Let’s start at the start

 There is an interesting chess event running across the weekend in Morocco. The Morocco Chess Week is featuring Casablanca Chess which is a fixed opening variant. At the start of each round the players are given a famous game, and the move on which they can vary from the given move. They have a couple of minutes to study the game/position and then they play a 15 minute game. 

At the end of Day 1 Carlsen leads with 2.5/3, ahead of Nakamura on 1.5, with Anand and Amin on 1. Of most interest from this event is that the Evan’s Gambit was chosen in Round 1, and White (Carlsen and Nakamura) both won. Carlsen then defeated Nakamura in round 3, in a g4 Sicilian.

Someone on the internet did ask if such games could be rated, and I said no. If people are confused as to why (as a lot of people seemed to be), rated games must be played according to the FIDE Laws of Chess. And in 2.3, the initial position of the chessboard is given. These games do not start in the defined position.

Nakamura, Hikaru v Amin, Basem
Casablanca Chess 2024