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Magnus Carlsen – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin
King Salman World Blitz Chess Championship; ar-Riyāḍ (Riyadh), December 30, 2017
Spanish Game C65

Magnus Carlsen became today World Blitz Chess Champion with an irresistible comeback, thus overcoming yesterday’s off-board “barriers”. The victory against Karjakin, in particular, tellingly showed what he is like when he is in good mood. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nc3 0-0 7. Be3. For 7. Nxe5 Qd4 8. Be3 Qxe5 9. d4 Qe7 10. dxc5 Nxe4 see Carlsen – Alekseev, 41st Internationales Schachfestival, Biel/Bienne 2008. 7. ... Bd6 8. Bg5!? If 8. h3 there might follow 8. ... Nd7 9. Ne2 c5 10. Ng3 Re8 11. Nf5 Nf8 12. Nd2 Qf6 13. Qf3 Bxf5 14. exf5 e4 with very unclear play, Karjakin – Malakhov, 67th Moscow Blitz Championship, Moscow 2013. 8. ... Re8 9. h3 c5!? 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Nxe7+ Qxe7 12. 0-0 h6 13. Be3 Nd7. Who knows, maybe 13. ... c4(!) was a most consistent policy. 14. Nd2! Nb8? Very sophisticated, but perhaps it was more prudent to head the opposite direction by 14. ... Nf8(!), giving priority to the King’s future. 15. f4 exf4 16. Rxf4 Nc6 17. Qh5 b6 18. Raf1. White’s attacking position looks quite scary to face, not only in a blitz game. 18. ... Rf8 19. Nf3!? Objectively best was 19. R4f3! (threatening both Rf3-g3 and Be3xh6) 19. ... Qe5 20. Qh4! retaining a tremendous attack, but also Magnus’s way will finally prove to be tricky enough for driving his opponent into panic.

19. ... Be6! Carlsen had prepared to meet 19. ... g5 by 20. Rh4! gxh4 21. Bxh6 with an explosive attack. 20. Rh4!? Oh, Be3xh6 is in the air. 20. ... f6 21. Qg6 Qf7? Probably this is the decisive mistake, as Her Majesty ends up exposed to the White Knight’s jumps on e5 or g5. Best was 21. ... Bf7(!) 22. Qg3 Kh7(!) with a robust defence. 22. Qg3 Nb4? After this Carlsen may produce an impressive finish: 23. Bxh6! Nxc2 24. Ne5! fxe5 25. Rxf7 Rxf7 26. Qg6 Bxa2 27. Bg5! Rff8 28. Rh7 Rf7 29. Bf6! 1 : 0. Mate in two follows.

One might even think that Magnus’s mood got better after he removed beard and glasses. Photo: Skjermdump/NRK.