@SelfmateMan 1. The first game that won Kramnik -with whites- was using a a normal variation of a normal and common opening: no theory innovation nor asymmetrical positions.
2. The second game won by Kramnik was not decided in the opening but in the late middlegame. It is interesting you say "He played openings which did not fit Kaspys style" because he had very interesting games -against the same Kramnik- with simillar openings and ideas.
"Karjakin is simply exchanging all pieces and goes for a draw" No, he is just playing in a solid and objective way, proper in his style and evident in 99% of the games he played against every strong GM he played. No player with less than 2600+ will draw "easily" (as you say) against Karjakin. So please, just avoid this "generalist" analysis when you are talking about 2750+ games and possibly, about the 17th World Chess Champion.
" i want an interesting player who tries to win, not just not to lose." For sure a WCC is not to entertain you or the masses -but the masses usually are entertained by World Chess Championships, like me, as a GM-, it is about confront ideas, training, and mental capacity.
"On the other hand its true that Carlsen does not play his usual chess currently. Hopefully he relaxes and starts doing the Carlsen thing." That's the problem with the nowadays chess amateurish followers. Carlsen is not an engine, he is a human, with feelings, mistakes, and, with internal psychology. This is a WCC, and it is a clash between the challenger and the champion. He arrived to NY happy, confident and the only things he could find are draws, and a harsh defeat.
No one is going to deny that everything can happen in the last four games, but we have to be objectives after all.
@LM OhNoMyPants
Hello there, Lichess "Master.
"I think comparing this to Kramnik-Kasparov is a great insult to Kramnik. For that manner I think calling this "Karjakin's style" is also an insult to Karjakin. Karjakin is intentionally trying to kill off each and every single game. "
The insult is when, and sometimes, ethnocentrism matches with chess history ignorance, appears and concieves chess from a superficial or idealistic viewpoint. Saying that comparing Karjakin and Kramnik's playing style and seeing similarities is an insult the only thing that shows is the full ignorance about playing style of both players.
As I said many times, Karjakin did not change his style because WCC match against Carlsen. In fact, thinking this is giving too much attention to a World Chess Champion that has been defeated because his "clueless aggresive moves". Just let me to give you an example: 1978, Karpov vs. Korchnoi. The first win was made by Karpov in the 8th game -like happened in this World Chess Championship-. Did Karpov tried to "kill off" every position? No he did not because both players played very well on the last 7 games until Karpov could defeat Korchnoi. Something maybe you did not see is that Karjakin started to take little advantages even when he started to play very fast and with the idea to disconcert Magnus playing openings he (Karjakin) would not play.
Chess is chess and humans are humans. Carlsen blundered and Karjakin resisted. Karjakin is winning and Carlsen is losing. Just be objective, this is not Game of Thrones.
I do not know how's/what's your FIDE rating, but, surely you would not do anything against a solid Karjakin. It is easy to criticize the youngest the GM on chess history while you are not even a FM. He is 6th best classical chess player in the world. So, please, take it easy.