In the Dark Room

Magnus Carlsen – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
World Chess Championship match game 5; New York, November 17, 2016
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 0-0 6. a4 d6 7. c3 a6 8. b4 Ba7 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Nbd2 Ng6 11. d4. If 11. Nf1 then 11. ... c6 12. Bb3 h6 13. Ng3 d5 with satisfactory play for Black, Eggleston – Hammer, 7th London Classic Superrapid, London 2015. 11. ... c6 12. h3 exd4 13. cxd4 Nxe4. 13. ... d5 was, too, a well-founded answer, but Karjakin prefers a more radical approach. 14. Bxf7+!? “14. Bxf7+!? leads to a strategic imbalance. Magnus Carlsen is clearly ready for hand-to-hand combat”, Grandmaster Nigel David Short said. However, after 14. Nxe4 d5 15. Bd3 dxe4 16. Bxe4 Be6 Black has not much to fear. 14. ... Rxf7 15. Nxe4 d5 16. Nc5 h6 17. Ra3 Bf5 18. Ne5 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Qh4. “Not to get carried away, but after 19. ... Qh4 it’s first time in the match Karjakin has had the slightest whiff of initiative”, Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson said. 20. Rf3. Clearly not 20. e6? because of 20. ... Bxe6! which would cost White at least a Pawn with very bad consequences. “I think Aronian would now play the flamboyant 20. ... Rff8! but I expect Karjakin to play the more modest 20. ... Bg6”, Rowson said. Instead... 20. ... Bxc5. “Oh no, why did Sergey take the Knight on c5? Maybe it hadn’t occurred to him that he might win this game. It’s drawish now”, Rowson said. 21. bxc5 Re8 22. Rf4 Qe7 23. Qd4. “I said drawish, but actually Magnus is a bit better. His Pawns are more mobile and his King is fundamentally safer”, says Rowson. 23. ... Ref8 24. Rf3!? “Somewhere between equality and a slight advantage there is a Magnus advantage. That’s what we have here”, Rowson said. 24. ... 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! His Majesty goes West. 33. Qc3 Ke8 34. Rb4

34. ... g5! While defending, Karjakin doesn’t exclude to counterattack on the Kingside (if given the chance). The presence of Bishops of opposite colour notoriously favours the attacker. 35. Rb2 Kd8 36. Rf2 Kc8 37. Qd4 Qg6. “White can’t even pretend to be better now without some risk of becoming worse. Draw very soon”, Rowson said. 38. g4. This and the next few moves seem very strange to me, and so it is not for nothing that I say it. Carlsen’s play is simply unrecognizable. 38. ... h5! No techno-traps! Karjakin is finally showing confidence about his own talent. From the point of view of a tertiary witness, Black’s position appear to be far easier to play. 39. Qd2 Rg7 40. Kg3 Rg8 41. Kg2. Carlsen seems totally oblivious to the dynamics of the position. 41. ... hxg4 42. hxg4 d4! A powerful Pawn sacrifice to enlight his own Bishop. One could say that it was not hard to find. 43. Qxd4 Bd5. Strangely, Karjakin misses the big chance to seize the upper hand by 43. ... Rh8! 44. Qe4 Qh6 – it wouldn’t have been easy for Carlsen. 44. e6! Wisely giving back the Pawn in order to get counterplay. 44. ... Qxe6 45. Kg3. Now White has the time to bring first his Rook on the h-file – it would have been impossible had Black played 43. ... Rh8. 45. ... Qe7 46. Rh2 Qf7 47. f4 gxf4+ 48. Qxf4 Qe7 49. Rh5 Rf8 50. Rh7 Rxf4 51. Rxe7 Re4 ½ : ½.

Magnus Carlsen vs. Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
Photo: Der Spiegel