Ch 2021 Dubai UAE Fri 26th Nov 2021 – Thu 16th Dec 2021
Leading Round 8 (of 14) Standings:
| W | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Name | Ti | FED | Rtg | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pts |
| 1 | Carlsen, Magnus | GM | NOR | 2855 | = | = | = | = | = | 1 | = | 1 | 5 | ||||||
| 1 | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | GM | RUS | 2782 | = | = | = | = | = | 0 | = | 0 | 3 |
Carlsen, Magnus vs Nepomniachtchi, Ian
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 6. Nxd7 Bxd7 7. Nd2 A rare continuation that hasn’t been played at the elite level. Even those games by 2300 and 2400 players didn’t manage a win.
7… Nxd2 8. Bxd2 Bd6 This move confused Carlsen „Black’s really not supposed to go Bd6“. ( Relevant: 8… Qe7+ 9. Qe2 Qxe2+ 1/2-1/2 (9) Bokros,A (2468)-Popchev,M (2456) Porto San Giorgio 2007 ) 9. O-O h5
A true fighting choice from Nepomniachtchi played after almost 17 minutes of thought. It might even be the best move. It also might have been preparation – Nepomniachtchi wouldn’t have been expecting this line and so he might have had to think a while to recall the details of the idea. „After h5 I was expecting a more tense game – Qe7 was a brilliant practical decision. To offer a draw silently.“ ( Predecessor: 9… Qh4 10. Qe1+ Kf8 11. f4 Qxe1 12. Raxe1 Re8 13. a3 a6 14. Bb4 Bxb4 15. axb4 f6 16. Rxe8+ Kxe8 17. Kf2 Kf7 18. Re1 g6 19. h4 Re8 20. Rxe8 Bxe8 21. h5 Bb5 22. hxg6+ hxg6 23. Bxb5 axb5 24. g4 g5 25. fxg5 fxg5 26. Ke3 Ke6 27. Kd3 Kd6 28. Ke3 Ke6 29. Kd3 Kd6 30. Ke3 Ke6 31. Kd3 1/2-1/2 (31) Gergacz,A (2421)-Bodo,N (2406) Hungary 2010 ) ( 9… O-O 10. Qh5 f5 is the kind of trouble black can quickly get into. ) ( 9… Be6 10. f4 ( 10. Re1 Qf6 11. Qh5!? ) 10… Qf6 = but you’d have to be very sure of the details. ) 10. Qe1+ Played after a 40 minute think. With best play this is close to equal but nevertheless this is a very smart move. Nepomniachtchi has to decide what he wants from this game – I’m not sure he ever did decide. Carlsen said that he was struggling to calculate lines properly and with Qe7 he thought the game would probably finish in a draw. ( 10. c4 is most likely what will be tried next when people inevitably follow in this game’s footsteps. This is not something you can blame Carlsen for turning down. ) ( 10. Re1+ ) 10… Kf8?!
Whilst not terribly bad in the bigger picture this is the start of Nepomniachtchi putting himself under pressure. After the game Nepomniachtchi admitted it was a bit artificial. After the game Nepomniachtchi said that he didn’t see a big difference between this move and Qe7 and that he thought the game would finish in a draw anyway. ( 10… Qe7 = Looks the way to equality. 11. Qxe7+ Kxe7 12. Rfe1+ Kf6 13. h4 Bf5 = ) 11. Bb4 Qe7 12. Bxd6 Qxd6 13. Qd2 Re8 14. Rae1 Rh6 ( 14… Rxe1 15. Rxe1 g6 was probably the safer route to development. ) 15. Qg5 c6 16. Rxe8+ Bxe8 17. Re1 Qf6 18. Qe3 ( 18. Qg3 is the move marginally preferred by computers. 18… Qd6 19. Re5 ) 18… Bd7 19. h3
Caruana thought this one of the most impressive moves of the game. Creating luft for the king in some important variations. 19… h4 ( 19… g5!? If Nepomniachtchi truly wanted to fight today then this might have been the chance. Prospects are roughly equal according to Stockfish 13. It didn’t seem like he considered it. ) ( 19… Qd6 was an alternative suggested by Nepomniachtchi after the game. 20. Qg5 Qf6 21. Qg3 Qd6 22. Re5 ) 20. c4 Carlsen starts to ask some questions of Nepomniachtchi and he just collapses. Nepomniachtchi thought this had become „slightly unpleasant“ by this stage. 20… dxc4 ( 20… Qd8 is recommended by some engines – not sure it’s any good. 21. cxd5 cxd5 22. Qf4 g5 ) ( 20… g5 is an interesting move which might well have suited Nepomniachtchi more. ) 21. Bxc4 b5?
A wild lunge that is very bad. Played after 4 minutes thought. Nepomniachtchi had plenty of time, he said after the game „it’s hard to defend after such a blunder.“ ( 21… Kg8 fixing black’s back rank problems is probably the best here. ) 22. Qa3+ Kg8 23. Qxa7 Qd8 This tamely goes down to the loss. Carlsen was super concentrated from now on. A really good lesson for us all. This is a win and he made very sure he didn’t grant a single chance to his opponent. ( 23… Bxh3 Probably had to be tried but it seems white should win. 24. Qxf7+! ( 24. Re8+ Kh7 25. Qxf7 also works. ) 24… Qxf7 25. Re8+ Kh7 26. Bxf7 Bf5 and there’s still work to be done. ) ( 23… bxc4 24. Qxd7 Nepomniachtchi said the he „forgot“ his bishop was hanging in this line. This was a really poor piece of calculation. ) 24. Bb3!
An easy move but clearly the best too. 24… Rd6 ( 24… Rh5 This was surely a better shot. 25. Qa3 Rg5 ) 25. Re4 Be6 Exchanging more pieces if forced is very bad news for black. ( 25… Rg6 going for a counter attack could be tried although 26. Rf4! Rf6 27. Rxf6 gxf6 28. Qc5 is over. ) ( 25… g6 26. Rf4 is an immediate end. ) 26. Bxe6 Rxe6 27. Rxe6 fxe6 28. Qc5
Carlsen took his time again. There are a number of roads to the win but Carlsen wasn’t going to rush. This is the best move. 28… Qa5 ( 28… Qe8 Nothing is going to work here against best play but perhaps holding onto the material for the moment was a try. ) 29. Qxc6 Qe1+ 30. Kh2 Qxf2 Really the only chance is perpetual check but Nepomniachtchi doesn’t come close. 31. Qxe6+ Kh7 32. Qe4+ Kg8 33. b3 ( 33. b4 ) ( 33. d5 Qxb2 34. d6 Qd2 35. Qe6+ Kh7 36. d7 also wins but there will be checks. ) 33… Qxa2 34. Qe8+ Kh7 35. Qxb5 Qf2 36. Qe5 Qb2 37. Qe4+ Kg8 38. Qd3 Qf2 39. Qc3 ( 39. Qd1 ) 39… Qf4+ 40. Kg1 Kh7 41. Qd3+ g6 42. Qd1 White is so winning here he can afford to cut out all the checks. 42… Qe3+ 43. Kh1 g5
The last desperate chance is to open up white’s king. 44. d5 g4 45. hxg4 h3 46. Qf3 Finishes things immediately. 1-0