbomb. Chessbomb, with its blue-and-red moves and the barely moderated chat, was a staple of the internet chess landscape of the 2010s. Credits: from ChessPro forum (source) The following morning I would read the experts’ analyses. The tournament featured the notes of GMs Sergei Shipov and Konstantin Landa, whose style was very enjoyable and quite sharper than what one would expect from official commentators. The second round of the World Cup brought fewer sensations than the first one — most underdogs already busted and returned home. Well, it’s certainly okay with me — I prefer observing games between…