It used to be standard that the simul exhibitor took the White pieces. Has that changed, or was this exhibition one of the exceptions?

@ Joe, no, he is a GM - once you become a GM you hold the title for life, even if your ratings later drop. @ Ion - yes I think that is still the case - he allowed his opponent s to chose, and most took the white pieces.

Listening to GM yarns is an interesting experience. I once, during a Grandmaster tournament in Wellington in 1988, spent an evening with Bob Gibbons, one of New Zealand's best known arbiters, whom I had known many years earlier at the Auckland University Chess Club. Joining us were GM Edouard Gufeld for a while, and GM Larry Christiansen. Quite a convivial and entertaining evening at some pub or other...

This looks like a gain of tempo by Black, as the bishop has now taken two moves to reach this square. But because the nature of the position has changed with the exchange of pawns, White won't be unhappy about that.

This pawn controls e5 and c5, the former probably being the more useful. The isolani (as Nimzovitch called it) forms a strategic screen behind which White can develop some plan of attack. Black's response is either (a) destroy the flimsy looking screen, or (b) reach behind it to draw the teeth of attack (i.e. induce exchanges).

I think white is slightly better. Id be looking at Bg5 and Ne5 to start hassling his king side.