All eyes are on New York City as Magnus Carlsen defends his World Chess Champion title against Russian challenger Sergey Karjakin. Carlsen is the heavy favorite to win the tournament but if the first few games are any indication of what to expect from the whole tournament, we might be in for a long ride. As the name of the post suggests, its too early to *draw* any conclusions from these games, but there are many conclusions in these games that end in *draws*…
#### Game 3: Bending Space and Time
Hopes were high after the first two games that there would be some dramatics appearing in the third game and they came…in a sense. Reminding players, commentators, and fans alike that chess requires *mental* and *physical* resilience, the players battled it out in a 7-hour, 78-move nightmare that ended…you guessed it..in a draw.
[pgn]
[Event “WCh 2016”]
[Site “New York USA”]
[Date “2016.11.14”]
[Round “3”]
[White “Carlsen, Magnus”]
[Black “Karjakin, Sergey”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “C67”]
[WhiteElo “2857”]
[BlackElo “2769”]
[Annotator “Mark”]
[PlyCount “156”]
[EventDate “2016.11.11”]
1. e4 {Carlsen switches to 1.e4. Maybe this is his white true weapon for the
rest of the match.} e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 {The Berlin can hardly have come
as a surprise.} 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 {
White doesn’t have a lot here, what is Carlsen’s idea?} O-O 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re2
$5 {There is nothing new under the sun. This has been played three times.} b6 {
Karjakin had a big think here, he has a number of options.} (10… Nf5 11. d5
d6 12. c3 c6 13. Bf4 Bg5 14. Bxg5 Qxg5 15. Nd2 Bd7 16. Nf3 Qf6 17. Qa4 Rfd8 18.
Rae1 h6 19. Qb3 b5 20. h3 c5 21. Re4 Rdb8 22. Qd1 Kf8 23. g4 Nh4 24. Nxh4 Qxh4
25. Qf3 Re8 26. b4 Rxe4 27. Rxe4 Rc8 28. a3 {1/2-1/2 (28) Vallejo Pons,F (2677)
-Tabatabaei,M (2461) Karlsruhe GER 2016}) (10… Re8) 11. Re1 (11. Bf4 Nf5 12.
c3 Ba6 13. Re1 Bxf1 14. Kxf1 d5 15. Nd2 Qd7 16. Nf3 Rfe8 17. Qb3 Nh4 18. Nxh4
Bxh4 19. Bg3 Bxg3 20. hxg3 g6 21. Rxe8+ Rxe8 22. Re1 Rxe1+ 23. Kxe1 c5 24. dxc5
bxc5 25. Kd2 Qf5 26. Qb8+ Kg7 27. Qf4 Qb1 28. Qe5+ Kg8 29. Qb8+ Kg7 30. Qe5+
Kg8 31. Qb8+ Kg7 32. Qe5+ {1/2-1/2 (32) Matinian,N (2439)-Lysyj,I (2628) St
Petersburg RUS 2012}) 11… Re8 (11… Nb7 12. Na3 d5 13. c3 Nd6 14. Nc2 a5 15.
Ne3 Nf5 16. Ng4 Bg5 17. Bd3 Bxc1 18. Rxc1 Nd6 19. h3 Re8 20. Qf3 Bxg4 21. Qxg4
g6 22. Re5 c6 23. Rce1 Qc7 24. R1e3 Kg7 25. h4 f6 26. Rxe8 Rxe8 27. Rxe8 Nxe8
28. h5 f5 29. Qg5 Nd6 30. hxg6 {1/2-1/2 (30) Kasimdzhanov,R (2704)-Melkumyan,H
(2622) Berlin GER 2016}) 12. Bf4 Rxe1 13. Qxe1 Qe7 {Up to here Carlsen was
playing quickly but here he thought for around 20 minutes.} 14. Nc3 (14. Na3 $5
) 14… Bb7 15. Qxe7 Bxe7 16. a4 $5 (16. Re1 Kf8) 16… a6 17. g3 (17. g4) (17.
Bd3) 17… g5 {The computer’s favourite move. Is Carlsen still in preparation
here? The computer thinks this position is level but maybe this will somehow
be a long term weakness.} (17… Re8) 18. Bxd6 {This seems the only way
forward for white but he has little if any advantage.} Bxd6 19. Bg2 (19. Bh3
Be7 {is good enough.}) 19… Bxg2 20. Kxg2 f5 {straightening out black’s pawn
structure.} 21. Nd5 Kf7 22. Ne3 Kf6 (22… Ke6 23. Re1 {is also playable.}) 23.
Nc4 Bf8 {It’s understandable but not forced to avoid the trade of minor pieces.
} (23… Re8 24. Nxd6 cxd6 25. Ra3 Rc8 26. c3 d5) 24. Re1 Rd8 {This move came
under criticism after the game. It’s not clearly bad I think.} (24… b5) 25.
f4 {A key moment and Karjakin spent some time here.} gxf4 26. gxf4 b5 27. axb5
axb5 28. Ne3 c6 29. Kf3 Ra8 30. Rg1 Ra2 {This move is the start of a wrong
plan from Karjakin. He’s not yet losing.} (30… Bh6) 31. b3 c5 $2 {Now black
is under extreme pressure.} (31… d5) 32. Rg8 $1 {The most testing move.} Kf7
33. Rg2 cxd4 34. Nxf5 d3 35. cxd3 Ra1 {Staying active.} (35… Ra3) 36. Nd4 (
36. Rc2 {computers slightly prefer this move.}) 36… b4 37. Rg5 (37. Ke4 {
was the alternative.}) 37… Rb1 38. Rf5+ {Played quite quickly by Carlsen.}
Ke8 39. Rb5 Rf1+ (39… Bd6) 40. Ke4 Re1+ 41. Kf5 Rd1 42. Re5+ (42. Rb8+ {
was perhaps stronger.} Kf7 43. Nf3 Bd6 44. Rh8 Rxd3 45. Ng5+ Ke7 46. Rxh7+)
42… Kf7 43. Rd5 Rxd3 44. Rxd7+ (44. Ke4 Rh3 45. Rxd7+ Ke8 46. Rb7 Rxh2 47.
Nf3 Re2+) 44… Ke8 45. Rd5 Rh3 46. Re5+ Kf7 47. Re2 Bg7 48. Nc6 Rh5+ {With
this move Karjakin moves closer to the draw and avoids the obvious Rxb3 which
loses.} (48… Rxb3 $2 49. Nd8+ Kg8 50. Re8+ Bf8 51. Kf6 Rh3 52. f5 Rh6+ 53.
Ke5 Kg7 54. Ne6+) 49. Kg4 Rc5 50. Nd8+ Kg6 51. Ne6 h5+ 52. Kf3 Rc3+ 53. Ke4 Bf6
54. Re3 h4 55. h3 Rc1 56. Nf8+ Kf7 57. Nd7 Ke6 58. Nb6 Rd1 59. f5+ Kf7 60. Nc4
Rd4+ 61. Kf3 Bg5 62. Re4 Rd3+ 63. Kg4 Rg3+ 64. Kh5 Be7 $2 {After a long and
tiring defence Karjakin finally goes wrong.} (64… Kf8) 65. Ne5+ Kf6 66. Ng4+
Kf7 67. Re6 Rxh3 68. Ne5+ Kg7 69. Rxe7+ Kf6 70. Nc6 $2 (70. Re8 Kxf5 71. Nc6
Rh1 72. Re2) 70… Kxf5 $2 {Should be losing.} (70… Rc3 $1 {saves the game.})
71. Na5 {Maybe not the easiest way.} (71. Re1 Kf4 72. Rf1+ Ke4 73. Na5 {
was winning for Carlsen.}) (71. Re2) 71… Rh1 72. Rb7 $2 {A mistake, now the
game will be drawn.} (72. Rf7+ Ke6 73. Rf2 {returns to the winning idea.})
72… Ra1 $1 {The only saviing move.} 73. Rb5+ {Now the draw is comparitively
easy for Karjakin to find..} Kf4 74. Rxb4+ Kg3 75. Rg4+ Kf2 76. Nc4 h3 77. Rh4
Kg3 78. Rg4+ Kf2 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]
#### Game 4: Drawing Up A New Strategy?
After the marathon of Game 3, I was very impressed that the players were able to squeeze out the next game, which went 94 moves before ending in another *draw*. It was apparent in this game, however, that Magnus was becoming frustrated with Karjakin and that a draw was certainly not on his list of game ideas for the day.
[pgn]
[Event “WCh 2016”]
[Site “New York USA”]
[Date “2016.11.15”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Karjakin, Sergey”]
[Black “Carlsen, Magnus”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “C88”]
[WhiteElo “2772”]
[BlackElo “2853”]
[PlyCount “187”]
[EventDate “2016.11.11”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3
Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. a3 Qd7 ({Relevant:} 10… Nb8 11. Nbd2 Nbd7 12. Nf1 Re8 13.
Ng3 Bf8 14. Ng5 d5 15. exd5 Nc5 16. c4 Nxb3 17. Qxb3 c6 18. dxc6 Bxc6 19. cxb5
Bd5 20. Qd1 axb5 21. N5e4 h6 22. Qf3 Ra6 23. Bd2 Ba8 24. Bb4 Nd5 25. Bxf8 Rxf8
26. d4 exd4 27. Nf5 Ne7 28. Rad1 Nxf5 29. Qxf5 Re6 30. f3 d3 31. Qxb5 Bxe4 32.
Rxe4 Rxe4 33. fxe4 Qd4+ 34. Kh1 Rd8 35. Qb4 Qe3 36. Qa5 Rd4 37. Qd2 Qxe4 38.
Re1 Qd5 39. Re3 Kh7 40. b4 {Zhigalko,S (2656)-Carlsen,M (2850) Berlin 2015 0-1}
) 11. Nbd2 Rfe8 12. c3 Bf8 13. Nf1 h6 14. N3h2 $146 ({Predecessor:} 14. Ng3 Ne7
15. Nh2 d5 16. Qf3 c5 17. Bc2 Rad8 18. Bxh6 gxh6 19. Qxf6 Bg7 20. Qf3 Rf8 21.
Nh5 Ng6 22. Nf6+ Bxf6 23. Qxf6 dxe4 24. dxe4 Qd6 25. Qf3 Kg7 26. Rad1 Qe7 27.
Nf1 Rxd1 28. Rxd1 Rd8 29. Ne3 Rxd1+ 30. Qxd1 Bc8 31. a4 Qg5 32. Qf3 Nf4 33. Kf1
c4 34. axb5 axb5 35. Nf5+ Bxf5 36. exf5 Nd3 37. Bxd3 cxd3 38. Qxd3 Qc1+ 39. Ke2
Qxb2+ 40. Kf3 b4 41. cxb4 Qxb4 42. Qe4 Qb3+ 43. Qe3 Qd1+ {Zeytinoglu,N (1927)
-Tokmak,H Konya 2010 1-0}) 14… d5 15. Qf3 Na5 16. Ba2 dxe4 17. dxe4 Nc4 18.
Bxh6 Qc6 19. Bxc4 $2 bxc4 20. Be3 Nxe4 21. Ng3 Nd6 22. Rad1 Rab8 23. Bc1 f6 24.
Qxc6 Bxc6 25. Ng4 Rb5 26. f3 f5 27. Nf2 Be7 28. f4 Bh4 29. fxe5 Bxg3 30. exd6
Rxe1+ 31. Rxe1 cxd6 32. Rd1 Kf7 33. Rd4 Re5 34. Kf1 Rd5 35. Rxd5 Bxd5 36. Bg5
Kg6 37. h4 Kh5 38. Nh3 Bf7 39. Be7 Bxh4 40. Bxd6 Bd8 41. Ke2 g5 42. Nf2 Kg6 43.
g4 Bb6 44. Be5 a5 45. Nd1 f4 $2 {Carlsen thought this just won but Karjakin
shows this is a fortress.} (45… Be6) (45… fxg4) 46. Bd4 Bc7 47. Nf2 Be6 48.
Kf3 Bd5+ 49. Ke2 Bg2 50. Kd2 Kf7 51. Kc2 Bd5 52. Kd2 Bd8 53. Kc2 Ke6 54. Kd2
Kd7 55. Kc2 Kc6 56. Kd2 Kb5 57. Kc1 Ka4 58. Kc2 Bf7 59. Kc1 Bg6 60. Kd2 Kb3 61.
Kc1 Bd3 62. Nh3 Ka2 63. Bc5 Be2 64. Nf2 Bf3 65. Kc2 Bc6 66. Bd4 Bd7 67. Bc5 Bc7
68. Bd4 Be6 69. Bc5 f3 70. Be3 Bd7 71. Kc1 Bc8 72. Kc2 Bd7 73. Kc1 Bf4 74. Bxf4
gxf4 75. Kc2 Be6 76. Kc1 Bc8 77. Kc2 Be6 78. Kc1 Kb3 79. Kb1 Ka4 80. Kc2 Kb5
81. Kd2 Kc6 82. Ke1 Kd5 83. Kf1 Ke5 84. Kg1 Kf6 85. Ne4+ Kg6 86. Kf2 Bxg4 87.
Nd2 Be6 88. Kxf3 Kf5 89. a4 Bd5+ 90. Kf2 Kg4 91. Nf1 Kg5 92. Nd2 Kf5 93. Ke2
Kg4 94. Kf2 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]
#### Game 5: Drawn of the Dead
Game 5 was played earlier today and felt like a blitz game at times. The moves were fast in some areas deep into the position with Magnus finding himself in trouble against his challenger for the first time in the match. There were certain moments in the game when Karjakin had clear advantage on the board, but Magnus was able to bring these situations back into balance and force a draw on move 51.
[pgn]
[Event “WCh 2016”]
[Site “New York USA”]
[Date “2016.11.17”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Carlsen, Magnus”]
[Black “Karjakin, Sergey”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “C50”]
[WhiteElo “2853”]
[BlackElo “2772”]
[PlyCount “102”]
[EventDate “2016.11.11”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. a4 d6 7. c3 a6 8. b4 ({
Relevant:} 8. h3 Ba7 9. Re1 Ne7 10. d4 Ng6 11. Bd3 c6 12. Be3 Nh5 13. Nbd2 Nhf4
14. Bf1 exd4 15. Bxd4 Bxd4 16. cxd4 d5 17. e5 f6 18. Ra3 fxe5 19. dxe5 a5 20.
Qc1 Qe7 21. Rb3 Bf5 22. Nd4 Ne6 23. Nxf5 Rxf5 24. Bd3 Rf4 25. Bxg6 hxg6 26. Qd1
Raf8 27. Rf3 Qb4 28. Rxf4 Rxf4 29. Nf3 Qxa4 30. Qd3 Rf5 31. Qb1 Qf4 32. Qc2 Kh7
33. Re3 Qc4 34. Qd1 Rf4 35. Rc3 Qb4 36. Qc1 a4 37. h4 Kg8 {Nepomniachtchi,I
(2740)-So,W (2782) Baku 2016 0-1}) 8… Ba7 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Nbd2 Ng6 11. d4 c6
12. h3 exd4 $146 ({Predecessor:} 12… Re8 13. Bd3 Be6 14. b5 axb5 15. axb5 Nf4
16. Bf1 cxb5 17. Nb1 Bc4 18. Bxf4 exf4 {1/2-1/2 (18) Serazeev,A (2490)
-Szczepanski,Z (2541) ICCF email 2014}) 13. cxd4 Nxe4 14. Bxf7+ $5 (14. Nxe4 d5
15. Bd3 dxe4 16. Bxe4) 14… Rxf7 15. Nxe4 d5 16. Nc5 h6 17. Ra3 Bf5 18. Ne5 (
18. Rae3 $5) 18… Nxe5 19. dxe5 Qh4 {25 minute think for Karjakin. He has 30
minutes plus 30 seconds a move to reach move 40. If the position remains
complicated he could have problems later.} (19… a5 {was the alternative that
Karjakin was probably looking at.} 20. Rf3 axb4 21. e6 Re7 22. Nxb7 Rxb7 23.
Rxf5) 20. Rf3 (20. e6) 20… Bxc5 $6 {It seems Karjakin was unhappy with a
calculation battle.} (20… Bg6 {was the more critical move.}) 21. bxc5 Re8 22.
Rf4 Qe7 23. Qd4 Ref8 24. Rf3 Be4 25. Rxf7 Qxf7 26. f3 Bf5 27. Kh2 Be6 28. Re2
Qg6 29. Be3 Rf7 30. Rf2 Qb1 31. Rb2 Qf5 32. a5 Kf8 {Karjakin takes his king to
the queenside.} 33. Qc3 Ke8 34. Rb4 g5 35. Rb2 Kd8 36. Rf2 Kc8 37. Qd4 {
The position is equal but Carlsen is starting to drift.} Qg6 38. g4 (38. Qd2)
38… h5 39. Qd2 Rg7 40. Kg3 (40. Bxg5 hxg4 (40… Qxg5 41. Qxg5 Rxg5 42. f4
Rg8 43. f5 hxg4 44. hxg4 Rxg4) 41. h4 gxf3 42. Rxf3) 40… Rg8 (40… Qh6) 41.
Kg2 $2 {Now white is definitely worse.} hxg4 42. hxg4 d4 $5 {Played quickly.} (
42… Qh6 {is the computer suggestion.}) 43. Qxd4 (43. Bxd4 Qh6 44. Kg1 Qh3 45.
Qe2 Rf8) 43… Bd5 $2 (43… Rh8 44. Qe4 Qh6 45. Kf1 Rd8 {with dangerous
attacking chances for black.}) 44. e6 $5 {Opening up the queen to cover h8.} (
44. Kg3 {is completely equal as white can challenge the h-file.}) 44… Qxe6
45. Kg3 Qe7 $6 {Now any advantage for black has really gone.} 46. Rh2 $1 Qf7 (
46… Qc7+ 47. f4 Qxa5 48. fxg5 {is equal but white still has to show care.})
47. f4 $1 gxf4+ 48. Qxf4 Qe7 49. Rh5 $1 {Now a draw is absolutely the
favourite result.} Rf8 50. Rh7 Rxf4 51. Rxe7 Re4 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]