The Scream Within

Magnus Carlsen – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
World Chess Championship match game 10; New York, November 24, 2016
Spanish Game C60

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 0-0 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. 0-0 d6 9. Nbd2 Nh5!? Karjakin’s improvement over 9. ... Nh7 10. Bg3 Ng5 11. d4 Nxf3+ 12. Nxf3 Bd7 13. d5 Nb8 14. Bd3 Bg4 15. h3 Bh5 16. Bh2 c6 17. dxc6 bxc6 18. b4 Nd7 19. Qe2 with a somewhat better game for White, Agdestein – Krivonosov, 2nd Tech Open, Riga 2012. 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Nc4 Nf4. Not bad, but maybe not as strategically grounded as 11. ... f5! with very interesting play of light and shade. 12. Ne3 Qf6 13. g3 Nh3+ 14. Kh1 Ne7 15. Bc4 c6. “15. ... b5!? Taking some space is tempting but slightly weakening. Match nerves might already make such moves less likely”, Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson said. 16. Bb3 Ng6 17. Qe2 a5 18. a4 Be6 19. Bxe6!? Carlsen was criticized for allowing his opponent to get closer to a draw, but it’s not clear what he could do to get an advantage. The only reasonable choice left, viz. 19. Bc2, certainly was not exciting. 19. ... fxe6 20. Nd2

20. ... d5? And Karjakin was blamed for rejecting 20. ... Nxf2+! 21. Kg2 Nh4+! 22. Kg1 Nh3+ 23. Kh1 Nf2+ with perpetual check. However, “It’s possible Sergey saw 20. ... Nxf2+ but felt 21. Kg1 Nh3+ 22. Kg2 Nhf4+ 23. gxf4 Nxf4+ 24. Rxf4 exf4 25. Nf1 might be better for White?”, wonders Rowson. He is quite right to ask this question, but sincerely speaking it doesn’t look (at least to me) like a convincing argument. 21. Qh5 Ng5. Stockfish’s drawing line 21. ... Nxf2+! 22. Kg2 Qf7! 23. Kg1 Qf6! is a bit too unnatural to blame Karjakin of not playing it. 22. h4! Carlsen does not miss the chance to enter a favourable and for Black very difficult – even if not yet lost – endgame. 22. ... Nf3 23. Nxf3 Qxf3+ 24. Qxf3 Rxf3 25. Kg2 Rf7 26. Rfe1 h5. The issue highlighted by both Erwin l’Ami and Robin van Kampen, viz. 26. ... Raf8 27. Re2? dxe4 28. dxe4 Nf4+!, does not appear to be founded on any objective ground as White most likely would have played 27. Nd1 or even 27. Rf1 with consequences very similar to those of the actual game. 27. Nf1 Kf8. Black’s King heads to d6, hoping to defend all his weaknesses. “Seriously unpleasant endgame for Sergey. Long torture ahead”, Grandmaster Nigel David Short predicted before saying good night. 28. Nd2 Ke7 29. Re2 Kd6 30. Nf3 Raf8 31. Ng5 Re7 32. Rae1 Rfe8 33. Nf3 Nh8 34. d4 exd4 35. Nxd4 g6 36. Re3 Nf7 37. e5+ Kd7 38. Rf3 Nh6 39. Rf6 Rg7 40. b4 axb4 41. cxb4 Ng8 42. Rf3 Nh6 43. a5 Nf5 44. Nb3 Kc7 45. Nc5 Kb8 46. Rb1 Ka7 47. Rd3 Rc7 48. Ra3. “Magnus has to somehow combine the threats of b4-b5 and Kg2-f3-f4-g5 so that Black can’t hold both flanks. Tough challenge”, Rowson said. 48. ... Nd4 49. Rd1 Nf5 50. Kh3. “Beginning to think Magnus’s chances are quite good. Clear idea of f2-f3 and g3-g4 and Black cannot afford Rook on h-file”, says Rowson. 50. ... Nh6 51. f3 Rf7 52. Rd4 Nf5 53. Rd2 Rh7 54. Rb3 Ree7 55. Rdd3 Rh8 56. Rb1 Rhh7. “57. b5 surely? It’s now or never I think”, says Rowson. 57. b5! cxb5 58. Rxb5. “I think Magnus will win. He has complete control now and Black has three weaknesses”, Rowson said. 58. ... d4 59. Rb6 Rc7 60. Nxe6 Rc3 61. Nf4 Rhc7 62. Nd5 Rxd3 63. Nxc7 Kb8 64. Nb5 Kc8 65. Rxg6 Rxf3 66. Kg2 Rb3 67. Nd6+ Nxd6 68. Rxd6 Re3 69. e6 Kc7 70. Rxd4 Rxe6 71. Rd5 Rh6 72. Kf3 Kb8 73. Kf4 Ka7 74. Kg5 Rh8 75. Kf6 1 : 0. A noteworthy display of temperament by Carlsen.

Magnus Carlsen vs. Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
Photo: Max Avdeev for World Chess by Agon Limited